Breaking Barriers: Ele Wooten, NC’s First Female Trap Shooting Champion

Ele Wooten, a senior at Arendell Parrott Academy, has made history as North Carolina’s first female state trap shooting champion. After scoring a perfect round alongside seven other competitors, Wooten emerged victorious in the tie-breaker and will now advance to the national competition in Arkansas.

Wooten, who plans to attend North Carolina State University in the fall to major in Biological & Agriculture Engineering, has always enjoyed hunting with her father.

“Once I heard about the school shooting team, I knew I would love it. It would be time to hang out with my friends and a time to practice my shooting,” she said.

Throughout her journey, Wooten has practiced diligently and received coaching from both her father and school coaches. Despite facing challenges, she maintained a positive attitude: “Being able to keep your nerves calm and shoot through a miss is almost harder than the actual shooting sometimes,” Wooten admitted.

Her determination finally paid off at the state competition.

“Once I had made it through the first 20, I was just proud of myself to get to the shoot-off in general. The thought of winning the whole thing barely crossed my mind for the mountain boys mean business,” she said.

Wooten also credits her success to the inspiration she found in her best friend’s sister, Katie Frank. Katie, who went from never touching a gun to competing in state competitions, taught Wooten that perseverance and hard work can lead to success.

“She is one of the main reasons for my joining the team, for she was such a sweet person but also showed me you can do about anything you set your mind to,” Wooten explained.

As the new state champion, Wooten hopes her accomplishment will inspire other girls to pursue their passions. “I hope that my accomplishment helps show this to other girls too,” she said.

Wooten plans to attend North Carolina State University in the fall, majoring in Biological & Agriculture Engineering.