USAShootingNews
Mar/Apr 2010 volume 18, No.2
Contents FEATURE 22 2009 Winter Airgun Championships By Mary Beth Vorwerk
DISCIPLINES 17 Pistol By Anthony Lutz
18 Rifle By Ernest J. Vande Zande
20 Shotgun By Bill Roy
COLUMNS 6 From the Editor By Mary Beth Vorwerk
7 Volunteer of the Year By Lindsay Brooke
8 Aim with AMU By SFC Theresa DeWitt
10 Club/Shooter Spotlight By Adam Sunshine
12 On the Firing Line By J.P. O’Connor
14 Coaches’ Corner By Rifle Coach David Johnson
ON THE COMPLEX 29 Thoughts from: The Executive Director Paralympic Operations
32 NEWS & EVENTS 33 USA Shooting News is published six times a year. USA Shooting is the national governing body for Olympic Shooting sports in the United States. USA Shooting News is produced as a service to international shooters, coaches, officials and media who cover Olympic-style shooting. Shooters featured in USA Shooting News magazine may be photographed without eye protection. These are posed photographs using unloaded guns and do not represent actual competiton. USA Shooting encourages all shooters to use proper eye and ear protection when shooting. Inclusion of advertisements in USA Shooting does not constitiute endorsement of advertised products or services by USA Shooting, its staff or its sponsors. www.usashooting.org 3 USA Shooting 1 Olympic Plaza Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Phone: 719-866-4670 Administration Fax: 719-635-7989 Competitions Fax: 719-866-4884
Lindsay Brooke Competitions Manager 719-866-4885 [email protected]
Buddy DuVall Director of Marketing 719-866-4880 [email protected]
Bret Erickson National Shotgun Coach 719-866-4682 [email protected]
Lisa Erickson Operation and Administrative Assistant 719-866-4682 [email protected]
Bob Foth National Paralympic Coach 719-866-4881 [email protected]
Bret Erickson National Shotgun Coach 719-866- [email protected]
Cynthia Jackson Coaches’ Assistant/Team Manager 719-866-4611 [email protected]
David Johnson National Rifle Coach 719-866-4630 [email protected] USA Shooting wishes to thank its supporting partners.
Nicole Levine Learn what these sponsors do for you. Competitions Assistant Visit our website at www.usashooting.org. 719-866-4882 [email protected]
Sergey Luzov National Pistol Coach 719-866-4615 [email protected]
Robert Mitchell Chief Executive Officer 719-866-4899 [email protected]
Nichole Rae Membership & Merchandise Manager 719-866-4743 [email protected]
Bill Roy Director of Operations 719-866-4890 [email protected]
Mary Beth Vorwerk Media & Public Relations Manager 719-866-4896 [email protected]
Corrie West Marketing Manager 719-866-4616 [email protected]
Karie Wright Controller 719-866-4887
Editor: Mary Beth Vorwerk Designer: Claire Sanderson Printing: Sport Graphics
Cover Photo: Mary Beth Vorwerk
Contributors: Lindsay Brooke SFC Theresa DeWitt Bob Foth Dave Johnson Anthony Lutz Robert Mitchell JP O’Connor Bill Roy Adam Sunshine Ernie Vande Zande
On the Cover: Matt Emmons shoots his way to three Winter Airgun Championship titles and a perfect Day One score. They say you’re only as good as the company you keep. For us, it's a bragging right.
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18018_USAshootingmag.indd 1 12/1/09 8:17:04 AM Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner
Saying Goodbye to USA Shooting By Mary Beth Vorwerk
ing competitions and events I was lucky camera plastered to my face, but I will still enough to attend over the last few years come to cheer on the competitors and say and especially being able to witness our hello to the many people who I have en- incredible athletes win six Olympic med- joyed working with so much during my als in Beijing! The Beijing Olympics will time here. definitely always rank among the best ex- I am happy to say that we have made periences of my life. incredible strides with the magazine in I have had the pleasure to get to know the past couple of years and I know it many of you during my time here. Work- will only get better from here. I want to ing with the athletes, volunteers and all of thank the USA Shooting staff for all their the members of USA Shooting has been hard work in making this my job as edi- the highlight of my tenure. I sincerely tor much easier and for all of our mem- enjoyed my time at USA Shooting and bers who’ve written articles, submitted After 17 issues of USA Shooting News, my interactions with all of the amazing photos and given me great suggestions to I am sad to say that this will be my final people in the shooting community. I am make the magazine the best it can be. I issue as editor and as Media and Public incredibly honored to say that I was able appreciate everyone’s positive feedback Relations Manager for USA Shooting. I to work for one of the best organizations and generosity while I was a part of USA will be leaving in March after nearly three in the world. I will miss USA Shooting, Shooting and I am excited to see what years with USA Shooting and I can hon- but I will not be far away and hope to the future has in store for this wonderful estly say I have had the most incredible continue to attend the shooting events (as sport! Until the next time I see you on the experience being a part of this organiza- a spectator) in Colorado Springs. Most range, good luck and good shooting! tion. I will never forget the many shoot- of you may not recognize me without a Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner 2009 USA Shooting Volunteer of the Year: Julian Beale III By Lindsay Brooke, Competitions Manager
Each year devoted parents, friends and about giving back. Then while working has made the program so successful. It’s shooting enthusiasts from across the na- at Sears, he asked around to see who had simple; treat the new shooters the same tion take time out from their busy sched- children that might be interested in join- way you treat your elite. Each shooter has ules to give the ultimate support to USA ing his newly formed Junior Rifle Club. a goal and objective and Julian works to Shooting. They volunteer their time and Julian, along with six avid youngsters, provide each junior shooter with the tools energy and share their passion to ensure equipped with two rifles and a couple they need to succeed. the growth and development of our sport jackets would meet on Wednesday nights Julian’s passion and endearing char- in the United States. USA Shooting is to practice. To this day, the club still acter has left a tender footprint on the grateful to have such a strong group of meets on Wednesday nights. Now with 33 hearts of young shooters over the years, volunteers and we appreciate all of their junior shooters, many of them represent not only at the local level, but at the na- efforts. In recognition of these outstand- the second generation of club members. tional level as well. Rifle and pistol shoot-
“Julian’s passion and endear- ing character has left a tender footprint on the hearts of young shooters over the years, not only at the local level, but at the na- tional level as well.”
ing volunteers, we take the time to honor The growth and popularity of the junior ers have fond memories of Julian serving one individual each year that goes above programs in Maine has been remarkable. as the Chief Range Officer for the Nation- and beyond to help us achieve our mis- Julian is currently the Junior Director for al Junior Olympics for the past 14 years sion. the Pine Tree State Rifle and Pistol Asso- and the Range Director (smallbore) at Last year marked Julian Beale’s 34th ciation and works with subsidiaries such Camp Perry for the last 25 years. At the year running the Capital City Jr. Rifle as the 4-H, Boy Scouts and Fish and Game National Junior Olympics, you can always Club in Augusta, Maine. The junior rifle Commission to introduce marksmanship find Julian at the range before sunrise. and pistol program in Maine is one of the to youth across the state. Their united ef- He greets the shooters who depart on the strongest in the country, driven by a man forts have introduced the sport of shoot- earliest buses to the airport and says his with a passion for teaching youngsters ing to hundreds of people. Many children last goodbyes while collecting the dorm about marksmanship. Julian, a former will come to a match to watch and see if keys. Julian Beale is a staple of the Junior rifle shooter, made his first mark when as they might be interested, but within mo- Olympic program for USA Shooting and a student at Coney High School he lob- ments of stepping onto the range, Julian very much a part of each child’s experi- bied for the rifle club team to turn into has them equipped with the appropriate ence. We are honored to recognize him a varsity sport. Julian went on to serve gear and ready to shoot their first match. as the 2009 USA Shooting Volunteer of six years with the U.S. Navy. After his After that, the rest is history and the kids the Year. years of service, Julian became passionate are hooked. It is Julian’s philosophy that
www.usashooting.org 7 Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner Army Officership By SFC Theresa DeWitt, 1996 Olympian
