Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Lincoln’s Sammie Hannah On Target At Junior Olympics
LINCOLN — Sammie Hannah is discovering opportunities Annie Oakley tirelessly worked to empower women to attain.
According to Women in History, Oakley’s determination and strength of character empowered her to overcome poverty, mistreatment and physical injury. Oakley’s marksmanship helped break barriers for women with her legendary accomplishments in the sport of shooting and she exerted influence as an entertainer.
Sammie Hannah, a 2013 graduate of Lincoln High School and Washington County Shooting Sports Club member, is finding doors opening through her shooting prowess.
Hannah set a new state record with a score of 324 in winning the state Junior Olympics girls 10-meter pistol competition held Dec. 7-8 at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center.
By virtue of her score, Hannah was invited to the National Junior Olympic Pistol Matches held in April at Colorado Springs, Colo., an additional perk besides winning gold in the Arkansas 4-H Junior Olympic pistol competition.
“[Sammie] did not win, she’s very disappointed in herself, but had the time of her life,” said Sammie’s mother and shooting coach, Joanie Hannah. “She’s ready to come back next year. She has a goal in her sights, we’re very proud of her.”
In December, 93 youth ages 13-19 competed in the 10-meter air pistol and 50-foot .22-caliber sport pistol events with separate divisions for boys and girls.
Hannah beat out silver medalist, Charla Hammonds, of Logan County, and bronze medalist, Lauren Mikaela Phillips, of Washington County, for the gold in the girls 10-meter air pistol.
Hannah also placed second, taking home the silver in the girls 50- foot .22- caliber sport pistol competition behind gold medalist, Kylie Turner, of Greene County, and ahead of bronze medalist, Hannah Toland, of Logan County.
Hannah’s parents, Sam and Joanie Hannah, of Cane Hill, are the Washington County shooting sports coaches. Sam has instilled a philosophy to build up the individual, believing the shooter will develop with support and encouragement.
According to Joanie, Sam Hannah thinks the best way to get ready for the national stage is for the shooter to concentrate during practice as if they were already in the midst of competition.
Joanie feels shooting sports stand apart in the world of competition because bias in judgment or errors in decision-making by officials are taken out of deciding the outcome. She said the reality is many sports can be influenced by the amount of money poured into the competition or influence with judges.
“The hole in the target or the busted clay, or whatever it happens to be, tells the story,” Joanie Hannah said. “You’re getting a more true depiction of the person, the child. We start them at age five, all the way up to 19.”
“In competition, if its at a fair or anything like that it depends on the judge. In shooting, its based on the target, its based on that one person and what they achieve,” Joanie Hannah said. “I think it should be based on the person and what they achieve, not what somebody else thinks or the amount of money spent.”
Sammie started out as a youngster squirrel hunting with her dad. She said it kind of felt weird whenever the squirrels fell out of the tree with a bonus — her dad let her keep the tails.
“It’s an accuracy thing,” Joanie said. “They (squirrels) are darting and going. He always said we have to go squirrel hunting before we go deer hunting so we can hit something.”
And hit something, Sammie has. She practices every day and plans to continue competing.