🎯 Ida Brown: #31 with a Bullet … err … Shotshell
by Tom Carney | Trapshooting USA
🌟 An Unlikely Route
Growing up in Valley Springs, California, Ida Brown had no plans to become a competitive shooter. Volleyball, not trap, seemed the more likely path. But at age 11, her parents Bruce and Arlene enrolled her and her brother Thommy in a local shooting program. Ida hated it. She wanted to quit before she’d even begun.
Her parents wouldn’t let her. What started as reluctant participation soon became a lesson in resilience — and eventually, a passion that would take her to the world stage.
🔥 The Spirit of a Competitor
Ida admits she stuck with shooting because of one reason: she’s competitive by nature. What began as frustration slowly turned into drive. “Improving was more appealing than quitting,” she recalls.
That competitive spark carried her far:
Tuscon Team Selection Matches (2022): 4th in Open Women’s, 1st in College Women’s
ISSF World Cup (Cyprus, 2022): Silver medal with the Women’s Trap team
World Ranking: As of the article, #31 among women trap shooters worldwide
Jordan Hintz, Head Shotgun Coach at Hillsdale College, praises her work ethic: “She’s very talented but not afraid to put in the work… She’s putting in a lot of time outside of practices, even in the summer, and it shows.”
🎓 Choosing Hillsdale College
When it came to college, Ida was deliberate. She chose Hillsdale College in Michigan not just for its academics but for its John A. Halter Shooting Sports Education Center — a 116-acre, state-of-the-art training ground that doubles as a USA Shooting National Team regional training facility.
“There are lots of other colleges with shotgun programs,” Ida says, “but no college has a range that compares to ours.”
At Hillsdale, Ida balances her studies in exercise science (with biology and chemistry minors) with her commitment to shooting. She also belongs to Pi Beta Phi sorority, maintains friendships outside the team, and makes time for running, the gym, and relaxing at nearby Baw Beese Lake.
đź’Ş Responsibility and Integrity
Her reputation extends beyond the range. Ida is known for being dutiful in her studies, committed to Hillsdale’s mission, and a natural ambassador for the school. After returning from the 2023 World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan — where she set a personal record of 110/125 — she arrived back on campus at 2 a.m. By 11 a.m., she was already at the Halter Center, coaching others in her role as an intern.
Her mother’s example instilled qualities of responsibility, integrity, and positivity — all of which make Ida not just a competitor to watch, but a leader to admire.
🏆 Looking Ahead
For Ida, every round of 25 targets is “25 individual battles” — and she intends to win as many of them as she can. With her work ethic, competitive fire, and relentless drive, her future in both shooting and life looks exceptionally bright.
View full article PDF here.