You know us as competitors. Most of the time you see us on With 273 host programs in more than 1,100 schools around the range firing next to you wearing the black and gold Army the U.S., Puerto Rico and Guam, successful graduates receive a colors – our competition uniform. It isn’t very often that you commission as a Second Lieutenant (2LT) in the U.S. Army, the get a glimpse of the other uniform we wear – that of the United U.S. Army Reserve or the U.S. Army National Guard as well as States Army serviceman/woman. Whether we’re wearing Class their college degree. A’s or the Army Combat Uniform, the United States Army The availability of scholarships may make attending Army Marksmanship Unit’s (USAMU) soldiers are Army ambassa- ROTC an easier decision for some students. Four-year college dors connecting to America’s people in various ways: through scholarships are attainable for high school students who qualify. clinics, competitions, shooting demonstrations, public appear- If you’ve already started college, you may also qualify for full ances and print, TV and internet media venues. tuition, depending on your status. two to four year scholarship The USAMU is unique in that it is the only unit of its kind options are based on the amount of time remaining required to in the Department of Defense. Our mission statement asserts: finish your degree. There’s also an option to choose room and The USAMU enhances the Army’s recruiting effort, raises board compensation instead of tuition - again, if you are quali- the standard of the Army’s marksmanship fied. Additional allowances may be made proficiency, and supports the Army’s small for books and fees. arms research and development initiatives Living expenses may also be provided for in order to raise the Army’s overall combat each school year and the monthly amount readiness. will be based on your Army ROTC level: As ambassadors, our dedication, pro- 1st year = $300/month fessionalism and expertise instill positive 2nd year = $350/month impressions of the Army that may help 3rd year = $450/month prospective candidates in their decision to 4th year = $500/month enter the Army. To this end, the USAMU This allowance is also available to all is adding a collegiate award category to the non-scholarship cadets enrolled in the Ad- 2010 International Trap and Skeet matches vanced Course. in an attempt to create an increased aware- Freshman college students start the pro- ness of the numerous officer/ROTC oppor- gram by taking an elective Army ROTC Ba- tunities available in the United States Army. sic Course. If you’re a college student with at The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps least two or more years remaining towards (ROTC) program was established when an undergraduate degree, but not enough President Woodrow Wilson signed the Na- time to complete the Basic Course, you may tional Defense Act in 1916. Since the pro- opt to enter the Army ROTC Advanced gram’s inception, one-half million officers have received com- Course by completing the 28-day Leaders’ Training Course missions. Women were first commissioned in 1976 and today (LTC) conducted at Fort Knox, Kentucky during the summer. comprise 20% of the cadet corps. Among the more recognizable Completion of the LTC prepares you to return to campus and names of ROTC graduates are General (ret.) Colin Powell and begin the Advanced Course. Upon completion of that contract- Mr. Sam Walton, Wal-Mart founder. Both of these individuals ing commitment, you may also qualify for a $5,000 bonus. are excellent examples of the fact that ROTC training prepares Another path towards becoming a commissioned Army of- students to succeed in any competitive environment. ficer is attending one of the six military colleges in the United The Army ROTC program complements rather than inter- States. These are schools where a Corps of Cadets exists, ac- feres with your college experience. It is an elective curriculum countability formations are held, physical training is conducted taken concurrent with your required classes. For example, if and the cadets wear uniforms. They include North Georgia Col- you’re a nursing student, Army ROTC can enhance your crit- lege and State University (GA), Norwich University (VT), Texas ical-thinking abilities while also providing financial support. A &M (TX), The Citadel (SC), Virginia Military Institute (VA) A paid, three-week Nurse Summer Training Program assigns and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA). cadets in the nursing program to Army hospitals throughout The United States Military Academy in West Point, NY also pro- the United States and Germany, offering hands-on training and duces commissioned officers but requires a congressional refer- one-on-one clinical experience. ral on the prospective student’s behalf for admission. Army ROTC instills self-confidence, develops leadership Direct commissions are offered through the Army’s medical, skills and promotes a sense of accomplishment in its graduates. dental, nursing, medical service, medical specialist, veterinary,
8 USA Shooting News Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner chaplain and JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corps and are lowing fields: Armor, Aviation, Engineer, Field Artillery, Infan- available to civilians with professional degrees. Rank is deter- try, Military Police, Dental, JAG, Medical or Veterinary. After mined by the specific career branch. Preliminary requirements completion of your first branch training and a first assignment, for a direct commission are: you may choose to pursue additional specialized training or • You must be a U.S. citizen. post-graduate opportunities. Or, you may find yourself assigned • You must be a college graduate. to advanced leadership positions or staff positions in upper • You must be physically fit (be able to pass the Army Phys- management. You could also find yourself helping to develop ical Fitness Test and make height/weight standards). doctrine, teaching military tactics or serving as an advisor. • You must be within the age requirements specified by the The career and life opportunities available to you through the career branch (age waivers are considered). Army conduit are limited only by your imagination. The U.S. Direct commissions are available into the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army offers you the training, the experience and possibly even Army Reserve and the U.S. Army National Guard. the financial means to access levels of excellence you may have “The career and life opportunities available to you through the Army conduit are limited only by your imagination.”
Enrolling in the Army ROTC Basic Course does not require only daydreamed about. Find out how to chart your path to be- a service commitment unless you’ve received a scholarship. The coming an Army officer by visiting the website at www.goarmy. standard service contract is eight years of either active duty (AD) com/officer. Better yet, pay a visit to your local recruiter or sim- service or increments of active duty and inactive ready reserve ply talk to a member of the USAMU the next time you see us (IRR). Those receiving scholarships can fulfill their commit- on the range! In the meantime, remember to Stay Army Strong! ment with four years AD and four years IRR. Non-scholarship P.S. Stay tuned for upcoming information about Columbus cadets may choose a three-year AD, five-year IRR option. Army State University’s new rifle, pistol and, yes, SHOTGUN pro- Reserve and Army National Guard commissions may be served grams! Columbus State University is located in Columbus, GA, on a part-time basis while pursuing your civilian career. practically a stone’s throw from the USAMU ranges on Fort Officer branch training may be conducted in one of the fol- Benning. Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner USA Shooting Spotlight Club: Texas State Rifle Association By Adam Sunshine, Competitions Intern It is only fitting that in the Lone Star various matches within their shooting ing more organized junior events through State one would find a Texas-sized shoot- discipline. Neil Shipley and Brooks Brin- the TSRA to increase JO pistol awareness ing association like the 42,000-member son are two of the TSRA’s Junior Olympic and attract more participants. Despite Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA). rifle and pistol directors. the challenges that lie ahead, finding time The TSRA was established in 1919 for the Shipley has been the TSRA’s Junior to meet with other JO directors and bal- purposes of supporting and defending the Olympic rifle director for the past five ancing his time extra between the JOPC rights of all Texans to own, enjoy and use years. Some of the matches he has held and his own Shooting Stars club, Brinson firearms; providing junior edu- for the TSRA include the JO 3-Position is eager to further develop the JOPC pro- cation, competition and Air Rifle Championships, the gram. hunter education Texas Indoor Smallbore By dedicating their time and effort to programs; and Championship and train shooters, Shipley and Brinson look sponsoring monthly outdoor to continue to improve the lives of young competi- rifle matches. He Texans through the tive pro- manages to TSRA’s JO pro- grams do all gram. of
for juniors and adults in individual and team shooting sports. this while also run- The TSRA became a very successful ning his own club, Austin shooting organization due, in part, to County 4-H Shooting Sports. their basic training rifle and pistol cours- Shipley believes one of the best es held year-round and their matches that features of the TSRA is their “Club run from January through April. These in a Box” development program. This programs attract novice and competitive program looks to give assistance to new shooters, alike. The TSRA has also ben- clubs or clubs with financial troubles by efited from using the local news media to giving them various shooting equipment promote their courses, which has resulted or funds to purchase their own. in new shooters joining each year. Brinson is the director of the associa- As a USA Shooting member organiza- tion’s Junior Olympic Pistol Club (JOPC). tion, the TSRA supports international ri- Having been recently elected to the posi- fle and pistol shooting, in addition to nu- tion of JOPC director, Brinson is looking merous other disciplines. Each discipline to increase the TSRA’s involvement in JO has its own director whose job it is to hold pistol events. He is committed to hold-
10 USA Shooting News Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner Shooter Spotlight: Sam Muegge By Adam Sunshine, Competitions Intern
No one exemplifies what Shipley and Honor Society, the Future Farmers of Brinson are trying to accomplish through America and is the president of the TSRA more his 4-H shooting club. Despite than Texas having a lot on his plate, shooter Muegge has found a Sam successful way to balance his shoot- ing and school work.
