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Kayli DeVusser didn't start shooting until she was 9 years old.
Courtesy photo
When Kayli DeVusser sets her sights on something, she rarely misses. Although she has only three years of competitive 12-gauge shotgun shooting to her name, the 12-year-old Valley Springs girl has been winning events with a massive bang.
Already in 2021, Kayli has competed in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and at the end of August will head to Kentucky to participate in the Women’s Clay Championship.
Competitive shooting—which includes trap, skeet and sporting clays—may be Kayli’s newfound love, but it was not her first. Prior to becoming proficient with a firearm, Kayli typically would be found on the back of a horse and competing in rodeo events.
It wasn’t until her father, Ryan, suggested that while Kayli, who was 9 at the time, and her mother, Amanda, have the bond of rodeo, perhaps the father-daughter duo could bond together as shooters. And there was no objection from Kayli or Amanda.
“I thought it was an amazing idea for many different reasons, with the first being in case she one day needed to protect herself,” Amanda said. “But along with rodeo, which she had already been doing, it teaches your child a level of responsibility that you can’t really find anywhere else.”
Kayli DeVusser, 12, has been shooting competitively for two years and in that time, has had a number of first-place finishes.
Courtesy photo
Ryan took Kayli shooting and after their first outing, she was hooked. Kayli began shooting competitively at 10 and like anything, it took her a while to feel as if she was getting the hang of things. It wasn’t until Kayli was 11 that she won her first event, which took place in Newman.
“I surprised myself,” Kayli said about hitting 93 of 100 targets and taking first in the rookie division. “When I started getting the higher scores, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, can I actually win this?’ Then we waited all day for the scores to come out and when the scores came in, we saw that I won my class.”
Once Kayli got a first-place finish to her name, ending up at the top of the leaderboard became more of a common thing. But even as she was finding success, Kayli continued to feel the growing pains of a difficult sport.
“She’s always had a very bubbly personality, but when it came to shooting, she would get frustrated and it wasn’t as fun until she turned that corner,” Amanda said. “Once she saw that the work was paying off, she wanted to put in more work, because she saw the results of her practicing.”
In May, Kayli traveled to Phoenix to compete in the Western Regionals of the National Sporting Clay Association and she placed first in Class E of the Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse (FITASC) and in the preliminary event. In May, she placed first in the California Youth Shooting Sports Association Skeet State Meet in Stockton. Her Gold Country Shooters teammate, Hunter Robertson, placed second. In early June, Kayli placed in the top-10 in the Intermediate Entry division at the California State NSCA finals in Los Angeles. And July 5-11, she took first in the skeet, trap and sporting clays competition at the Youth Nationals in Las Vegas.
“I was very excited when I found out that I won, because there were twice as many kids competing as there usually are,” Kayli said about her most recent victory in Las Vegas. “I don’t anticipate winning; I just try my hardest to win and get the highest score.”
Kayli DeVusser hopes to one day be in the Olympics.
Courtesy photo
Kayli practices a couple of times a month, either at Quail Point Hunt Club in Woodland, or in Stockton at the Waterloo Gun and Bocce Club. While she enjoys the competitive side of shooting, being able to visit new places around the country is an added benefit.
“It’s a lot of fun because we can travel around and see the backgrounds, the scenery and climate changes and the different environments at each place,” Kayli said.
As comfortable as Kayli is with a shotgun in her hands and a target in sight, Amanda is nowhere near relaxed when her daughter is competing.
“I hold my breath,” laughed Amanda. “All you can do is encourage them the best you can. It’s one of those things where it’s 100% all on them. It’s very stressful, because I want her to succeed as much as she wants to succeed. When she gets to the line and I hold my breath every time it’s her turn.”
During her young shooting career, Kayli has won trophies, medals, belt buckles and even some money. But she will not get a shot at her ultimate goal for a few more years.
“I want to shoot in college and at some point, get to the Olympics,” Kayli said.
And as long as Kayli continues to enjoy the life of competitive shooting, Amanda will continue to hold her breath and be her daughter’s biggest fan.
“Honestly, there’s nothing like it,” Amanda said. “When it’s your child living their dream, it just makes you feel like you are doing something right. We can’t really ask for anything more.”
Kayli DeVusser has competed all over the United States.
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