Legends: Janet Friddell 1941-2018

by
posted on September 12, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
janfriddell2.jpg

Janet Sue Friddell Spohn, noted smallbore rifle competitor of the 1950s and 1960s, passed away on August 8, 2018.

Jan, who began her shooting career at age 13, won both the Smallbore Rifle Woman and Junior Prone National Championships in 1958 as a 17-year old. She repeated her women’s title in 1961 and 1962. She was a 12-time member of the U.S. Randle Team and had three appearances on the U.S. Dewar Team. In international shoulder to shoulder smallbore competition she anchored the victorious 1961 U.S. Pershing Team. The following year she was a member of the U.S. Team at the 1962 World Shooting Championships in Cairo, Egypt. This was the first time the U.S. entered the women’s events.

Janet Friddell
Janet Friddell, 1958 US Woman and Junior Smallbore Rifle Prone Champion, accepts the Whittington Trophy from donor George Whittington.


Perhaps the zenith of her shooting career was a very crowded three-day span at Camp Perry in August of 1961. Jan had been shooting well and was named to the Randle, Dewar, and Pershing Teams. This trifecta was unheard of up to this time and Friddell, the first woman on a Pershing Team, more than met the challenge. She opened with a team high score of 400-29X for the winning Randle Team. The following day she lay down for the Dewar and shot a 388 on the tougher British target, just a single point shy of the team high score. On the final day of the National Championship, having just won her second Remington Trophy as women’s champion, she reloaded her bullet block and proceeded to shoot the highest score of all 30 competitors in the Pershing, a perfect 400 with 27Xs, leading the U.S. to its third consecutive Pershing victory.

Jan was also in the shooting avant-garde using her trade mark “little red wagon” to tote her gear about the range, presaging today’s ubiquitous range carts.


Janet Sue Friddell Spohn
April 19, 1941-August 8, 2018

Latest

Usashooting 2025Sept 1
Usashooting 2025Sept 1

U.S. Shotgun Team Reigns Supreme in 2025 International Season

Team USA’s shotgun athletes have captured 34 international medals in 2025, showcasing excellence from Olympic legends to junior stars

Review: Springfield Armory SAINT Victor 5.56 Rifle

Springfield Armory’s SAINT Victor 5.56 is loaded with enhancements that make it a strong contender as an all-purpose, AR-style rifle

Remington’s .22 Short Rimfire Ammo is Back

Remington brings back the .22 Short rimfire with updated loads for plinking, pest control and beginner training.

SK Customs Unveils ‘Kingdom of Atzlán’ Colt 1911 Series Honoring Aztec Heritage

SK Customs’ new .38 Super Colt 1911 handgun series blends Aztec mythology with handcrafted firearm artistry

Drew Cup Selection: U.S. Juniors Set Sights on Prestigious International Smallbore Showdown

The 2025 Drew Cup brings elite international smallbore competition to U.S. soil, where junior shooters compete for national pride via a postal qualifier

Competitors’ Corner: September 2025

Highlights from the September 2025 issue of Shooting Sports USA, the NRA’s competitive shooting journal

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.