Taking her best shot

Jenna Arellano, 11, of Crescent City takes part in the World Speed Shooting Championships last month. Submitted photo

“She took a liking to it and has been shooting since,” her father, Monte Arellano said.

So much so that at only 11 years old this Crescent City girl has just competed in the World Speed Shooting Championships (Steel Challenge) last month in Piru, Calif.,  as well as receiving praise from one of the top female shooters in the world.

Jenna finished in  4th place in the pre-teen open class division as the youngest participant.

“I practice a lot,” she said, saying her goal is to keep improving and mastering the sport.

Monte Arellano is also a speed shooter and said it has been a wonderful way for his family, including his son, 8, and  his wife to spend time together.

“It’s about having fun and being safe,” Jenna said.

Speed shooting consists of the participant shooting at a stage of five plate targets as fast and accurately as possible.

“It’s not really speed shooting,” Monte Arellano said. “It’s a trap to try to make you go as fast as you can but you need to give each individual plate the respect it deserves.”

Monte said his daughter is  a very clean shooter and is excellent in cleanly hitting her targets, something even older shooters struggle with.

At the speed shooting event  in Piru, out of 195 targets, her father said she only missed three  on her first try, which is quite unusual for her age. He said many world class shooters are not that accurate.

“My wife and I were besides ourselves,” Monte Arellano said. “We thought she did very well.”

Monte said that while accuracy is Jenna’s strength she is still improving on her speed and  should only get better as she gets older.

Jenna and her family normally take part in shooting events on a consistent basis in White City, Ore. When she is not taking part in events during the weekend, she can be found with her family  practicing her shooting up in the mountains, improving her skills.

A highlight for Jenna at last month’s speed shooting event was when she met Jessie Abbate, a world champion speed shooter.

“She said I did a very good job,” Jenna said, saying that getting praise from someone like Abbate meant a lot to her.

When asked what she thinks of when she shoots at her targets during a competition, Jenna  gave a  smile and said she thinks of them as lollipops and popsicles, saying it helps her concentrate.

When asked what she would eventually like to do in speed shooting, Jenna replied that she would love to win a world speed shooting championship and the large cup that goes with it.

“I would put apple juice in it,”  Jenna said. “I could put my silly straw in it.”