Special Olympic Issue • September/October 2008 The Official Publication of Olympic Shooting Sports TableofContents Special Olympic Issue • September/October 2008 Editor’s Column: USA Shooting’s Lones Wigger Inducted into U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 ....5 Director’s Column: A Plan That Worked..6 Operations: The Heart of the Matter I Wish You Could Have Been There.....8 USA Shooting’s Lones Dwayne Weger “Model” Team Leader . .8 Wigger Inducted into On Target: Awesome Team Effort in Beijing .......9 U.S. Olympic Hall of Competitions Corner: Fame Class of 2008 2009 Rifle/Pistol State Junior Olympic 5 Host Information Now Available . 10 Youth Programs/Coach Development: Progressive Position Air Pistol and Three Position Air Rifle Junior 2008 U.S. Olympic Olympic Championships .............11 AMU Corner:The Men Behind Team for Shooting The Medals . .13 Claims Six Medals, Inside the Blue: Why Ask Why? . 14 Sets Five Olympic Re- Coaches’ Corner: .....................15 OnTheFiringLine: On Stepping Up......16 19 cords in Beijing Feature Article: 2008 U.S. Olympic Team for Shooting Claims Six Medals, Sets Five Olympic Records in Beijing..19 Feature Article: End of an Era..........26 Around the Range: 2008 USA Shooting National Championships . 28 End of an Era Around the Range: Shotgun National Junior Olympics Wrap-Up ............31 World Cup Update: Jamie Beyerle Claims Silver Medal, 26 Matt Emmons Wins Bronze at World Cup in Milan, Italy . .33 2 Recent News & Events . 34 Schedule of Events . .37 2008 USA Shooting National Champion- ships 28 On the Cover: USA Shooting’s 2008 Olympic Medalists in Beijing (from left): Jason Turner, Bronze in Men’s Air Pistol; Vincent Hancock, Gold USA Shooting News is published six times a year. 1 Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO 80909. in Men’s Skeet; Kimberly Rhode, Silver in Women’s USA Shooting is the national governing body for Olympic Shooting sports in the United States. USA Skeet; Corey Cogdell, Bronze in Women’s Trap; Shooting News is produced as a service to international shooters, coaches, officials, and media who Matthew Emmons, Silver in Men’s Prone Rifle; cover Olympic-style shooting. Shooters featured in USA Shooting magazine may be photographed and Glenn Eller, Gold in Men’s Double Trap. without eye protection. These are posed photographs using unloaded guns and do not represent actual competition. USA Shooting encourages all shooters to use proper eye and ear protection when Cover photo by Mary Beth Vorwerk shooting. Inclusion of advertisements in USA Shooting does not constitute endorsement of advertised Cover design by Claire Landis-Tyson products or services by USA Shooting, its staff, or its sponsors. 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United States Olympic Committee 4 September / October 2008 USA Shooting News Editor’sColumn By Mary Beth Vorwerk, Media and Public Relations Manager Photos by Mary Beth Vorwerk and Jerry Lai/Getty Images for USOC USA Shooting’s Lones Wigger Inducted into U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 equestrian J. Michael Plumb, basket- bellow so you can get a feel for what ball athlete David Robinson, swim- an incredible honor this was for one of mer Amy Van Dyken and Paralympic the greatest shooters of all time. Lones swimmer John Morgan, who were all was joined at the induction ceremony In my last column, I reported that Lones inducted as individuals. Figure skating by his wife Mary Kay, daughter Deena Wigger would be part of the elite class coach Carlo Fassi was inducted in the and two sons Dan and Major Ron Wig- of 2008 to be inducted into the U.S. Coach category along with Olympic ger, who presented the Hall of Fame Olympic Hall of figure skating gold medalist Carol award to him at the induction ceremony Fame. On June Heiss Jenkins in the Veteran category. and officially inducted him into the U.S. 19 in Chicago, The members of the 1996 Women’s Olympic Hall of Fame. retired Army Gymnastics Team–Amanda Borden, Lt. Col. Wigger, Amy Chow, Dominique Dawes, Shan- “Thank you. This is a great honor for 70, a three- non Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Jay- the Shooting Sport and for me. time Olympian cie Phelps and Kerri Strug–were also (two-time gold honored in the Team category, as was Target Shooting is a lifetime sport. I medalist and legendary Hollywood producer Frank have been competing for almost 60 silver medalist) Marshall as the Special Contributor. years and don’t plan to stop anytime was formally soon. At Camp Perry, the home of the Lones Wigger inducted into I am sure many of you were able to NRA National Rifle Championships, the prestigious Olympic Hall of Fame watch the induction ceremony, which it is not uncommon to be placed on along with wrestler Bruce Baumgartner, aired August 3 on NBC, but if you the firing line with a 12 year old junior athletics athlete Joan Benoit, figure missed out on seeing this incredible mo- boy or girl, on your right and an 80 skater Brian Boitano, boxer Oscar de ment for Lones Wigger, I have included year old on the left. Unfortunately, I La Hoya, volleyball player Karch Kiraly, his heart-felt acceptance speech in full am fast becoming the guy on the left. Mary Beth Vorwerk, Jim Lampley, Lones Wigger, Brian Boitano and Bonnie Blair Major Ron Wigger, Lones Wigger Major Ron Wigger, Lones Wigger USA Shooting News September / October 2008 5 Lones Wigger and Dick Button Kerri Strug and Lones Wigger Lones and Mary Kay Wigger Amy Van Dyken and Lones Wigger I want to thank everyone who sup- Without his support, effort and ported me in the recent Hall of Fame encouragement, none of this would voting. The support I received was have been possible. My father died truly awesome. I especially want to about a year ago. He was my biggest thank the USOC and the sponsors fan and I wish he could have been who helped make this night possible. here. Dad, thanks for everything. There are several other people who I also want to thank my coach, Bill very were instrumental in my suc- Pullum. He taught me to analyze cess I would like to thank. First of and think for myself. It takes years of all, my wife of 50 years in December, training and repetition to learn how Wigger giving speech Mary Kay, and my family who put up to shoot, then it takes several more Dreams can and do come true.” with me and really had no choice but years to learn how to win. Winning to become target shooters as well. is mostly mental, so a coach who On behalf of everyone at USA Shooting, I can’t say enough about my wife. helps to develop you mentally is vital. we are extremely proud of our friend Without her love, support and sac- Thanks Bill for always being there. “Wig” and would again like to extend rifice these many years, I would not our sincere congratulations to him on have been able to achieve any of my Lastly, I want to thank the NRA, the this outstanding accomplishment. goals. Although she never became governing body that helped support a shooter, she joined the sport as a me for many years, and the US Army volunteer and works in the stat office for a great career. I especially want at many of the matches I compete in. to thank the US Army Marksmanship Before we were married I wanted her Unit for giving me the opportunity to to understand my commitment to my train and compete and the support goals. I told her when we were mar- which allowed me to become the ried and if we had a baby and there best I could be. was only money enough for milk for the baby or entry fees for a shooting Everyone here knows what it takes match to be fully aware of where the to become a champion in any sport priority would be. She thought I was or a success in life.