There isn’t really a standard recipe for the ideal Syren ProStaffer, but these 3 ladies have what it takes to promote the Syren brand of shotguns. Some of the things they have in common are a great attitude, big welcoming smiles to everyone they meet, a love of our guns and shotgun shooting! As we keep moving forward, we are adding ambassadors geographically and with Victoria Powell down in Georgia, Jennie Kate Conley in Tennessee and Dorothea Clevenger in Pennsylvania, we are spreading the Syren message far and wide.
Syren Savvy is sponsored by Syren USA
While winning is important, it’s not the primary reason I selected these ladies for the Syren ProStaff program. They are each strong, confident and outgoing ladies who aren’t afraid to talk to any girls or women they meet and tell them about the shotguns they love. Both Dorothea and Jennie Kate were already shooting Syrens when I found them and are big advocates of the brand. Victoria plays a dual role, as a woman she represents the ladies out there wanting to shoot, but at 6-feet tall, she shoots a full-sized Caesar Guerini Challenger. These 3 ProStaffers are a great addition to the team!
The WON: Please will you tell our readers what you want them to know about you?
VP: I grew up on my family farm in a small town in South Georgia. Today, I am senior accounting major at Georgia College and State University and will graduate in June 2018. Along with shooting, my hobbies include traveling, writing, and hunting.
The WON: How did you discover the shooting sports?
VP: My shooting career began at a young age on my family farm in Metter, Georgia. It all started when my father put a little Cricket .22 in my hands. It’s safe to say that I was hooked from the moment I first pulled the trigger. Growing up, most of my shooting was done in the hunting world – quail, ducks, pheasant and deer. My junior and senior years of high school, I shot on the Bulloch County Shotgun Team with 4H. Around that same time, my father and I became members of the National Sporting Clays Association and we started attending competitions. I’ve been shooting as much as I can ever since!
The WON: When women ask you why you shoot a Syren, what do you say?
VP: Well, due to the fact that I am 6 feet tall with long arms and legs, I actually shoot a full-sized Caesar Guerini Challenger Ascent. Because of my build, I require a full-size gun, and my Caesar fits me perfectly! If there are any tall ladies out there like me, I’d definitely tell them to own their height and shoot a full-size gun! I also do some events with Syren since I am a girl and love that the shorter girls are represented.
The WON: What type of feedback are you getting from women who are experiencing this line of shotguns?
VP: They love them. Finally, a gun that fits most ladies right out of the box. Working at Old Hudson Plantation, we have demos available for the ladies to try and that really helps with selling them once they get to shoot them.
The WON: Why is it important that a woman have a shotgun that fits her?
VP: For the shooter to hit the target, the gun needs to be pointing where they look. I know that seems to be obvious, but it isn’t. So many men and women are shooting guns that don’t shoot where they look, which is why gun fit is so crucial. As a rule, gun manufacturers make shotguns to fit an “average” man – between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 1 inch tall. However, I don’t know many people who are average; I certainly am not. It is important for a woman to know that we are not all made the same and furthermore know that we are not supposed to be the same. Syren is currently the only full gun line on the market specifically for women including field, sporting, trap, semi-autos and also a camo waterfowl model in 12, 20, 28 and .410 models available. With our line, all women have the ability to get a gun tailored to their needs which in turn, means they can get a gun to shoot where they look.
The WON: What’s the best way for a woman to start competing in shotgun tournaments?
VP: The best way for a woman to start competing is to jump in, feet first! Look up an instructor closest to you on the NSCA website; he or she will help you find a gun that fits and teach you how to shoot it. Start competing at local, smaller shoots, and as you get more comfortable with the structure of competition, start moving on to bigger shoots. Clay shooters are some of the nicest people you will meet so even if you go to shoots by yourself, you will meet new people and make tons of friends!
The WON: Please will you tell our readers what you want them to know about you?
JKC: I am just finishing my sophomore in college at The University of Tennessee at Martin, studying Natural Resource Management. My father used to take me on hunting trips with him when I was growing up, which gave me a love for the outdoors. After going on dove hunts and learning to shoot, I began competitive clay target shooting. Shortly after I started shooting, it became a part of me.
Most weekends in high school consisted of team practices on Fridays, a competition on Saturday, and individual practices Sunday afternoon. During the summer I would travel with my dad to other shoots around the state and some out of state. When looking at colleges, I knew I wanted to go somewhere with a clay target team so I didn’t have to quit, which led me to where I am now.
The WON: How did you discover the shooting sports?
JKC: My father is an avid outdoorsman and has always encouraged me to spend time with him. He would take me to the dove fields and allow me to watch and “help” clean birds when I was younger. After completing my hunter safety course and spending my first year in the dove field as a shooter, I saw a flyer for our local trap team. I came home and told my dad that we HAD to attend the informational meeting.
The WON: Can you tell us about your favorite cause or charity?
