Shooting Season Lasts Year ’Round for Portage Sophomore Many student athletes continue to practice and test their skills even after their regular season has ended. One of those students at Portage is sophomore Alexandra “Alli” Kissell. Kissell has been shooting smallbore .22 rifles for many years. She first started shooting with her father in the backyard, later joined the Portage Area Junior Rifle Club where she shot for four years, and then joined the Portage Area High School Rifle Team last year. Her performance as a freshman on the team earned her a spot on the Jerome Sportsman’s Junior Rifle Team, through which she has had the opportunity to advance her skills in shooting. Rather than pack her rifle away at the end of last year’s season, Kissell began practicing with the Jerome Travel Team. With them, she shot in numerous matches held locally and nationally. This past summer, she traveled to Fort Benning, Georgia, to shoot in the 2013 USA National Championships in which she did very well. Said Kissell, “I wanted to go to nationals this year as a young shooter, work out the jitters and familiarize myself with the program so that when I return the next two years, I can really shine when I need to. It was a great experience for me. I learned a lot and met a lot of shooters, coaches, and friends. I had the opportunity to build my confidence and self-esteem regarding my shooting potential.” Kissell also traveled to Camp Perry, Ohio, to shoot in the 2013 NRA National Championships this past summer. She shot extremely well and was chosen to represent Jerome on their “Gold Team” during the team competition, a great achievement for a young shooter. In addition to participating in the national competitions, she placed third, winning a bronze medal, in the Three Rivers State Championship Match held in Murrysville, Pa. Just before school began in August, Kissell returned home from her second trip to Fort Benning. This time though, she attended the US Army Marksmanship Unit Smallbore Camp for juniors. For a week she was afforded the opportunity to be trained by some of the best shooters in the world: Olympic gold medalists, national record holders, and World Team members. “The experience was amazing,” Kissell said. “I was honored to be around Olympians and to have them coaching me--a girl going into 10th grade. I was thankful to have the opportunity to be there and grateful to have such wonderful parents, coaches and family members.” As of mid-October, Kissell was ranked 36th nationally with USA Shooting Women’s Smallbore Rifle. She explained that it takes a lot of hard work and practice, not to mention a dedicated coaching staff, to accomplish what she has so far. She credited Deanna Binnie as being her personal inspiration. “I’m not done yet,” said Kissell. “I still have three more years of shooting before I graduate, and I hope to accomplish much more.”
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 02:09:30 +0000
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