Gamecocks’ rifle team. Muegge. Muegge is also looking Muegge has forward to participating been with the TSRA in future USAS matches since 2001. He first began shooting as he aims to follow in archery, bb-guns and smallbore rifle the footsteps of shoot- with his father at age 10. ing idol and fellow Now at the age of 17, this up-and- Texan Matt Rawlings, coming shooter has accomplished and gain a spot on the some impressive results over the past USAS Team in future year. At the 2009 JO Championships world cups and Olympic held in Colorado Springs, Muegge won Games. the men’s prone rifle event and finished Muegge would welcome as the high J2 in 3-position. He followed the honor of representing this up by taking 2nd overall junior in the United States in interna- prone and 5th overall junior in 3-position tional events. When asked what at Nationals. His recent performances it would mean to be an Olympian, earned him a spot on the USAS National he said it would be a “proud” and “awe- Junior Team this past summer. some” experience. While keeping on target, Muegge also Looking at Muegge’s recent accom- excels in the classroom. As a senior at B.F. So what does the future hold for Mueg- plishments, USAS has no doubt this Terry High School, Muegge will be grad- ge? He has signed his letter of intent to at- young man will, one day, make his coun- uating with Distinguished Honors this tend Jacksonville State University in Ala- try proud. May. He is also a member of the National bama where he will be a member of the
www.usashooting.org 11 Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner Statics and Dynamics - Part 1 By JP O’Connor Forty-eighth in a series “That which is Still has Movement. That which Moves has Stillness.” Target shooting is a sport rich with varied disciplines and the simplest of changes can affect more than the one thing they breadth of related topics. Aspects of the sport appeal to engi- are working to adjust and to be sure to fully evaluate the ad- neers and technicians, while other aspects appeal to those who justment. There are no “quick fixes” when striving for ultimate are much more metaphysical in outlook. Some disciplines re- performance. quire a great deal of movement and action, while others require A common example of one adjustment affecting more than incredible stillness. one component is a popular method of adjusting natural point Within the Olympic disciplines, there is the stillness of the of aim (NPA) when shooting rifle in the standing position. Ath- extreme precision rifle and pistol events on one hand and the letes are taught that one method to adjust their NPA horizon- rapid, yet precise movements of rapid fire pistol and shotgun. tally is to adjust where their back foot is pointing. By making Modern Pentathletes spend most of their time in physically de- subtle adjustments they can move the NPA to the left or right. manding events and then must learn the mental and physical Without a doubt, this does have the desired effect and so is com- control of precision air pistol. Biathlon athletes face the ultimate monly taught and used. The challenge is that, whether the coach contrast: pounding up the hill to the firing line on cross-country or athlete realizes, this also affects the athlete’s balance and sta- skis, then having to draw upon the inner (and external!) calm of bility. Those who understand the dual effect know that they have the precision rifle athlete. to work everything out so that they get the desired NPA and Even in the “calm” precision events there often is a whole lot the optimal balance. Working on one aspect affects the other so of “action” as the athlete works to calm their mind and body… this must be taken into account. Despite the stillness of a well and pounding heart! Just ask a free pistol athlete… or a shotgun optimized standing position, it is a dynamic system, not a static athlete facing their next target with 24 hits already recorded. system. Understanding these effects helps an athlete optimize As we learn and train in our chosen discipline and events their performance. Be sure to think dynamically in addition to there are a great many factors to understand and master. One thinking statically. cannot possibly learn everything at once; much less master ev- ery aspect all at the same time. An Olympic champion typical- Shooting Between Heartbeats? ly has a journey of eight to ten years or more under their belt. We sometimes read about athletes releasing their shots be- Some journeys are shorter and many are longer. tween heartbeats – most typically in the popular press. Cer- Because all the various items of information and techniques tainly heartbeat is one of many things going on inside our body cannot be mastered at once, we break things down into manage- as we shoot. Can athletes shoot between heartbeats? Do they? able chunks. For example, we do not start a dialogue on the finer Can they “time” the shot to do so? The majority of athletes likely points of trigger control and shot release with an eight-year-old, do, whether they know it or not and whether they can actually or 28-year-old, who is being introduced to shooting for the very tell or not. There is a natural internal rhythm that occurs as we first time. shoot that typically results in the shot releasing between the Often there is a missing link in our training. Often we fail to heartbeats without any active “control” or awareness of such on link together the disparate pieces of knowledge and technique the part of the athlete. Thus, the shot timing between heartbeats into a cohesive, comprehensive whole. Instead we have a patch- is an effect, not an active decision in most cases. This is a hot work – and do not even realize this has happened. This is very topic of debate which will not be fully explored here, and there frustrating to say the least. are many varying opinions. Leaving aside the debatable aspects of the topic, there are in- “Everything Affects Everything” teresting aspects to ponder. One Olympic athlete was known for We typically think in static terms, that is, we think about one having a very high pulse rate in finals. Her national team coach variable at a time and in a static or fixed mode. This is a natu- at the time indicated that her pulse rate was typically 160 beats ral outcome based on breaking things down into manageable per minute in finals. Yes, almost three beats a second! She was chunks, and especially based on our tendency to deal primarily very consistent and shot many strong finals in her career, in- with what we see before us. In reality, when we shoot there are cluding in the Olympics, by trusting her rhythm and ignoring thousands of variables, many unseen and un-sensed, all chang- her racing heart rate. With that high rate, one wonders where in ing moment to moment together, much like an orchestra. The the heartbeat cycle her shots actually released. trick, of course, is to get all the instruments tuned together, the Many prone specialists, and others, strive for a low resting musicians well trained and all “on the same page” in order to pulse rate to improve their shooting. This can be beneficial to produce beautiful music! the majority of shooters, as long as they do not take it too far. An Many athletes have heard, “Everything Affects Everything” exceedingly low resting pulse rate results in a very large ampli- during their training. The coach is reminding them that even tude to each pulse which causes a larger disturbance to the sight
12 USA Shooting News Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner picture. As with most aspects of shooting… all good things in concept and it also provided tangible evidence of the already moderation. Thinking statically, one strives for the lowest pos- well understood dynamic nature of the human body, even when sible resting pule. Thinking dynamically, one considers both the seemingly not moving. Time and resources never allowed us to frequency and the amplitude to reach an optimal point. do remote sensing of the athlete with the 160 pulse rate men- One athlete had a problem with dual groups in prone. Often tioned above. That would have been interesting! With these dis- there would be two very tight groups right next to each other. cussions as background, we now turn to the question of stillness After careful examination of all factors, and the use of a Noptel within the dynamic system. training device as an aid for gathering some of the required in- formation, an interesting discovery came to light. The athlete Does The Gun Stop Moving? was preloading the trigger – that is holding a significant amount A former longtime member of the national team strongly dis- of pressure on the trigger – to the point that it was so close to the agreed with a coach’s assertion that the rifle or pistol, when on release point that the athlete’s own heartbeat provided the final aim, can seem to momentarily stop for the athlete. “The gun amount of trigger pressure to release the shot. The good news is never stops moving!” was the strident, public response. From that this provides a very smooth shot release. The bad news is a purely scientific point of view, this athlete is certainly correct. that this is a “fragile” technique that does not hold up under the Regardless of how minute, there are movements taking place. pressure of competition. However, that is not the point of the coach’s assertion. The athlete’s inconsistent preload trigger pressure in compe- The important aspect of the assertion is the athlete’s perspec- tition caused some shots to be released on the heartbeat and tive, not an external reference. For this particular athlete, indeed others between heartbeats. This was enough of a difference to the gun may never have stopped moving from his perspective. affect the shot grouping. Generally it is found that athletes do Interestingly, for many other well trained athletes and some not not provide enough preload on their trigger. This athlete was so well trained, the rifle or pistol does indeed seem to stop mo- the opposite and often had too much pressure. Thinking about mentarily just when needed. the problem dynamically led to the connection, in this case, be- The most important aspect of this discussion is that the ath- tween trigger preload pressure and heartbeat. lete’s point of view is the key factor. It has already been conced- ed that no matter how steady the hold, the gun does have tiny Radar movements when measured from an external reference. We are While exploring aspects of heartbeat, discussed above, and interested in the athlete’s perception here. gun movement, discussed below, an experiment was performed Before exploring whether the gun actually stops from the to explore the possibilities of using remote sensing to measure athlete’s perspective, and answering the question, we need to heart rate, respiration rate and body movement of athletes while explore additional topics. We will begin there in the next article. in actual competition. To do so, there can be no wires or any Based in the Atlanta, Ga., area, JP O’Connor ([email protected] and http:// physical connection whatsoever between the athlete and the www.america.net/~jpoc/) is involved in shooting as a competitor, is a former measuring equipment. Assistant National Coach – USA Paralympics Shooting Team, serves on the Na- Several years ago we took a rifle stock (no barrel or action) tional Coach Development Staff in both rifle & pistol, coaches the rifle and pistol and a full shooting kit to a lab in the Georgia Tech Research teams at North Georgia College & State University, and coaches a junior club. Institute where Dr. Gene Greneker had a number of interesting He enjoys working with a number of pistol and rifle athletes from around the remote sensing devices and capabilities. One of the most inter- country, ranging from beginners to the highly advanced, in clinics and one-on- esting is his “Radar Flashlight” used by law enforcement and one private coaching. Previous installments of this series may be found at www. rescue crews to “see” through walls, rubble and other obstacles pilkguns.com. to find suspects or victims. Another of his devices is an ultra-low power radar, emitting less than a tenth of the amount of energy allowed to leak from microwave ovens at home. Our goal was to explore the feasibility of remote sens- ing while an athlete was in actual competition. Arranging a shooter in the prone position, the radar was aimed at the shooter’s back. We used prone for this initial exploration to ensure that we could obtain heart and respiration data through the thick shooting clothing. Despite wearing a T-shirt, shooting shirt, sweater and a stiff (nearly new) Sauer canvas shooting jacket, the radar easily picked up the athlete’s heart and respiration movements and body movements. The graph shows a small time slice of raw, unprocessed data when the athlete was very still. One can easily see both pulse and respiration. With process- ing software, real-time instantaneous and averaged heart and respiration rates, along with body movement (e.g. sway in standing, gun movement, etc.), trigger pressure, and other movements can be observed and calculated. The exploration proved the viability of the sensing
www.usashooting.org 13 Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner Writing a Training Plan By David Johnson, National Rifle Coach
