Grace Callahan is proof that dedication and a strong drive are key ingredients in the recipe for success. Callahan, currently a junior at Rowan University, began her shooting career as a SCTP member and is now a pro with the PSCA. The impressive shooter is going strong in the world of female shooting and has big plans for her future, but she’s never forgotten what she learned during the ups and downs of her past shooting career. “My dad, Bruce, introduced me to shooting when I was 10 years old, and I joined the Tri State Shooters SCTP program at the Hudson Farm in Andover, New Jersey, in 7^th grade and remained with the program throughout high school,” Callahan said. “I loved the sport of shooting. I was also playing lacrosse at the same time, but realized I couldn’t balance both sports and that I’d have to choose one. So, by my junior year in high school, I had dropped lacrosse and was focusing solely on shooting.  As a varsity goalie, however, I was coerced into stepping up when the team was short handed my senior year.”

Callahan said she fondly recalls her first SCTP Nationals event. “It was the best experience. It was the first time I got to participate in a competition with people who were only my age. I ended up placing first for ladies in the Junior Varsity Division.” Callahan continued to excel at the Nationals competition, placing first the following three years at the Varsity level, but she said despite her success in the sport, she did have some low moments. “It’s hard to see yourself get knocked down, but you just got to go back at it. My perseverance and dedication to the sport kept me in there, and I had to give up a lot. But I understood that not hanging out with my friends for a couple of weekends wouldn’t hurt my relationship with them, but it would help my shooting. And quite honestly, I’d rather be in my RV with my dad going shooting than anywhere else.” One of her toughest challenges came when she didn’t qualify during her first attempt at the PSCA. The organization had asked the top NSCA competitors in the nation to fly to the Delta in Arkansas for the qualification match.

“I missed the qualification by one bird,” she said. “I was devastated. Then, I had the chance to qualify during an amateurs shoot against the pros, but I missed again. It hurt my heart so much to lose twice. But, my dad just said, ‘you need to keep trying.’ So I did. I went to Georgia and ended up in second place at the qualification and then won the entire third pro tour stop. I returned for pro tour stop four at nationals and took second place overall. I learned that little baby steps lead to huge accomplishments.” Callahan said despite her successes, she constantly strives to get better and encourages other aspiring shooters, especially young girls, to never give up and always push themselves harder. “When I see little girls out there shooting, I tell them to not think of themselves as less qualified than the boys,” she said.  “I say, ‘You’re here for a reason and you have more determination than these boys. You have just as much strength and capability.’” Callahan says her long-term goal is to just shoot for the rest of her life. For now, she trains regularly with Joseph Scull at Cedar Creek Sporting Clays in Millville, NJ, to continue preparation for the upcoming season.  Having recently gained her NSCA Level I instructor’s certification, she also actively instructs at the Hudson Farm in Andover, NJ, as well.