PITTSBURGH — Before the competition, Ryan Hadden predicted the shotgun shooter who kept "a cool head and a smooth hand" would win Saturday's ESPN Great Outdoor Games qualifier.

He was correct.

But Hadden's prediction wasn't nearly as impressive as his embodiment of it.

With cool head, smooth hands and machine-like precision, the 25-year-old native of Pendleton, Ore., now a sergeant with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Ga., missed only one target on his way to the championship. Hadden topped a final field of eight accomplished shooters — including a 2004 Olympic skeet team member, a 2001 skeet world champion, several Great Outdoor Games veterans, and others with international shooting experience.

Television crews taped the qualifier, held at the Greater Pittsburgh Gun Club, for broadcast on ESPN2, May 12 and 15.

Hadden's victory earned him a spot in the lineup for the 2005 Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge. The shooting sports events will be held July 7-10 at Tenoroc Shooting Sports and Training Range, Lakeland, Fla.

"The first time we'd actually shot this game was two days ago," said Hadden, adding that he prepared himself for the competition by practicing his speed reloading techniques. "It's such a tough game. One little bobble, one little fumble and you're out of it. It's very, very hard to get caught up when you're behind."

In the shotgun competition, shooters face five fast-moving clay targets. Three are high-flying "teal" targets, and two are fast-rolling "rabbits" that bounce from one side of the course to the other. Targets are thrown in random order, 3½ seconds apart. In tiebreaker rounds, the time between targets is reduced to 2½ seconds.

Hadden holds two national trapshooting titles and has won a number of top honors including gold medals in several of the Army's zone championship matches.

The Army sent four members of its marksmanship unit to the qualifier, all of whom advanced to the final field of eight. The championship match featured Hadden against Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Dulohery, a longtime member of the unit and a 16-year member of the U.S. Shooting Team. Near the end of the match, Dulohery fumbled a shell during reloading. The misstep allowed one rabbit target to slip through unbroken, and opened the door for Hadden.

Hadden took advantage. He stepped up and broke the remainder of his targets, most with only a single shot, to dispatch the higher-ranked soldier. To the delight of the crowd and television cameras, Dulohery — who had been ribbing Hadden throughout their match — paid his respects by dropping to the ground and doing pushups at Hadden's feet.

"I'm happy for Ryan. We've shot several matches against each other, so [the competition and ribbing] wasn't anything new. We're definitely a tight knit group. Instead of just a team, we're actually a family," said Dulohery. "It was fun. It was enjoyable to be in and I hope it's enjoyable for the folks at home to watch."

The two Army shooters advanced to the finals by defeating two Great Outdoor Games veterans and highly decorated rifle shooters who were attempting to qualify in shotgun.

In one semifinal match, Dulohery, a Lee's Summit, Mo., native, bested Mike Cumming, the Altoona, Pa., shooter who won Great Outdoor Games gold in the 2004 rifle competition. In the other semifinal match, Hadden won a thrilling tiebreaker against Pennsylvania rifle expert and multi-time Great Outdoor Games medalist Doug Koenig of Alburtis.

Since the Great Outdoor Games began in 2000, the rifle and shotgun competitions have been sponsored and organized by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry.

"Reaching millions of viewers each year, the ESPN Great Outdoor Games shine a spotlight on the shooting sports like no other event. We are very pleased to be able to work with ESPN again this year on what has become a premier showcase for our sports," said Cyndi Dalena, NSSF's director of shooting sports development.

Final results

1. Ryan Hadden, Pendleton, Ore.
2. Shawn Dulohery, Lee's Summit, Mo.
3. Doug Koenig, Alburtis, Pa.
4. Mike Cumming, Altoona, Pa.
5. John Klisiewicz, Hollidaysburg, Pa.
5. Jackie Caudle, Gadsden, Ala.
5. Josh Richmond, Hillsgrove, Pa.
5. Joe Buffa, Flushing, Mich.