yourself) in the following four skill areas: come. In this example, you might list the Tactical: Example—the top prone following three performance tasks: shooters are able to quickly identify wind • Seek out and study articles and re- conditions and make swift and confident sources that describe wind/condi- decisions on how to place the next shot tions reading (i.e.: shading or not, waiting, clicking, • Schedule training and matches etc). over the next 90 days that make Technical: Example—the top prone me shoot in a variety of wind con- shooters have exact positions that they ditions. duplicate precisely each time they com- • Seek out a coach or mentor who pete and train can help me read conditions and Mental: Example—the top prone evaluate my progress by next shooters know how to get out of trouble Monday and ask for their assis- if it appears and get back on a high per- tance and time availability. formance track If you have gotten this far (chosen a Training plans are probably the most Physical: Example—the top athletes skill to improve and written three things talked about, but often most misunder- are physically fit and able to perform in down that will improve the skill) you have stood tool available to an athlete. A suc- challenging conditions such as high heat. completed the most difficult part of writ- cessful training plan simply organizes Do not sweat the exact definitions of ing a training plan. Next you must plan your training toward achieving a desired the categories above—many overlap and your time towards working on the skills. goal. A good plan begins with goal set- can be discussed several ways—keep your First, consider your available resourc- ting and prioritization, identification mind on what things you see that top ath- es—and their constraints. Resources are of the related tasks and skills needed to letes in your sport do very well or seem- time, range availability and access, school achieve the prioritized goals, determi- ingly have mastered. and or work requirements, social plans, nation of your available resources, writ- Next, compare your current skills in family activities and a host of other items. ing the plan down step by step with the the categories above to how you see the In the example above, if you only have constraints of the resources available and “ultimate” athlete skill levels. You will access to one outdoor range in a two hour then following up with accountability and typically rate yourself as above, equal to driving radius, it may be very unrealistic review. or behind in each of the listed skills. to plan such an ambitious schedule of The skills that you rate yourself as “be- range variety shooting. Write your re- Goal Setting and Prioritization: hind” the ultimate level you have defined sources down and in particular, focus on Please visit the Resources/Down- are the ones that should jump out as the the time constraints you must deal with. loads section of USA Shooting’s website, specific skills you need to work on in a Also, be sure to consider your non-shoot- http://www.usashooting.org/downloads. training program. ing resources and requirements: family php under “Coaching” to download and and social time, school and/or work etc. print an excerpt called “U.S. Team Goal Skill to Improve Example: Second, get out a pencil and a calen- Worksheet” from our U.S. Rifle and Pis- The “ultimate” athlete seems to clearly dar format to write on. Any calendar that tol Team Training Book developed by understand how to read the wind and has space available to write on will do. National Pistol Coach Sergey Luzov and then what to do to shoot successfully in School planners work very well in most me. This section focuses on Goal setting any condition. You rate yourself as pretty cases. Start filling in the date blocks with (Outcome and related Task/Performance good at reading the direction of the wind, known commitments and any constraints Goals), how to prioritize them and how but as unsure or hesitant on your reaction that you have identified. Go as far out in to start writing them down. One method to what you read or determine the wind time as you can or have information on. of determining the tasks you want (and is doing. On the “U.S. Team Goal Work- You may already know upcoming match need) to work on is simply by describing sheet,” you could list “wind skill improve- schedules, range access times, school/ the “ultimate” shooter in terms of skills ment: I can read direction and speed work requirements, family time for some they have and then comparing your skills properly in the next 90 days” as a desired months in the future. Write them all in. to them. The “ultimate” shooter may be outcome goal. The chart then asks you Third, look at the remaining time a composite or mix of several shooting for three performance or task goals that available to work on the skills you iden- athletes you respect. Evaluate them (and you must do to achieve the desired out- tified above. At this step, you may have
14 USA Shooting News Columns From the Editor Volunteer of the Year Aim with AMU Club/Shooter Spotlight On the Firing Line Coaches’ Corner
to evaluate or re-prioritize what you can three may have you then doing it from the where you need to improve. Based upon work on in the time available to you or shooting position while holding and try- that feedback, you can plan your next even how many things you can tackle ing to maintain a consistent position. In step in your training plan. You may be within the resources you have available. other words, take it one step at a time be- on track, or you may need to re-evaluate My rule of thumb is to make sure you fore you put all the skills desired together your initial plan you had written down. take small and manageable steps. In the in a test. A successful plan is flexible enough to be wind skills example above, it would be adjusted after the evaluation points. unreasonable to expect yourself to be an Evaluation and Accountability: If you can get though three months of expert at flag/wind direction reading in All successful training plans have reg- the above procedure you will have learned one or two training sessions on a range. ular evaluation points built into them. a tremendous amount about yourself: You may need several sessions on a range The evaluation is often a competition, but strengths and areas to improve, plus you just to begin to see the variety a range more useful evaluations test you ahead of will have started to maximize your avail- can present you with. Step one could be the competition. In the wind skills exam- able resources towards goal achievement. setting flags out and asking a mentor to ple above, plan a “record day” when your The planning gets much easier after 90 simply help you watch and evaluate what coach can watch and help you evaluate days of actually doing it on paper. You the wind is doing on the range. You could shot by shot if you are seeing and calling will become instantly better at planning write this in for the first three training the wind correctly on an available range your time and evaluating your progress— sessions available to you. Step two may training day. Do this before a formal com- which leads you to better use of your time involve having your mentor test you on petition date. After the session, ask the and resources—the whole purpose of a what you have learned watching. Step coach what your strong points were and training plan!
Disciplines
Pistol
By Anthony Lutz, Olympic Training Center Resident Athlete and National Development Team Member Turning Weaknesses into Strengths
the time and effort to develop or seek out ogy book that addresses your problem. drills specifically designed to overcome a The most common example of a mental weak area. If you need help getting start- area that you can strengthen becomes ed, talk to your coach or an experienced evident when your match scores are no- shooter. ticeably lower than your practice scores. Physical weaknesses are generally the Are you addressing that problem? You’re easiest to identify and improve upon, so not likely to reverse that trend until you let me start with an example in my own identify specific areas to improve, and shooting. Not long ago, I separated my then develop specific drills or training left (shooting) shoulder in a farming acci- habits designed to strengthen your match dent. It took six weeks to heal--a long time mentality. to be off the gun. Not only was my arm Very often, weaknesses are both physi- weak from not shooting for six weeks, but cal and mental. An unhealthy diet, for We all have weaknesses in our shoot- the injury also healed incorrectly. I com- example, involves a physical problem ing, perhaps in our physical technique or pletely rewrote how I trained. Before the that takes mental strength to improve. the mental game. The first step in turning injury I had a very solid hold; afterward, Changing an unproductive habit or life- weaknesses into strengths is to identify my hold was just plain weak. I wondered style is never easy, but necessary if you specific problems. That self-assessment how I could improve my hold and what want to be great. I struggle with this one. may be difficult because we often want training tools I could use to speed the re- It’s difficult to substitute water for soda at to believe we are perfect or are already covery process physically, technically and meals, but something I must do if I want a working on our flaws. But since no one is even mentally. solid hold--the caffeine in soda really de- perfect, I encourage you to make an hon- First, I really thought about how I want grades my hold. But remember, you can’t est evaluation and find that weakness. my shooting to “feel.” I mentally worked just change a bad habit two weeks before The first thing I do to determine which through my entire technical process-- a match; we must build productive train- aspect of my shooting needs work is to from on the bench, to the approach, to ing patterns and healthy behaviors for as sit down and methodically evaluate my the hold. My next consideration focused long as we are competing seriously. shooting. Break down every facet of your on the physical element: How was I going Now for the fun part: After you’ve shooting, including the technical, men- to get back my solid hold? I developed turned your weaknesses into strengths, tal and physical elements. Do this after my own holding exercise workout sheet, try your “new” shooting approach in a every practice. Like me, perhaps you’ve which turned out to be my most help- competition. Hopefully, your training discovered your weakness surfaces in ac- ful exercise. I visited a chiropractor who and hard work has paid off. If so, contin- tual matches. If matches or training re- also worked with a physical therapist. I ue to evaluate your strengths and weak- veal more than one weakness, you must explained my desired end-state, and we nesses. If not, don’t be discouraged—just determine which one needs work first. developed a very productive workout determine a new course of action and get Generally, I choose the one that will help routine that greatly aided the recovery to work. I am still working on weaknesses my shooting the most in the long run. process. I know hard work was the key everyday. I have talked to some of the Once you have determined the weak- to recovery, but I also had to “believe” I best shooters in the world and they are ness, get creative and inventive; remem- could improve—a mental approach that still working on improving their weak- ber, we’re trying to turn that weakness helped immensely. nesses as well; to reach our potential we into a strength. Don’t hesitate to experi- If your weakness is in the mental game, must work every day. It is hard work in- ment with new training drills, or even re- don’t hesitate to seek out a sports psy- deed, but for shooters who are motivated write your training plan. You’re a serious chologist. If that’s not possible, visit your and determined, it’s necessary and even shooter, so I know you’re willing to put in local library and peruse a sports psychol- enjoyable!
www.usashooting.org 17 Disciplines
Rifle
By Ernest J. Vande Zande The Natural Point of Aim
Regardless of a shoot- relaxed and you have obtained your normal shooting position. er’s shooting skill level, When you feel the position has stabilized enough to take a sight- coaches emphasize the ing shot, begin the process of finding the Natural Point of Aim. fundamentals over and Pick up the rifle and close the bolt just as if you are ready to over. shoot the first shot, but don’t load the rifle. Assume your nor- When you take shoot- mal standing position placing the rifle into your shoulder, your ing basics for granted cheek on the stock, you finger on the trigger and use your nor- it’s easy to develop a mal breathing pattern. Look through your sights and obtain the bad habit that will cost proper sight picture. When you get to the point of holding your you points. The only breath, close your eyes. Moving from the line of fire your bar- way to prevent this is rel is making to the target, force the rifle to the right of the line to constantly focus on of fire three inches at the muzzle and then pull the rifle to the the proper execution of other side of the original line of fire about three inches. This is shooting fundamentals. a maximum movement at the muzzle of six inches. This sets up One of the most over- a rocking motion, all the while keeping your eyes shut. When looked shooting funda- the rifle stops moving, open your eyes and wherever the rifle is mentals is the Natural pointing represents your true Natural Point of Aim. If the rifle Point of Aim (NPA). The prone and kneeling positions both aiming point is off the bullseye and you have to force the rifle have an easily identifiable point of aim, thanks to the support to line up with the bullseye, you are using muscular effort to the rifle receives from the sling. In the standing position, how- achieve the correct aiming point, and muscling or forcing the ever, the rifle wavers much more, and the point of aim is more rifle to the aiming point is not fundamentally correct. accurately described as an area of hold. When you open your eyes you probably find that the rifle is To find your Natural Point of Aim, you should assume a cor- not pointed at the bullseye. You then make whatever position rect position and dry fire a few shots to ensure your muscles are and foot movement changes are necessary, which you believe Disciplines will change the Natural Point of Aim to be on target. Then re- essary for you to get in position initially prior to initiating the peat the process as many times as necessary until you find the Natural Point of Aim exercise. Other visual references include correct position and foot placement to obtain a Natural Point of lines you see vertically such as the scope stand, wall columns, Aim that is on the bullseye. wall seams and target frames. We closed our eyes to lose the One way your body achieves stability is from the visual sig- visual reference point. We move the rifle three inches to the nals you perceive and send to the brain; these signals are visual right and pull the rifle three inches to the left of the initial line reference points. If your eyes remain open, your brain processes of fire setting up the rocking motion to erase the initial physical those signals and sends messages to the muscle groups to hold reference point. your body in position. Thus, your body is probably not attain- The positions we shoot with will settle as we fire our targets, ing the true point of aim. Having your eyes open lessens the po- whether in training or competition. It is important to initiate tential for letting your senses go blank. In order for you to lose the Natural Point of Aim exercise at least once in the middle of those visual reference points, and find your real Natural Point of your course of fire to ensure you continue to have the correct Aim, make certain your eyes are closed. Natural Point of Aim and are not forcing the rifle on the target Some coaches claim you can simply look away rather than or causing tension by using muscles unnecessarily. closing your eyes; however, actual practice has shown that many You should utilize this process in each position. Some shoot- shooters end up turning their heads away, thus negating the en- ers do it when switching from one side of a 10-bull target to tire process. Closing the eyes is the best way to eliminate the the other. If you’re shooting at two 10-bull targets adjacent to visual reference points. each other, it is essential to go through the process when moving Depending on the skill level of a shooter, that athlete may from one target to the next. not be able to keep the bullseye in the front aperture. However, Ernest (Ernie) Vande Zande is a former World Record Holder of the Men’s 60 the object of the exercise is to get the front aperture as close as Shot Prone course of fire. He was the manager of Olympic Training Center Shoot- possible to the bullseye while maintaining a constant position. ing Sports Programs from 1982-1988. He was the project manager for design and The mind also keys on certain physical reference points, one construction of the U.S. Olympic Shooting Center as well as acquisition of the of which is the target. Of course, that reference point is nec- Fort Carson land utilized for USAS outdoor shooting ranges.
