(JACKSON, Miss.) – A field of 585 shooters from across the country competed in this year’s U.S. Open Skeet Tournament, held simultaneously at 18 sites nationwide. Attendance for the event surpassed last year’s World Championships, putting the U.S. Open on pace to become the largest skeet tournament in the world this year.
Gavin Stevenson of Benton once again proved himself among the top skeet shooters in the world, finishing second in the High Overall competition after dropping a tiebreaker shootoff to winner Ed Smith of New York. Both shooters finished the tournament tied at 399/400, with Smith edging Stevenson in the shootoff to claim the title.
Stevenson’s run through the individual events was equally impressive. He broke 99/100 in the 20-gauge before posting a perfect 100/100 in the 28-gauge. In the .410 event, he broke the only 100 straight recorded in the country to win the event outright.
In the 12-gauge, Stevenson finished with 100/100, but so did 37 other competitors, forcing a lengthy tiebreaker shootoff to separate the 38 shooters who tied with perfect scores. Stevenson placed third in that shootoff.
His cumulative score of 399/400 — a personal best — tied him for first place in the High Overall standings before the deciding shootoff with Smith. Stevenson’s 498/500 across all events also earned him Runner-Up honors in the High All Around competition.
Also representing the area was Dr. Kenneth Ford of Sharpe, who broke 100/100 in the 12-gauge en route to a seventh-place finish in the Senior Division High Overall competition with a score of 389/400.
