Despite a promising start, Eagle River trapshooter Corey Cogdell couldn't get past the preliminaries Saturday at the Summer Olympics in London.
Cogdell, who was seeking her second Olympic medal, tied for ninth place in the qualifying round of women's trapshoot. Only the top six advanced to the finals.
"Well I didn't shoot well enough to make the final but I want to thank everyone that has supported me the last 4 years. #blessed," Cogdell wrote on Twitter.
Cogdell broke 68 of 75 clay targets at London's Royal Artillery Barracks. The top qualifier, Italy's Jessica Rossi, fired a world-record 75.
Cogdell, the bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was one of four shooters who shot perfect 25s in the first round.
She opened the second round with seven straight hits before missing. She faded at the end of the round, missing two of her last eight targets to finish with 22. That gave her a two-round score of 47 and a share of sixth place.
Cogdell continued to misfire in the final round, posting a 21. Her total score of 68 (out of a possible 75) put her in a three-way tie for ninth place.
The day got off to a much better start for UAF alumna Jamie (Beyerle) Gray.
Gray advanced to the finals by shooting an Olympic record in the preliminaries of the women's 50-meter 3-position rifle.
She hit 592 of 600 targets to break the previous Olympic record of 589, set in 1996. The world record is 594.
Gray fired 98-100--198 prone, 99-99--198 standing and 98-98--196 kneeling.
Gray helped UAF to four NCAA riflery championships, the last one in 2006, and won two individual titles as a Nanook. She's an assistant riflery coach at Columbus State in Columbus, Ga.


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