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Shotgun
By Bill Roy, USA Shooting Director of Operations/ High Performance Director Variation, Modulation and DOMINATION!
pointers,” athletes who routinely adjust to the phraseology; just focus on the basic countless varieties of target presentations, point: If you are able to adjust your ac- angles, speeds and distances. Thus, the tions to the existing conditions, you’ll be reasoning goes, they are better at picking a better shooter. up and breaking the International Skeet So when Sean McLelland’s High-four- or bunker trap targets that aren’t “in the double turns into a San Juan Capistra- groove” of the regulation flight path. no swallow and zooms toward Mother But what if you’re not a sporting clays Earth with a death wish, Sean’s variation shooter? And what if you want to gain that in training allows him to modulate his target-breaking ability? You can learn to swing so he moves smoothly to the target hit those targets with some smart prepa- and then punches his ticket to the World ration and a willingness to work (see my Championships. No panic, no guess- article in this issue, “W.O.R.K.” page 31). work, no luck; just a purposeful move Before you go cranking down the angles that is way more skill than surprise. on your throwing machines, however, let OK, NOW go crank down the angles me explain an important athletic train- on your throwing machine. But be smart ing concept that you can apply to several about it. (Trap shooters, I’ll also address Hill Country Shooting Sports Center, elements of your shooting. That concept your game below). First, set your targets 2009 Fall Selection Match: It was a High- is called “variation,” and it’s critical to through the hoop according to regula- four-double . . . or it was a snake. As that athletes whose sport involves fine motor tion. Then crank down the high house screaming target dived toward the deck, skills or who need to make adjustments target so it flies through the bottom of the 2008 Olympian Sean McLelland picked it in their routine skills, such as shooting hoop, or perhaps even just a few inches up visually, smoothly went down with it a fast-moving clay target. In essence, below the hoop. Then go right to station and smoked it two feet above the ground variation in training forces the athlete to five and shoot a few high house targets, and three feet from the field boundary. develop the skills necessary to deal with and then spend a lot more time shoot- Good thing: He needed that target to unusual conditions or movements and ing pairs there—perhaps 10 or 12 pairs. make the 2010 World Shooting Champi- provides the athlete with a broader, more Now slide over to station four and follow onship Skeet Team. useful “muscle memory” for performing the same pattern. Then go to stations six, Several observers in the crowd whis- an athletic skill. If an athlete routinely seven and eight. Once you’ve worked pered, “sporting clays shooter!” I smiled; shoots at targets that are lower or higher through those stations, try a regulation I knew the real reason McLelland hit the than normal, that athlete has developed round starting at station one. I do NOT target is because he’s a tough, tough com- the skill to “shoot them wherever they recommend shooting a regulation round petitor, and he’s willing to prepare for are” as a result of variation training. right after you lower the angle of the tar- the contingencies that pop up during a A shooter who uses variation in train- get—too many different looks to deal competition . . . such as wind-blown tar- ing will develop a corresponding profi- with at first. gets that look more like orange garden ciency called “modulation.” Modulation Now here’s an important concept to hoses on the lawn than fat cantaloupes is simply the increased ability to control remember: Keep that unusual angle long lofted through the hoop. But the fact re- the muscle response in a certain skill, or enough that you learn how to shoot it, mains McLelland was weaned on sport- “modulate” the actions of a muscle (or but not so long that it becomes your new ing clays, and the reputation of sporting muscle group) as appropriate to perform “groove.” How long a period is that? It clays shooters is one of being great “gun the skill correctly. Don’t worry about varies from shooter to shooter, but I rec-
20 USA Shooting News Disciplines ommend that you blend in that variation offer a very wide range of angles, heights, sary to perform perfectly. Unfortunately, about every other practice session. Once distances and surprises, your variation that theory has been steamrolled by doz- you become more accustomed to varia- might be more useful if you change the ens and dozens of sport science studies, tion and your modulation develops more speed of the targets instead of the angles. field tests and . . . Sean McLellands. I’ll quickly, then try throwing in an adjust- Put in a few cranks on the spring (and/or concede, repeating the same action has its ment on the low house target. Before back off a few cranks) after you’ve set the place in establishing fundamental skills, you know it, you’ll be shooting low high- scheme for regulation targets. but to grow beyond rudimentary actions house targets, high low-house targets and Double-Trappers: The same concept into more purposeful skills that can carry everything in between. Try setting them applies in your game. Start by varying you to elite performances, you simply both low, and then both high, but be sure one target, and then expand to both tar- must expand your skill set by challenging to go back to “home” frequently enough gets as your skills develop and your ability yourself with variation. Try it! that true modulation occurs. to modulate becomes stronger. Of course, there are numerous ways When I was really chasing the game as Some of you may be thinking ahead you can add variation to your training. a competitive shooter, I’d include varia- already . . . you’re wondering if you can You can adjust the targets as discussed tions in every practice session, and even adjust the speeds (faster or slower), or above, but you can also vary your hold set up adjoining skeet fields with different adjust the angles relative to the centerline points, break points, timing, lighting “schemes” to mix it up as much as pos- (inside the stake, or outside the stake) or conditions, etc., etc. But start with the sible. I’d switch from one field to the oth- any combination of those variations. Of simple variations I discussed above, and er, essentially creating a “wobble skeet” course you can! However, use modera- then push yourself to more challenging scenario that helped me become very tion and method in your variations. Vary scenarios as your ability to modulate im- adaptable to whatever angle came out of those elements only to the degree that proves. the window. That gave me the confidence your skills can modulate and “keep up” As your ability to modulate improves I needed when I went to a strange field with the changes. If you attempt to mix your scores will also improve, and your for a match, or when the wind kicked up, in too many changes too quickly, you’re confidence—unlike the dive-bombing or when the target simply flew in a way I likely to face frustration and confusion devils you’ve been chasing on station didn’t expect. And yes, I punched a few rather than progress. four—will skyrocket like a springing teal. World Championship Team tickets my- Warning: Some very experienced Now that’s something Sean McLelland— self by hitting those boundary-bouncing coaches may not support your efforts to and a whole lot of sporting clays shoot- worm-burners . . . . add variation in training. They may still ers—knows something about. So if you’ll Trap shooters: Crank away! Don’t be in the school of thought that believes sprinkle some variation and modulation vary every target; perhaps start with one you must repeat exactly the same action into your training, you’ll soon have some- per post or maybe even just one or two over and over, tens of thousands of times thing over those nasty targets you’ve been per scheme. Since all the schemes in trap to establish the muscle memory neces- seeking all along: Domination.
“...focus on the basic point: If you are able to adjust your actions to the existing conditions, you’ll be a better shooter.”
