Friends and Neighbors: Shauntae Daily

The sport of shooting may not be getting the recognition it deserves nationally, but here in Kimball, another young lady is making a name for herself in the competitive shooting circuit.

Shooting with the Kimball Dead Eye Shooters for nine years, Kimball senior Shauntae Daily, 17, began competing individually at the beginning of her freshman year.

"I still go do the fair things with them, but when I go to Colorado Springs and places like that, though I am still a part of the team, I am shooting by myself," she explained.

Shauntae has competed individually in Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. While competing with her team, she appreciates the pep talks and encouragement, but she prefers shooting individually.

"I like going by myself. If I go by myself, I know what I have to do and get into my own zone," she said.

Though Shauntae joined the 4-H group at the age of eight, she had already been shooting at an even earlier age.

"When I was little my dad would take me out and we would shoot pumpkins at the dump, so I liked to shoot, then our friends, the Pruett's, showed us what the club was about," she said. "Since I loved shooting we just kind of went from there."

In addition to her dad, Shauntae's biggest influences in shooting sports have been Nicole Snyder and Chris Long, longtime 4-H shooting coaches and fellow shooter Madie Snyder.

"Without Nicole, Chris and Madie I really would not be where I am today," she said.

Though she has other interests, including volleyball and basketball, Shauntae said that if she had to choose, shooting would win out.

"I love sports, but I like shooting more. I wish it was a sport in school because more people would see what I am doing and take more interest," she added.

Her chosen sport has taught her patience, she said, and has developed her social skills, allowing her to relate well to others, help when she can and make new friends.

Finding time to practice has been her biggest challenge because organized shooting practice is generally on Tuesdays and Thursday. Since she often has games on those days, she finds time to practice on her own as well.

"Even when I get time, I am exhausted, but I go to my grandma's and shoot in the basement," she said.

Her most recent individual contest, the 2016 Junior Air Rifle National Championships hosted by the American Legion in Colorado Springs, Colo., was the biggest event she has competed in and her biggest success to date.

Qualifying for the competition was intense, according to Shauntae, and only the top 15 in each region or state was chosen. Once she qualified she competed against the other qualifying shooters.

"Going to Colorado Springs, ending third out of all those people and making all those new friends, I am not a social person, is my biggest success," she said. "So I was pretty proud of myself."

Though she has thought about applying for scholarships, and she may continue shooting, her dream is to become an early childhood educator.

Shauntae said that the experience was the chance of a lifetime and that other than 4-H National competitions, nothing else compares.

"Shooting is a lifetime sport and I will remember this summer for the rest of my life," she said.