The 2026 USA Shooting Rifle Fall Selection Match in Colorado Springs concluded its smallbore phase from August 21-23, determining key national team standings and future international nominations. The competitive 50m three-position smallbore event saw Braden Peiser and Katie Zaun emerge as open champions, each navigating distinct paths to victory.
For Braden Peiser, securing the men’s smallbore title required leveraging prior performance. Despite ranking sixth among the eight finalists on raw match scores, with two 587s, Peiser’s commanding 1181 national championship score provided a critical 10-point cushion over the rest of the field. This foundation placed him atop the qualification standings at 2355. His 358 in the final, noted as the best men’s final of the week, solidified his win with a total of 2713.0. Ivan Roe finished as runner-up with 2702.3, following a 354.3 final. Gavin Barnick, who opened the competition with the highest single men’s match score of 590, ultimately placed third at 2685.5. Griffin Lake, another shooter with a 590 in the opening men’s match and a 10m air rifle title earlier in the week, finished fourth at 2673.1.
Katie Zaun demonstrated a more dominant performance in the women’s field. Her 1175 national championship score was the highest among women, and her 594 marked the top single match score for either gender across all smallbore relays. Zaun’s strong showing continued into the final, where her 362.9 was the best final score of the entire match, sealing her victory with a total of 2719.9. Cecelia Ossi took second place with a score of 2706.8. Paris 2024 silver medalist Sagen Maddalena secured third at 2695.8, while Alison Weisz, despite posting the best two-match total in the women’s field at 1183 and also winning a 10m air rifle title, finished fourth at 2685.3, less than three points from the podium.
The junior standings, uniquely decided solely on the two qualification matches without national championship scores or finals, presented a different dynamic. Tyler Wee claimed the junior men’s title with an 1178 aggregate from matching 589s, placing him one point ahead of Griffin Lake and four points clear of open champion Braden Peiser, who took third in the junior category. In the junior women's competition, Ashlyn Blake secured the title with 1172, overcoming an initial 585 by posting a 587 in her second match, highlighted by a strong run of six series between 97 and 99. She edged out Elizabeth Probst and Karlie Lynn, both finishing at 1169, with Probst taking second on a tiebreak. Lynn had led through much of the competition before a late fade.
The competition at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center played a crucial role in USA Shooting’s athlete selection process, contributing to national team rankings and future international nominations.