www.usashooting.org 21 2009 Winter Airgun Championships 2009 Winter Airgun Championships By Mary Beth Vorwerk Feature
Over 260 rifle and pistol airgun shoot- Youth Olympic Games was for non-U.S. ers from across the United States, as well competitors only as the U.S. will not be as 40 athletes from 11 countries around participating in the shooting events at the the world gathered at the U.S. Olympic Youth Olympic Games. Training Center in Colorado Springs, The 2009 Winter Airgun Champion- Colo., December 4-6, 2009 to compete at ships was also a U.S. team tryout for 2010 the 2009 USA Shooting Winter Airgun ISSF World Cups, the 2010 World Cham- Championships (formerly knows as 3 X pionships (part I) and the Bavarian Air- Air). gun Championships in the Air Pistol and This three-day event served as a mini- Air Rifle Events. mum qualifying score (MQS) qualifier Identical competitions took place in for the first-ever Youth Olympic Games, rifle and pistol with finals matches closing which will be held August 14-26, 2010 out each day of competition at the Winter in Singapore. The MQS qualifier for the Airgun Championships. Day One: Matt Emmons, Sarah Scherer Shoot Perfect Scores captured first place for pistol. Emmons entered the Men’s 10m Air Rifle final with a perfect score of 600 and shot 103.3 points in the final round to capture the day one title with an overall score of 703.3. U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) member Matt Rawlings (Wharton, Texas) grabbed second place with 699.1 total points. Jonathan Hall (Carrollton, Ga.) finished one tenth of a point behind Rawlings in third place with 699.0. Michael Kulbacki (DuBois, Pa.), who is part of the number one ranked West Virginia University rifle team, took first place for the junior men with 691.8 total points. University of Nevada’s Dempster Christenson (Sioux Falls, S.D.) finished close behind Kulbacki in sec- ond place with 691.6, while 2008 Olym- pian Stephen Scherer (Fort Worth, Texas) On the first day of competition at the claimed the third spot with 689.6. 2009 Winter Airgun Championships, In Men’s Pistol, USAMU member Da- two-time Olympic medalist Matt Em- ryl Szarenski (Saginaw, Mich.) captured mons (Browns Mills, N.J.) and Sarah the Day One title with a match score of Scherer (Forth Worth, Texas) both shot 574, a final score of 101.4 for an overall perfect match scores and claimed the first total of 675.4 points. Brian Beaman (Sel- day titles for rifle. Three-time Olympian by, S.D.), a 2008 Olympian, took second Daryl Szarenski and Teresa Meyer each place with 672.6, while 2008 Olympic Feature bronze medalist Jason Turner (Rochester, also took first place for the junior women N.Y.) finished in third place overall with with 502.8 points, while Abigail Stanec 670.8 points. Will Brown (Twin Falls, (Wadsworth, Ohio) finished second with Idaho) won the Junior Men’s Pistol title 496.9 and TCU’s Sarah Beard (Danville, by 13.6 points, after firing a total score of Ind.) earned the third spot with 495.8. 666.7, while Matthew Pueppke (Amenia, Teresa Meyer (Dearborn, Mich.) N.D.) finished second with 653.1 points. earned the top spot in Women’s Pistol, Jack Dutoit (Arlington, Texas) claimed finishing with an overall score of 472.1 third place with 651.9. points. Pan American gold medalist San- Eighteen-year-old Sarah Scherer of dra Uptagrafft (Phenix City, Ala.) took the Texas Christian University rifle team second with 469.5 and Courtney An- grabbed the title for Women’s 10m Air Ri- thony (Lexington, Neb.) grabbed third fle after shooting a perfect match score of place with 465.5 points. Anthony also 400 points, a final of 103.4 for a total score took home the junior title with a score of 503.4. Jamie Beyerle (Lebanon, Pa.), a of 470.5, while Hannah Lewis (Colo- 2008 Olympian, finished in second place rado Springs, Colo.) claimed the second with 500.9 points and two-time Olympian spot with 464.1 points and Kylie Gagnon Emily Caruso (Fairfield, Conn.) grabbed (Bozeman, Mont.) finished third place the third spot with 499.4 points. Scherer with 460.1 points.
Day Two: Emmons, Szarenski, Scherer and Uptagrafft Claim Top Spots Matt Emmons and Sarah Scherer each won first place in rifle again on the second day of competition, while Daryl Szarenski and Sandra Upta- grafft took home the titles in pistol. Emmons captured the Men’s 10m Air Rifle title for the second day in a row, fir- ing a match score of 598, an excellent final of 104.6 for an overall score of 702.6 points. Michael Kulbacki grabbed second place with 697.3 total points. Kulbacki’s WVU teammate Andy points. U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Lamson (Colchester, Vt.) took second (USAMU) member Joe Hein (Phenix place with 691.5, while Stephen Scherer City, Ala.) took third with a total score of claimed the third spot for the second day 696.9. in a row with 689.9 points. Kulbacki also won the Junior Men’s Daryl Szarenski took home the Men’s Air Rifle title for the second consecu- Air Pistol title for the second consecutive tive day after finishing with 696.7 total day after shooting a match score of 578, Feature
a final of 99.7 for a total score of 677.7. tesville, Va.) took third place with 499.3. Brian Beaman took second place for the Scherer also took first place for the junior second day in a row with an overall score women with 501.5 total points. Universi- of with 676.6, points and Cody Owsley ty of Kentucky’s Megan English (Boulder, (Tonganoxie, Kan.) finished in the third Colo.) finished second with 496.6 and spot with 673.2 points. Will Brown won Sarah Beard earned the third spot again his second Junior Men’s Pistol title of the for the junior women with 496.0 points. Winter Airgun match, after firing a total In Women’s Pistol, Sandra Uptagrafft score of 669.9 points which was over 20 shot her way to the top spot with a quali- points ahead of second place finisher Jack fication score of 372, a final of 99.4 for an Dutoit, who fired a total score of 649.3. overall score of 471.4 points. Day One Matthew Pueppke finished in third place Champion Teresa Meyer earned second for the second day with 647.6 total points. place with 470.2 total points and Court- Sarah Scherer claimed the title in ney Anthony grabbed third place for the Women’s 10m Air Rifle for the second second day in a row with a total score of consecutive day after shooting 399 points with 468.7 points. Anthony also took in the qualification, which is one point home the junior title for the second con- away from the perfect 400 points she shot secutive day with a score of 468.4, while on day one of the match. Scherer fired Hannah Lewis claimed second place with 103.3 points in the final to end up in first 464.4 points and Kelsey Imig (Westmin- place with a total of 502.3 points. Emily ster, Mass.) earned third place with a total Caruso earned second place with 501.9 score of 456.4. points, while Meghann Morrill (Charlot- Day Three: Competition Concludes with Emmons, Turner, Beard and Uptagrafft Capturing Titles
Uptagrafft claiming the top spots on day three of the com- petition. Matt Emmons was three for three at the Winter Airgun Championships, winning the Men’s Air Rife title all three days of the match. Emmons shot a near perfect qualifica- tion score of 599 out of 600 points on the third day, fol- lowed by a final of 102.5 to end in first place with 701.5 total points. Matt Rawlings The 2009 Winter Airgun Champion- finished in second place with ships came to a close with Matt Emmons, 700.6 points and Jonathan Hall took the Jason Turner, Sarah Beard and Sandra third spot with 700.3 points. For the ju- Feature nior men, Dustin Chesebro (Laramie, a match score of 399, a final of 103.2 and Wyo.) of the University of Alaska-Fair- finished in second place with 502.2 to- banks took home the title with 698.3 total tal points. Jamie Beyerle shot a perfect points after shooting an outstanding final match score of 400 points and ended up score of 104.3. Michael Kulbacki finished right behind Caruso in third place after in second place with 694.5, while Demp- shooting 102.1 points in the final for a to- ster Christenson earned third place with tal of 502.1 points. Sarah Scherer took 692.8 points. first place for the junior women for the In Men’s Pistol, Jason Turner entered third consecutive day, firing a 399 qualifi- the final in first place with a match score cation score and 104.2 in the final for a to- of 580. Turner shot 99.7 points in the tal of 503.2 points. Beard grabbed second final and kept his lead to finish in first place for the junior women with 501.4 place overall with 679.7 points. Brian total points, while Emily Quiner (Brook- Beaman finished the match right behind lyn Park, Minn.) earned third place with Turner in second place overall for the 496.3 points. third consecutive day with a total score Sandra Uptagrafft earned the top spot of 679.5 points. USAMU member Greg in Women’s Pistol once again after shoot- Markowski (Addison, Texas) landed on ing a match score of 380, a final of 96.5 for the podium in third place with 673.3 an overall score of 476.5 points. Teresa points. Will Brown captured his third Ju- Meyer finished in second place for the nior Men’s Pistol title of the match when second day in a row with a total score of he finished in first place easily with 663.2 470.1, while Courtney Anthony grabbed points. Blake Reburn (Kensington, Md.) third place for the third consecutive day took second with 646.4, while Jacob Hall with 466.7 points. Hannah Lewis earned (Carrollton, Ga.) finished in third place the top spot for the junior women with with 634.7. 470.5 total points. Starlin Shi (Potomac, In a very close match in the Women’s Md.) finished second with 450.4 and Air Rifle event, Sarah Beard pulled out Kathryn Kananen (Florissant, Colo.) took the win after shooting a near perfect third place with 448.7. qualification score of 399 points, an ex- For complete Winter Airgun Cham- cellent final of 104.1 for an overall score pionship results, please visit USA Shoot- of 503.1 points. Emily Caruso also shot ing’s website at www.usashooting.org.
