Oak Harbor’s Elena Flake overcame less than ideal conditions to win two medals — one gold — at the National Rifle and Pistol Championships in Fort Benning, Georgia, this week.
The tournament ended Tuesday, June 28, with Flake grabbing a gold medal in her classification in the women’s 50-meter, three-position rifle competition.
She was 70th out of 96 overall, but No. 1 in the “D” class, with a score of 1,092-21 (21 bull’s-eyes). Flake defeated shooters from every class, including the top, “AA.”
Flake, who will be a senior at Oak Harbor High School in the fall, competed in only one other small bore (.22) contest before the national tournament after shooting on the precision air rifle team for the Wildcats during the school year.
With only one competition under her belt and with only two month’s experience shooting the small-bore rifle, she received a “D” rating for the national finals.
That one competition was a qualifying match in Blackfoot, Idaho, earlier this year. She and her father, Lance Flake, drove 14 hours to Blackfoot on a Friday, Elena qualified Saturday and then the Flakes turned around and drove home.
Elena Flake dealt with more than a lack of rifle experience at the USA championships — she competed with a rifle that was too big for her frame.
“Once we get a rifle that will actually fit her properly, she will be even more competitive in future matches,” Lance Flake said.
Elena Flake also had to battle temperatures in the mid-90s and 100 percent humidity while wearing heavy shooting gear.
“With the shooting suits they wear of thick canvas and leather and long-sleeve sweaters and/or sweatshirts (additional stability), the shooters would come off the firing line soaking wet with sweat,” Lance Flake said.
Elena Flake used a flexible ice pack between rounds to cool her neck and back.
She received a bronze medal in the “D” class in the women’s 50-meter rifle prone competition and placed 37th overall out of 60. Flake tallied 1,194.3 in decimal scoring.
Flake also took part in the women’s air rifle finals, where has an “AA” rating (top 96 percent). She finished 90th out of 115 with a decimal score of 790.1.
Many of the “AA” shooters were the ones “knocking on the door for Olympic competition for the last six months,” Lance Flake said.
Elena Flake’s shooting coach, Dave Goodman, called her “a truly exceptional athlete.”
Her accomplishments at the national finals is “utterly amazing” after only two months of practice, he added.
Flake was “definitely surprised” by her success, she said, “especially with my score at this level.” Flake set a personal best by 20 points on the first day of competition.
While a novice in small bore, she is hardly a seasoned veteran in air rifle. Flake took up the sport last August.
‘My coach (Goodman) said I shouldn’t be surprised by my success because if have shooter’s genes.”
She decided to take up small bore when she started exploring which colleges offer air rifle teams. The field of potential landing places greatly increased when she added those with small-bore programs.
Flake is glad she gave small bore a try: “It was not a bad decision, I enjoy it more than air rifle. For me, it is more fun.”
Flake had no rest after the USA championships. She went directly to Camp Perry, Ohio, to compete in the Civilian Marksmanship Program and Junior Olympic national air rifle tournaments which are currently taking place.
Not bad for someone who has yet to celebrate her first anniversary in the sport.
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Elena Flakes shows off the medals she won at the USA shooting championships. (Photo submitted by Lance Flake.)
