Kayle Browning (1992–)

Kayle Browning is a world-class markswoman, specializing in trap shooting. She represented the United States in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she won a silver medal after years of successfully competing in competitions both in the United States and around the world.

Kayle Browning was born on July 9, 1992, in Conway (Faulkner County) to Tommy Lynn Browning and Tammy Browning. She graduated from Greenbrier High School in Greenbrier (Faulkner County) in 2010 and attended the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), where she studied interior design.

Introduced to shooting by her father, who was a lifelong hunter and avid sporting clay shooter who had won national shooting titles, Browning was exposed to competitive shooting at an early age. When she was eight, she started shooting water-filled jugs in her yard. That same year, she bagged her first deer and duck. She was also one of the first youth to participate in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Youth Shooting Sports Program. As Governor Asa Hutchinson noted during the Tokyo Olympics, her efforts served as a testimonial to the value of that program.

Browning soon began competing, and at twelve, she earned a spot on the Women’s Open All American team. The following year, she switched her focus to international trap shooting, an Olympic event, a change that appears to have stemmed from the suggestion of a talent recruiter for the U.S. Army marksman team. As there was not a suitable facility within ten hours of the family’s home in Wooster (Faulkner County), Tommy Lynn Browning built a first-class practice facility on the family farm in 2006.

She finished third at the 2007 National Junior Olympic Championships in trap shooting, second at the 2008 National Junior Olympic Championships, and in 2009, took the top prize in trap at the same event. That same year, she was part of the team that earned the bronze medal at the World Championships. In 2010, she again won the top prize in trap shooting at the Junior National Championships, and in 2011 she did the same at the National Championships. That same year, she won the bronze medal at the Pan American Games, while finishing third at the National Junior Olympic Championships. All of this earned her a spot as an alternate for the U.S. team for the London Olympic Games.

Browning continued to compete at home and abroad, accumulating numerous medals. She won a silver medal in trap shooting in the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and at the National Championships in 2016. Meanwhile, she qualified to participate in the World Championship in 2015, 2018 (where she earned a bronze in team trap shooting), and 2019 (where she finished thirteenth).

In 2020, Browning was gold medalist in the Olympic trials, earning her a spot on the team. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led the Tokyo games to be postponed until the following year, in addition to raising questions about whether those like Browning who had already earned their spots on the team would have to requalify. Ultimately, that was not the case, and Browning went on to win the silver medal in trap shooting.

Residing in Wooster, Browning put her study of interior design at UCA to good use by obtaining a real estate license, as well as refurbishing and reselling houses. She also became the owner the Cypress Creek Lodge, where an overnight stay can include shooting instruction from Browning and from David Radulovich, another champion shooter.

For additional information:
Hendricks, Bryan. “Captain America: Faulkner County Trapshooter Kayle Browning Brings Home Silver.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, September 5, 2021. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/sep/05/captain-america/ (accessed January 24, 2023).

“Kayle Browning.” USA Shooting. https://www.usashooting.org/12-the-team/usashootingteam/nationalteam/nationalshotgunteam/kaylebrowning (accessed January 24, 2023).

“Meet U.S. Olympic Trap Shooter Kayle Browning.” Ducks Unlimited. https://www.ducks.org/hunting/shooting-tips/meet-us-olympic-trap-shooter-kayle-browning?poe=home (accessed January 24, 2023).

William H. Pruden
Ravenscroft School