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On The Complex
Exciting Times By Robert Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer Looking back, 2009 was indeed a busy and exciting post- a result, Trap will take place over four competition days in 2010. Olympic year. Looking forward, a full 2010 calendar offers ex- The bi-annual continuing education Coach College took citing times as well. place at the Olympic Complex in October and received excellent Throughout 2009 theDirector United States Olympic Committee reviews. Plan to join us for the same event in 2011! (USOC) was constantly in the news. Chicago offered a truly As 2009 came to a close, our direct marketing fundraising re- outstanding 2016 Olympic bid, including support by our na- bounded, producing excellent year-end results. We very much tion’s President. Unfortunately, the excitement turned to disap- appreciate and thank the donors who support our mail appeals. pointment when Chicago was eliminated in the first round. But Our frequent campaigns find your mail box regularly, but please with the hiring of Scott Blackmun as the USOC’s new CEO, the realize your contributions are critical to the success of our pro- Olympic family is once again hopeful for brighter days ahead. gram. Though the economy and world humanitarian efforts Scott’s Olympic experience includes serving as USOC General impact our fundraising, we’re grateful for the donors who help Council and as acting CEO in 2001. During Scott’s prior USOC sustain the long-term success of our sport. stint, he gained the respect of the National Governing Bodies, Our Board identified “Building the Athlete Pool” as a critical staff and athletes alike. He is most capable of leading the USOC success factor. Toward that end we expanded our Resident Ath- and regaining the stature it deserves. lete Program to 31 shooters. This significant commitment by Our athletes achieved great success at international events, the athletes and USAS staff will build for the future and sustain winning 21 medals in ISSF World Cup and World Cup Final competitive international excellence. We will continually work competitions. Leading that charge was Keith Sanderson, who to grow participation and enhance our events. We also strive won three medals in Men’s Rapid Fire pistol. First-time medal to bolster youth shooting programs such as Three-Position Air winners include Caitlin Conner, Rachel Heiden, Ryan Hadden Rifle, Progressive Position Pistol, SCTP and others. For athletes and Amber English, proving the success of our development with the Olympic dream, we want to make that path available “We will continually work to grow participation and enhance our events.” program. and clear. Gary Anderson took the reigns as USAS President at the USAS will host an ISSF World Cup at Fort Benning, Ga., in March Board meeting. Gary certainly needs no introduction-- May, a path we’ve been down before. However, a twist in the no one who has done more for the Olympic shooting sports the road this time is our partnership with the Columbus Conven- past 40 years. Gary’s semi-retirement from the Civilian Marks- tion and Visitor’s Bureau to provide local transportation. Ad- manship Program will allow him to spend more time with both ditionally, Valley Hospitality Corporation will provide substan- USAS and the ISSF. tial support including Hilton food service, office trailers and an Last year also saw the launch of the USA Shooting Team opening ceremony reception. These new relationships should Foundation (USASTF), whose objective is to provide financial make this World Cup our finest ever. support for USAS. The USASTF has a small but most capable The U.S. enjoys more representation and influence within the board with Chairman Ron Schauer, and directors Bob Coyle, ISSF than ever, and in July eight of our USAS representatives Steve Scott, Pete Brownell and Buddy DuVall. The USASTF will will vie for re-election in the ISSF General Assembly. The 50th work in close harmony with USAS to accomplish our mutual World Shooting Championships—the largest ever--will follow goals. directly in Munich, Germany, widely considered the birthplace Other significant 2009 activities include the formation of of our sport. Olympic quota places will be available at these our Paralympic shooting program. Bob Foth transitioned from championships, and we expect the competition to be as tough as Manager of Youth Development and Coaching to the National ever. I know our athletes will be up for the challenge. Paralympic Coach. While a steep learning curve remains, we Another highlight of 2010 will be the Championship of the expect to become a leader in both performance and manage- Americas in Rio de Janeiro in November. This continental ment of Paralympic activities. championship is held once a quadrennial and also offers the op- While the economy suffered in 2009, participation in USAS portunity to win Olympic quota places. competitions reached new highs and included more seniors and 2009 was a busy and rewarding year with 2010 offering even juniors. In fact, the higher participation in the Trap event at our more. Be involved and enjoy our Olympic shooting sports! National Championships resulted in long days on the range. As www.usashooting.org 29 On The Complex
Paralympic Shooting Update By Bob Foth, National Paralympic Coach U.S. Paralympic shooters finished 2009 with great results a member of the NRA’s Shooters with Disabilities Committee at the Winter Airgun Championships at the Colorado Springs meeting, a training session here at the OTC, a trip to SHOT Olympic Training Complex (OTC). Dan Jordan, a 2004 Para- Show and a trip to ELEY to match ammo to barrels of team lympic silverParalympic medalist, made the biggest statement with his members, all in January. No let up later in the year either. OTC return to competition after a five-year break. His 597 stand- matches will include the Rocky Mountain Rifle Championships ing on Day two was truly a world class score that would likely in February and the Winter Airgun Match in December. Our win a medal in any competition. Dan coaches the University top shooters plan to continue their momentum into internation- of Alaska-Fairbanks Rifle Team, and we are all excited to have al matches in Turkey, Germany, France, Spain and Great Britain him back! It was also great to see several other shooters with and our World Championships in Zagreb in July. We also hope disabilities competing at that match. A to run an international invitational match in strong contingent from the Shepherd the U.S. at the end of the year that could Center in Atlanta competed well, as include training programs for classifiers did Mike Dickey from Lakeshore and officials. We will also host shooting Foundation in Birmingham, Ala. events at the first ever Warrior Games, Mike made his first international a multi-sport event at the OTC in final in Spain this year and has May. Numerous camps and clin- joined us as a Resident Athlete. ics are planned as well for various U.S. shooters finished 2009 Wounded Warrior groups and with a total of eight inter- the best shooters from NRA’s national medals and 12 Disabled Sectional Match “finals” in only 15 starts, series. led by Josh Olson with The U.S. Army Marks- four medals (two gold) manship Unit (USAMU) followed by Eric Hollen also has plans to grow their and Danielle Fong with Paralympic program. Josh two medals each. Olson currently trains there We certainly need to con- and has been part of the World tinue to grow the athlete base Class Athlete Program. Numer- and provide great training and ous sources also provide training matches for all of our shooters. and support for disabled athletes in- Remember that all USAS and NRA terested in sport. Eric Hollen hopes to sanctioned events are open to shoot- start a program at East Tennessee State ers with physical disabilities. Don’t University (ETSU) and coaches at Michi- assume you can’t afford shooting as you gan State also are interested in developing may be pleasantly surprised by the grants a Para shooting program. and other resources available, with numer- Detailed information about Paralympic ous programs for both civilian and military athletes. Shooting is available on the International Shooting Committee This year has started at full speed, with my first meeting as for the Disabled (ISCD) website at: http://shootonline.org/.
For a complete schedule of events in your area visit www.usashooting.org Go to the competitions drop down and click on the Interactive Map Click on your state or surrounding states to find local competitions On The Complex
W.O.R.K By Bill Roy, Director of Operations/High Performance Director
I didn’t think she really knew the meaning of the word when our athletes, has a stringent regimen of mental training, physical she used it the day she won the gold medal as a 16-year old at the conditioning, training plan reviews and head sessions with our 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. National Coaches and the other athletes. It’s go go go, and work But now four-timeOperations Olympic medalist Kim Rhode has proven work work. to be the preeminent expert on the topic: W-O-R-K . . . WORK. And they love every minute of it. So when Kim proclaimed that she wouldn’t be denied her gold How do we motivate them? Heck, they motivate us! I’m medal because she worked so long and hard and she absolutely extremely pleased (and grateful) for the way they’ve pulled to- believed her work would pay off, indeed she knew what she was gether, pushed forward and raised the standard of excellence on talking about. the property of USA Shooting. Skeet shooter Frank Thompson Hard work. Long work. Intense work. And smart work. has trekked the arc of our skeet field so many times he’s worn a Round after round, day after day for months and years: The footpath from station one to station seven, and yet he still pops most decorated Olympic shooter in our country’s history simply his head into our offices about twice a week to see how he can knows how to work. help us. Amy Sowash, a rising star in the rifle ranks, is another All the great ones do. Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Mia first-in-last-out range rat who still finds time to work with our Hamm, Peyton Manning . . . Matt Emmons and Vinny Han- National Training Center Junior Club. And Nick Budnella, a cock. First on the field, last off. Push to their limits, and then tough-as-nails competitor in air pistol, has done so much fixing push some more. Fight for an edge, claw for a single point, scrap and welding for us that I’m sure some of our tourists mistake for the barely-perceptible separation that makes the difference him for a maintenance worker. If they do, they’ll have part of it between good and great. correct: He certainly is a worker. And they love every minute of it. There’s something refreshing about a little sweat. I like to What about you, my friend? I know you’re ready to try hard, see the effort of muscles bulging and veins popping every once but are you willing to work hard? I mean really wring it out for in a while, but I absolutely love to see the deep exhale and tell- the long haul, leave no stone unturned, feel the burn and every ing shoulder sag of an athlete who is just plain tired, or even “Hard work. Long work. Intense work. And smart work. Round after round, day after day for months and years: The most decorated Olympic shooter in our country’s history simply knows how to work.” other sport cliché you can think of? Those are the questions I’m exhausted after a challenging training session that would cause posing to my Resident Athletes and National Team members you or me to pop our head off the stock or have our index fin- this year. If their answer is “Yes!” I’ve got a great deal for them: ger spazzing as if it were on the trigger of a clogged water gun. If they work harder and smarter than everyone else, they’ll win. Work, work, work. Work hard, work smart. Work, win. Every once in a while a sponsor, or group of Olympic sup- Concerning our National Team members, I want you to porters, or coach from another sport will stop by our building know this: No one in the world will outwork them. We’ve com- for a little tour. I’ll show them our twin 50 meter indoor ranges mitted to work for each other, work for the red white and blue (the largest in the country), and our state of the art electronic and work for you. We’re working on the range, working in the targets. I’ll brag about our newly-developed online member- classroom, working over their training plans and working to- ship system or parade them by our brimming trophy cases. But ward their very lofty goals. Work, work, work; it’s the oldest and if I really want to impress them, if I really want to convey the most reliable secret to success in the world, and we’re all over it. deepest sense of the Olympic spirit and have them feel the tangi- Examples? 2008 Paralympian Mike Dickey was punching chads ble sense of crisp American pride, I’ll pull out the Big Guns--I’ll on our 10 meter targets when I punched into work this morning take them to the range windows and let them admire the hard- at 7:00, and then slipping a cleaning rod through his rifle barrel est working athletes on the Olympic Training Complex: Our when I slipped out this evening at 5:45 pm. And I guarantee he shooting team members. That’s what I show them. wasn’t channel surfing in between sessions; he, like so many of And they love every minute of it.
