USA Shooting: Smith, Leverett Claim Junior Olympic Pistol Titles

At the 2023 USA Shooting Pistol Junior Olympic Championships, Remington Smith won the Men’s Air Pistol title and Abbie Leverett secured the Women’s Sport Pistol championship.

by
at USA Shooting posted on April 27, 2023
** 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. **
Smith Leverett 1
Pictured above are Remington Smith (left) and Abbie Leverett at the 2023 USA Shooting Pistol Junior Olympic Championships at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
USA Shooting

At the 2023 USA Shooting Pistol Junior Olympic Championships on April 23, Remington Smith of Ashburn, Georgia, earned the title of Junior Olympic Champion in Men’s Air Pistol, along with Abbie Leverett of Bainbridge, Georgia, who earned the same title in the Women’s Sport Pistol competition.

The 2023 USA Shooting Pistol Junior Olympic Championships are at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“I am very thankful to God for the opportunity to come and compete,” Smith said about the win. “It was very humbling.”

Smith was among eight competitors who qualified for the finals. He beat out Joseph Koh, who finished in second place, along with Mark Shen, who finished in third place.

He now has a total of two Junior Olympic Championship titles. Smith landed his first championship back in 2021.

“I was on my toes more at this year’s finals and I felt like I shot better,” Smith said. “I enjoyed the pressure this year.”

As for Leverett, she earned her championship title after defeating silver medalist Riya Salian and Ada Korkhin, who finished in third place. This fall, both Salian and Korkhin will join Leverett at Ohio State University, where all three student-athletes will compete on the school’s pistol team.

“It felt great to win,” Leverett said. “This was my last year as a junior shooter, and I am so grateful for the experiences from these matches throughout the years.”

She comes from a family of competitive shooters. Leverett’s two brothers also compete on the Ohio State University Pistol team.

“I really enjoy that shooting is such a family friendly sport,” Leverett said. “The shooting community as a whole has been so welcoming and it is very special to me.”

The USA Shooting Junior Olympic competition will continue until April 27. The match includes Men’s and Women’s Air Pistol, Men’s and Women’s Sport Pistol, and Men’s Rapid-Fire Pistol.

The competition also determines the U.S. Men’s Air Pistol and Women’s Sport Pistol teams for the 2023 International Shooting Sports Federation Junior World Championships to be held in Changwon, Korea, July 14-18. The athletes listed below qualified.

Men’s Air Pistol

  • Remington Smith
  • Mark Shen
  • Marcus Klemp
  • Nathan Bae
  • Joseph Koh

Women’s Sport Pistol

  • Ada Korkhin
  • Abbie Leverett
  • Riya Salian
  • Emily Yoder
  • Katherine Ahn

Medals were also awarded in the following categories.

Men’s U18 Air Pistol

  1. Marcus Klemp, gold
  2. Nathan Bae, silver
  3. Ammar Bagasra, bronze

Men’s U15 Air Pistol

  1. William Regala, gold
  2. Nathan Lim, silver
  3. Blake Hankins, bronze

Women’s U18 Sport Pistol

  1. Jenny Noh, gold
  2. Katherine Ahn, silver
  3. Lucia Kim, bronze

Women’s U15 Sport Pistol

  1. Saanvi Singh, gold
  2. Eva Allen, silver
  3. Jia Lee, bronze

You can see the full results of the 2023 USA Shooting Junior Olympic Championships here.

Go to usashooting.org to learn more about USA Shooting.

Latest

Flashbolt Laserammo 3
Flashbolt Laserammo 3

New: Laser Ammo Flash Bolt For AR Dry-Fire Training

Laser Ammo’s new Flash Bolt turns your AR into a dry-fire practice powerhouse.

Bunker Club Fuels 22 Junior Athletes With 2025 Grants

Bunker Club awards 22 junior shooting athletes $6,363 each to support their competitive journey in 2025.

4 Illinois Rifle Teams Set Sights On 2025 NRA F-Class Nationals

Four Illinois rifle teams set their sights on the 2025 NRA F-Class Nationals, ready to compete in Mid-Range and Long-Range events.

USPSA: Celebrating Growth, Fueling The Future

USPSA celebrates surpassing 40,000 members, with growing participation signaling a dynamic new chapter for the practical competition shooting community.

Competitors’ Corner: July 2025

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

All About The 2025 USA High School Clay Target League National Championship

The USA High School Clay Target League National Championship draws top shooters nationwide, showcasing skill, safety and sportsmanship.

Interests



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