An Iowa woman who just missed her “shot” at making the U-S Olympic team is cheering on those who made it to Athens, Greece. Seventeen-year-old Haley Dunn missed making the Olympic skeet shooting team by just three targets. One U-S woman was sent to Athens for skeet shooting and Dunn came in a close second. Connie Smotek of Lyons, Texas, finished five targets ahead of Dunn, securing her spot in Athens. Dunn knows Smoltek through years of training and competition. Dunn says as an older competitor, Smoltek, helped her get started in the sport and they are good friends. Dunn began shooting skeet seven years ago. Dunn’s father opened a skeet range when she was ten and over the years she has worked there and competed against the “neighbor boys” in skeet shooting matches. Dunn says she aims to try out for the Olympic again in for years — but will be watching as the U.S. Skeet team competes in Athens. Dunn says she’;; watch and support the U.S. Skeet team and hopes they represent the U.S. well.Dunn has traveled around the world for skeet shooting competitions. In 2001 she traveled to Cairo, Egypt to compete and won the title of Junior World Champion. Dunn is from Eddyville and will be a sophomore at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa in the fall.