www.usashooting.org 31 News & Events
Air Arms Air Pistols Now Available USA Shooting is pleased to announce that the long awaited air pistols from Air Arms are available to all USAS members and are ready to ship. These compressed air pistols are relatively light weight (1.9 lbs) and rear-balanced, with the air cylin- der inside the ambidextrous grip. The sights are fully adjust- able with a three-sided front sight and four rear sight notch widths. Sight clicks are approximately 3 per scoring ring. The trigger also has several adjustment screws and an adjustable shoe and can be set to dry fire. The accurate barrel is encased in a blue sleeve with integrated compensator and rail guide for an accessory weight (included). Designed as a moderately priced youth pistol, these great features and adjustable weight allow the gun to grow with the athlete. The introductory price is currently only $525 (plus shipping and handling). Contact Nichole Rae for more information at [email protected] or (719) 866-4743. A special fill adapter tube is needed and is available for an additional $20. Groups placing multiple pistol orders may choose to order fewer fill adapters than pistols. USAS will also continue to offer a two year time payment plan for USAS clubs ordering 3 or more pistols. Customers will pay $110 per pistol initially and four more payments of $110 every six months. USA Shooting Team to Chair 2010 National Hunting and Fishing Day Celebration track and field, swimming, diving, wrestling and boxing have been more prolific medal producers for Americans. In fact, shooting ranks ahead of gymnastics, figure skating, volleyball and more than 30 other Olympic sports. Most members of the current USA Shooting Team are active hunters and anglers, continuing long traditions of passion for the outdoors and winning on the world stage. “Hunting, especially, continues to have considerable impact on many members of the team. They say hunting instilled an interest in firearms and taught basic marksmanship, patience, Shooters are among the most decorated athletes in U.S. discipline and other assets to competitive skills,” said Buddy Olympic history. Many say a background in hunting influences DuVall, marketing director for USA Shooting, the national gov- their success. In recognition of this connectivity, the entire USA erning body for Olympic shooting sports. Shooting Team has been named honorary chair of National He added, “We are honored to give something back to the Hunting and Fishing Day for 2010. sportsmen and women of America by serving for National Always the fourth Saturday in September, this year’s celebra- Hunting and Fishing Day.” tion is set for Sept. 25. The USA Shooting Team joins a long list of sports person- Congress established National Hunting and Fishing Day to alities who have served as honorary chair of NHF Day. Base- recognize hunters and anglers for their leadership in fish and ball stars have included Ron Guidry, Tom Seaver, George Brett wildlife conservation. Since launching in 1972, the day has been and Wade Boggs. Football pros Bert Jones, Terry Bradshaw, formally proclaimed by every U.S. President and countless gov- John Riggins and Jay Novacek, along with golfers Tom Weis- ernors and mayors. kopf, Johnny Miller, Arnold Palmer and Tom Lehman have also “We’re excited to work with the USA Shooting Team to show served. Basketball legend John Havlicek, NASCAR’s Ward Bur- how American hunters and anglers are world-class conserva- ton and tennis champion Roscoe Tanner round out the sports tionists, and how successes afield can translate to world-class heroes who have helped spread the word about hunting, angling athletes,” said Denise Wagner, who coordinates the annual NHF and conservation. Day celebration on behalf of Wonders of Wildlife. The growing list of sponsors for NHF Day 2010 includes As the official home of NHF Day, Wonders of Wildlife mu- Wonders of Wildlife, National Shooting Sports Foundation, seum in Springfield, Mo., coordinates public education and Bass Pro Shops, Smith & Wesson, Sportsman Channel, Realtree, awareness campaigns for traditional outdoor sports. Cabela’s, GunBroker.com and Yamaha. With 103 Olympic medals for rifle, pistol and shotgun marks- For more information, visit www.nhfday.org. manship, the U.S. excels in few sports more than shooting. Only News & Events
USA Shooting Hires Four-time Olympian Bret Erickson as National Shotgun Coach
USA Shooting hired four-time Olympian Bret Erickson (Bennington, Neb.) as the new National Shotgun Coach in early January. Erickson started shooting American Trap with his father at the age of 10 and shot International Trap and Double Trap competitively from 1984 to 2008. He graduated from Midland College in 1982 with a degree in Business Administration and joined the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) the following year. He retired from the USAMU in 2005 and most recently managed the Willawalla Creek Shooting Center in St. Jo, Texas, where he coached developing juniors and worked with the local 4-H. During his competitive shooting career, Erickson was a member of four Olympic teams (1992, 1996, 2004, 2008), was on the USA Shooting National Team for 25 years and was a six-time USA Shooting National Champion. He was a 1990 World Cham- pion in Double Trap, a four-time World Championship medalist and is a multiple World Cup and Pan American Games medalist. “I am really excited about this new opportunity and I am really looking forward to continuing to work with the shotgun athletes as well as the USA Shooting staff,” said Erickson. “We have some of the most talented shooters in the world and I think the next several years are going to be a really fun time to be part of USA Shooting and we have the chance to bring home a lot of medals.” Erickson hopes to build on the recent success of the U.S. Shotgun Team, whose members won four Olympic medals in 2008, nine World Cup medals in 2009, as well as several team medals at the 2009 Shotgun World Championships. “The Shotgun program has experienced some tremendous prog- ress and improvements, and I look forward to keeping that momentum going,” he said. Erickson and his wife Lisa have two teenage children, Mara, 19, who is a sophomore at the University of North Texas, and Cole, 16, is a junior at Muenster (Texas) High School. As the National Coach, Erickson manages the shotgun Resident Athlete Program at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, he coaches the USAS National Team, Na- tional Development Team and National Junior Team athletes as they pursue their goal to win Olympic and international medals and he will also works with Regional Training Cen- ters and other shotgun coaches around the country.
Benchmade Knife Company Partners With USA Shooting Benchmade Knife Company has partnered with USA Shooting to offer the USA Shooting Team exclusive knives featuring Benchmade’s patented AXIS ® locking mechanism, a 440C stainless steel blade with the USA Shooting Team logo and a blue glass reinforced nylon handle. The 527BK- USA and 527SBK-USA will be offered at $105. A portion of the proceeds from every unit sold will be donated to the USA Shooting Team. In addition to Benchmade’s national network of dealers, this knife is available through USA Shooting’s webstore at www.usashootingstore.com.
www.usashooting.org 33 News & Events
GunBroker.com “Heritage Partnership” Auction Yields More Than $10,000 For USA Shooting USA Shooting participated in GunBroker.com’s Heritage Hunting Heritage Trust, NSSF, National Wild Turkey Federa- Partner Program in November 2009, generating over $10,000 tion, Youth Shooting Sports Alliance, IHEA, USA Shooting for the USA Shooting Team. The month-long online auction and others. We are very pleased to announce this expansion on GunBroker.com, the world’s largest online auction of fire- of our pro-bono efforts,” commented Steve Urvan, GunBro- arms and accessories, featured Olympic shooting memorabilia, ker.com, CEO and Founder. “GunBroker.com has enjoyed commemorative edition firearms and several firearms donated extraordinary growth and acceptance within the hunting and by industry manufacturers. The auction was featured on the shooting sports community and we welcome this opportunity home page of GunBroker.com where it was exposed to their to give back to the non-profits that are so important to the 2.5 million unique visitors per month. The special auction is an future of our hunting and shooting sports heritage.” extension of the Hunting Heritage Trust’s “Treasures & Tradi- USA Shooting would like to thank GunBroker.com, the tions” program. Hunting Heritage Trust and the manufacturers that made do- Some of the unique items featured in the auction that gener- nations to the auction and for their time and efforts toward ated the most interest and brought the highest bids were: this program. • Two Colt Single Action Army Revolvers - donated by About GunBroker.com: Colt Manufacturing GunBroker.com has • Henry Golden Boy “Military Service” established itself as an Tribute Edition Rifle serial #10 - informative, detailed, donated by Henry Repeating Arms secure and safe way to • Ruger SR9 prototype - donated buy and sell firearms and by Ruger, Baron Technology and hunting/shooting ac- TALO Distributors cessories. GunBroker. “GunBroker.com has once again prov- com promotes respon- en itself a great supporter of our U.S. sible gun ownership. As Olympic shooters,” commented Buddy a company, GunBroker. DuVall, Executive Director of the USA com sells none of the Shooting Team Foundation. “We appre- merchandise listed on ciate the partnership GunBroker.com its Web site. Third-party extends through the Heritage Partner sellers list items on the Program. Not only did the auction gen- site, and every buyer or erate funding for our Olympic shooting seller must be legally allowed programs, but the exposure our organization received through to own firearms. Ownership policies and regulations are fol- GunBroker.com was tremendous.” lowed using licensed firearms dealers as transfer agents. For “Over the past several years, GunBroker.com has been information on GunBroker.com advertising and partnership proud to provide promotional online auction services to the opportunities, contact Bob Delfay at [email protected].
Kimber Presents $75,000 Check to USA Shooting at Opening Day of 2010 SHOT Show Members of the USA Shooting Team received a $75,000 check from Kimber Manufacturing President, Leslie Edelman, at the opening day of the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nev. on January 19, 2010. Since 2003, Kimber has supported the USA Shooting Team with contributions based on sales of the Kimber Team Match II 1911 pistol. This most recent check brings Kimber’s total contribution to $750,000, the largest amount con- tributed to USA Shooting by any firearm manufacturer in the shooting industry. Edelman presented the check to team members pictured (left to right) Collin Wietfeldt, Corey Cogdell, Frank Thompson, Am- ber English, Keith Sanderson, Kim Rhode, Sean McLelland and Michael McPhail.
34 USA Shooting News Left to Right: Kim Rhode, Vincent Hancock, Corey Cogdell & Glenn Eller
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The 2009 ISSF Rifle/Pistol Judges and Electronic Target courses were held at the U.S. Olympic Shooting Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. December 7-11. Course participants pictured include, front row (left to right): Toni Kulbacki, Lindsay Brooke, Ronald Morales, Maureen Trickett, Nicole Levine, Matthew Carroll, Katherine Harrington. Middle row: Wanda Jewell, Melissa Litherland, Gail Shetler, Randy Shikashio, Susan Abbott, Dmitriy Shteyman, Creaestia Hall. Back row: Janet Raab, Earl Litherland, Zona Mowrer, Gary Trisdale, James Hall, Ganbayar Jantsankhorloo, Brad Donoho and Gary Anderson.