JKC: I have known many women touched by breast cancer and know how important early diagnosis and treatment is for a positive outcome. I have been active with my sorority to help raise funds for Breast Cancer Education and Awareness.
The WON: When women ask you why you shoot a Syren, what do you say?
JKC: Because IT FITS! I spent 2 whole shooting seasons “looking” for gun that felt right. I am left-handed, which made trying guns a challenge. I wanted a gun that was comfortable for my tall frame, but light enough to easily shoot.
The WON: What type of feedback are you getting from women who are experiencing this line of shotguns?
JKC: Most of the time when someone sees that I shoot a Syren, they tell me they have been looking into getting one. Last year I met a lady who was very interested in my gun and asked me lots of questions pertaining to it. Shortly after our state tournament, I ran into her at the Grand American in Sparta, Illinois, right after she had demoed one – she loved it! I feel that our brand is growing fast and having more women interested every day.
The WON: Why is it important that a woman have a shotgun that fits her?
JKC: I started shooting while I was in high school and continued to grow taller after I purchased my first gun, which led to my first gun no longer being a good fit for me. I would have bruises after long shoots and it became very uncomfortable and my scores reflected this. When my Syren arrived, I was able to shoot comfortably and saw an immediate improvement in my scores. I can now shoot more targets during longer competitions because the gun doesn’t affect my physical state.
The WON: What’s the best way for a woman to start competing in shotgun tournaments?
JKC: Go with a friend and just try it. Small shoots are always welcoming and it is a great way to get your feet wet without feeling the stress of big shoots.
The WON: Please will you tell our readers what you want them to know about you?
DC: I run the Pocono Chapter of A Girl & A Gun Shooting League and am surrounded and supported by some incredible ladies. I recently had bilateral knee surgery and am thrilled to be back at what I love. I am passionate about education and empowering women in all shooting sports. I love to see ladies stepping outside their comfort zones where they can grow. I waited until my 2 daughters were older to get more seriously involved in the shooting sports and I feel very blessed to do the things I love. I own my own daycare business that my daughter helps to run.
My boyfriend, Randy, and I love to travel and shoot at different ranges, as well as surf fish and spending our time outdoors. I am an active instructor at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in Coplay, Pennsylvania, and am excited to share my love for this amazing sport. In addition, I am a SCTP assistant coach for the Quarry Crushers, LVSC’s Kids Sporting Clays Team and I love to work with youth.
The WON: How did you discover the shooting sports?
DC: I actually began shooting in the pistol world. I had an amazing instructor who believed in me and took me to my first competition. I became a certified instructor in pistol, rifle, home safety as well as shotgun. I am also a certified Range Safety Officer. I asked a friend to take me clay shooting and I fell in love with the sport on day #1. I asked around for a good instructor and was introduced to Randy Dotter at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays who was highly recommended. I started taking lessons and practiced every chance I could. After doing some local fundraisers, I joined the National Sporting Clays Association and began attending competitions, and have been hooked ever since. I recently became an NSCA Certified Level 1 instructor and love working with the Kids Team.
The WON: Can you tell us about your favorite cause or charity?
DC: I support the SCTP Kids Shooting Program and research for the cure of Breast Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis.
The WON: When women ask you why you shoot a Syren, what do you say?
DC: My Syren shotgun changed my game. Because I started in other disciplines, I had a tactical shotgun that I used for 3-Gun competitions. I shot Randy’s Caesar Guerini and started to research the company. I learned about Syren and had a demo gun brought in. I knew immediately that I wanted this gun. The fit and feel of it allow me to have more confidence and it was the best purchase I ever made.
The WON: What type of feedback are you getting from women who are experiencing this line of shotguns?
DC: I have introduced many women to the Syren shotgun since I purchased mine. I have had nothing but amazing, positive feedback and they love their shotguns.
The WON: Why is it important that a woman have a shotgun that fits her?
DC: Shotgun fit is extremely important and the Syren is designed to fit what women need. I love everything about this gun.
The WON: What’s the best way for a woman to start competing in shotgun tournaments?
DC: The best way to start in competition is to just go. Find someone to go with. There will always be nerves, and I have found everyone to be super friendly. Always have fun.
Lynne is on to her next adventure after over four years in Maryland with Caesar Guerini and Fabarm as the Brand Manager for Syren (a line of shotguns made for the ladies). She has attended dozens of demos and events and has been honored to get to meet and introduce hundreds of ladies and young girls (and lots of boys and men too) to all 3 brands and to shotgun shooting! Lynne has learned so much about shotguns – gun fit, eye dominance and mechanics – that shows her just how much more there is to learn. She now is doing marketing and branding consulting and also plans to stay active in the outdoor industry, do more hunting and sporting clays, shooting lessons and add some fly fishing to her repertoire. She’ll be based in the Dallas Fort Worth area. View all posts by Lynne Green
