Shooting for gold

Jason Simcoe / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: July 28, 2007

When it comes to shooting, Bailey Bierhuizen is a pretty big deal.

She's competed in the Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs, Co. twice. She just got back from the National Air Rifle Championships in Akron, Ohio., where she finished in the top 20.
People have taken notice of that success. Next month the 16-year-old Culpeper resident is headed to England to represent the U.S. in the 15th Junior International Match, a shooting competition featuring athletes from 12 countries.

"I'm pretty good," she said. "They picked me for the team based on my past accomplishments."

Finding a happy place
When Bierhuizen steps up to the line, she takes a deep breath. Calmly, she lifts her air rifle and aims.

33 feet away sits a target smaller than a compact disc, the bull's-eye no larger than a pen point. Scores drop with every nervous flinch. College scouts are watching. National team berths on the line.

Bierhuizen closes her eyes. She thinks about practicing in her grandma's kitchen — how' she's nailed the target so many times. On some of the world's biggest shooting stages, Bierhuizen's biggest competition is herself.

"What you're striving for in shooting is to shut your mind off and let your body shoot," she said. "If you could do that, you could shoot perfect scores pretty much every time."

Representing her country
Bierhuizen leaves the United State Aug. 3 and shoots Aug. 6-9. She'll compete in two different types of shooting — international air rifle and small bore.

In each, competitors must shoot a target and accumulate points based on a shot's proximity to the bull's-eye.

As if hitting a tiny target wasn't difficult enough, the competition has a twist. Instead of shooting all shots from one position, shooters must take 20 shots standing, 20 lying prone on the ground and 20 kneeling. But Bierhuizen says because it's difficult to stay steady while standing, the shift in positions is a blessing in disguise.

"Prone and kneeling you're kind of supported," she said. "Standing you're just out there and it's up to your body."

Serious shooter
Bierhuizen takes shooting seriously. With several thousand dollars invested in guns and equipment, she's gone beyond the occasional backyard target practice.

She's come a long way from her inconspicuous introduction to the sport seven years ago.

"Since they did have the guns, my parents wanted me to have a working knowledge and be comfortable around them," she said. "Then I started shooting and decided I liked it."

By age 10, Bierhuizen joined Cedar Mountain Youth, the local shooting club. There she had the opportunity to try everything from archery to skeet shooting before deciding the rifle was her thing. She was drawn to the calculated patience needed to exel in the sport.

"Shotgun is instinct. You point and shoot really fast and there is instant gratification," she said. "Rifle is very precise. You get up there and it's all in your head."

Bierhuizen's passion quickly outgrew Cedar Mountain. The group competed in a handful of competitions each year. She wanted more.

Now Bierhuizen competes as a part of the Frederick County 4-H club. She also heads to Maryland once a week to practice with shooting guru Norris Diefenderfer, whom Bierhuizen says has a reputation for bringing out the best in his pupils.

"He's the Yoda of precision shooting," she said. "He's turned out some really good shooters."

The future
Now, as she nears her first international competition, Bierhuizen is starting to think about the next step.

The rising junior has been home schooled since eighth grade, but aspires to be a doctor someday. She's hoping her rifle skills will translate into a college scholarship. She mentioned West Virginia and University of Akron (Ohio) as potential destinations.

But for now, her mind is on the immediate future. She'll have a few days to sightsee while she's in England, and said she entertains the idea of eventually going to medical school in the United Kingdom.

First, she'll chase a gold medal against athletes from places like Germany, South Africa and Denmark. Against some of the best shooters in the world, the secret is keeping it cool.

"Once you get on the line, its business, she said. "It's a mental game. If I keep it together I should do (well)."

Jason Simcoe can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or .