Subject: 13-year-old wins Grand Challenge
From: Joe Potosky
Email:
Date: Mon, Aug 15, 2011 - 01:35 PM ET
Website Address:
http://thesouthern.com/sports/article_7 ... 03286.html
SPARTA - You couldn't have wiped the grin off Logan Taylor's face with a road grader.
Who could blame him?
The 13-year-old from Russellville, Ala., bested some of the best shooters in the world to claim the $100,000 Grand American Challenge at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex.
"I feel great," he said, dissolving to a giggle. "I'm excited."
That might have been the understatement of the day. Taylor struggled to remember what year of school he'll be entering - eighth grade for the record. His mind was obviously churning.
This is the second year of the event that pits the winners of the eight handicap events, the high average handicap shooter and a contestant drawn at random in a winner-take-all format.
The eight handicap winners included Tony Kirk II, Tim Reed, Steve Huber, Wes Rowton, Hunter Baughman, Foster Bartholow and Grand American Handicap champion Keith Parrott. Five of those shooters were 20 years old or younger.
Harlan Campbell Jr. was the high average participant and Vicki Crane's name was drawn at random.
The event began with the two short-yardage shooters, Taylor (20.5 yards) and Kirk (18.5 yards) shooting 25 birds. Shooting first was just fine with Taylor.
"I'm happy I got to shoot first," he said. "That way I didn't know what I had to beat."
Taylor was perfect in the first round. Kirk dropped two targets.
Admittedly nervous on the line, he forced himself to shoot at a comfortable pace.
"That's the trick to it," Taylor said. "You have to make sure you don't get nervous and rush yourself."
Then, it was a matter of watching five 27-yard shooters, Campbell, Bartholow, Crane, Huber and Reed square off. They all missed at least one shot.
That helped relieve the tension.
"Every time they'd miss one," Taylor said.
In the final phase of the first round, Parrott, Baughman and Rowton squared off. Parrott was the only shooter to emerge unscathed, setting up a shoot-off between himself and Taylor.
Parrott missed single targets on the fourth and fifth posts. Taylor said those misses made his job easier.
"It wasn't tough at all," he said. "It just took all the stress off of it."
Unlike some of the other shooters, Taylor knew for a week that he would be shooting for $100,000 Saturday.
"I tried not to think about it," he said. "I wasn't that successful. That was hard to do."
As for where the money would go, Taylor was right on top of that.
"Pay for college," he said.
The money for the $100,000 challenge was donated by Bill and Lee Ann Martin. Before the event, tournament director Mike Hampton announced that Martins would donate the money again next year, as well as $200,000 to go toward Lewis class purses.
And, next year, they will donate an additional $50,000 for a women's challenge.
http://thesouthern.com/sports/article_7 ... 03286.html