Olympic Medalists Rhode, Cogdell-Unrein Lead U.S. Team to World Cup in Mexico

Olympic Medalists Rhode, Cogdell-Unrein
Lead 11-U.S. Person Team to World Cup in Mexico

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (March 16, 2017) – Eleven USA Shooting athletes will compete at the second International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup of the season starting Sunday through March 27 in Acapulco, Mexico.

This shotgun-only World Cup will welcome 206 athletes from 33 countries to the Club de Caza, Tiro y Pesca de Acapulco. Leading the way for the U.S. delegation will be Olympic medalists Kim Rhode (El Monte, California, pictured right) and Corey Cogdell-Unrein (Eagle River, Alaska, pictured below).

Six-time Olympic medalist Rhode continued her winning ways following the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio with a gold-medal win at the World Cup Final in October, and most recently she picked up her ninth World Cup gold medal at the season opener in New Delhi, India.

Joining Rhode in Women’s Skeet will be World Championship silver medalist Caitlin Connor (Winnfield, Louisiana) and 17-year-old Katie Jacob (Rochester, Michigan). Connor nearly joined Rhode on the podium at the World Cup in India, missing out on a potential bronze medal by the slimmest of margins. Connor was one target away from earning at least a bronze medal, but a dropped target on her 40^th shot to put her in a tie with eventual silver medalist Sutiya Jiewchalommit of Thailand. Under the new Finals rules, Jiewchalommit’s higher Qualification score (73 to Connor’s 72) decided the tiebreaker, thus eliminating Connor from the competition.

Jacob finished in third place overall in the USA Shooting World Cup selection process to earn her World Cup berth. Jacob won her first World Cup medal last year when she finished with a bronze in Cyprus, and eventually finished in 11^th place at the World Cup Final in October.
In Women’s Trap, Cogdell-Unrein makes her return to competition at this World Cup since winning a pair of bronze medals at the 2016 Olympic Games and World Cup Final in October. Cogdell-Unrein has regularly found success at the Acapulco World Cups, winning silver there in 2010, as well as gold and an Olympic quota there in 2015.

Also, competing in Women’s Trap will be National Champion and USA Shooting World Cup selection winner Ashley Carroll (Solvang, California) and Kayle Browning-Thomas (Wooster, Arkansas). Browning most recently finished in 15^th place at the World Cup in New Delhi.

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Jake Wallace (Castaic, California) will look to build on his 12^th-place finish from the World Cup in New Delhi in Men’s Trap. He’ll be joined in Trap by Dale Royer (Jackson, Montana) and Roe Reynolds (Quitman, Arkansas). Reynolds claimed the bronze medal at the Fall Selection Match in September in his first Open Division Final. Double Trap specialist Royer will make his international Trap debut in ISSF competition at this World Cup.

Men’s Skeet will be represented by two-time Olympian Frank Thompson (Alliance, Nebraska) and Will Thomas (West Des Moines, Iowa).

Competition kicks off Sunday with Women’s Trap and concludes on March 26 with Men’s Skeet. *Photos courtesy of ISSF

Winchester Ammunition is a Proud Sponsor of the USA Shooting Shotgun Team: WinchesterÆ Ammunition has been the exclusive ammunition sponsor and supplier of the USA Shooting Shotgun Team since 1999. Members of the past two shotgun teams brought home a combined six medals from London and Beijing using Winchester AA International Target loads. Winchester is an industry leader in advancing and supporting conservation, hunter education and our country’s proud shooting sports heritage. For more information about Winchester and its complete line of products, visit winchester.com.

About USA Shooting:
USA Shooting, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. USA Shooting’s mission is to prepare American athletes to win Olympic medals, promote the shooting sports throughout the U.S. and govern the conduct of international shooting in the country.