Rifle/Pistol National Championship Kicks off June 29

[USA Shooting]

Rifle/Pistol National Championship Competition Kicks off June 29 at Ft. Benning, Ga.



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 26, 2008) - The 2008 USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle and Pistol are set to begin this weekend in Columbus, Ga. at Ft. Benning’s International Shooting Complex, home of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU). Competition will run through August 5.



Approximately 500 rifle and pistol shooters will compete in the week long National Championships conducted by USA Shooting, the National Governing Body for the Olympic Shooting Sports.



Among the athletes competing for National Titles will be 13 members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.



Two-time Olympian and USAMU member Jason Parker (Omaha, Neb.), who was last year’s National Champion in Men’s 3 Position Rifle will represent the U.S. in both Men’s 3 Position and Men’s Air Rifle at the Olympic Games in Beijing this August. Parker will join 2004 Olympian Matt Emmons (Browns Mills, N.J.) on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Men’s 3 Position. Emmons secured two Olympic team spots, both in 3 Position and Prone Rifle. Emmons was the 2004 Olympic gold medalist in Men’s Prone.



Jamie Beyerle (Lebanon, Pa.), the 2007 National Champion in Women’s 3 Position will be representing the U.S. on her first Olympic team in August. At 18 years of age, Sandra Fong (New York, N.Y.) is the youngest member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Shooting team, having qualified for a spot in Women’s 3 Position Rifle, along with Beyerle.



Nineteen-year-old West Point Cadet Stephen Scherer (Billerica, Mass.) and 2004 Olympian Emily Caruso (Fairfield, Conn.) each qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in Air Rifle. Caruso was the 2007 National Champion in Women’s Air Rifle.



Three-time Olympian and 2004 silver medalist in 3 Position, Mike Anti (Winterville, N.C.), a member of the USAMU, secured a spot on his fourth consecutive U.S. Olympic Team, this time in the Men’s Prone event.



Last year’s National Champion in Women’s Sport Pistol, 56 year-old three-time Olympian Libby Callahan (Columbia, S.C.), will represent the U.S. in Beijing on her fourth U.S. Olympic Team. In Men’s Free Pistol, 2004 Olympian Jason Turner (Rochester, N.Y.) qualified for his second consecutive U.S. Olympic Team, along with two-time Olympian and USAMU member Daryl Szarenski (Saginaw, Mich.), who will represent the U.S. on his third Olympic team. Turner will compete in both Free Pistol and Air Pistol at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and was also last year’s National Champion in both events. Keith Sanderson (San Antonio, Texas) earned his first berth to the U.S. Olympic Team in the Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol event.



Brenda Shinn (Riverside, Calif.) and Brian Beaman (Selby, S.D.), both qualified for spots on the U.S. Olympic Team in Air Pistol.



National Championship results will be updated daily on USA Shooting’s website, www.usashooting.org, throughout the competition.



The schedule of events for the 2008 Rifle/Pistol National Championships is as follows:



June 29
Men’s Free Pistol Match

Women’s Sport Pistol Match

Men’s Air Rifle Match

Women’s Air Rifle Match

June 30
Men’s Free Pistol Match and Final

Women’s Sport Pistol Match and Final

Men’s Air Rifle Match and Final

Women’s Air Rifle Final Match and Final

July 1
Men’s Air Pistol Match

Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol Match

Women’s Air Pistol Match

Men’s Prone Rifle Match

Women’s Prone Rifle Matches

July 2
Men’s Air Pistol Match and Final

Men’s Rapid Fire Match and Final

Women’s Air Pistol Match and Final

Men’s Prone Rifle Match and Final

Women’s 3 Position Match

July 3
Men’s Standard Pistol Matches

Women’s 3 Position Match and Final



July 4

Men’s Center Fire Matches

Junior Men’s Sport Pistol Matches

Men’s 3 Position Rifle Match

July 5

Men’s 3 Position Match and Final



Mary Beth Vorwerk

Manager, Media and Public Relations

USA Shooting

1 Olympic Plaza

Colorado Springs, CO 80909

719.866.4896 (phone)

719.866.4884 (fax)

www.usashooting.org

[K5Tangos]

USA Shooting:

Would have loved to attend again this year, but as a "crossover" shooter I couldn't pull off another week of vacation that close to Camp Perry.

Had to pick just one for both financial and keep-the-boss happy reasons. If it continues to get scheduled in proximity to the bullseye Nationals, I'll have to alternate years like Christmas with the parents and inlaws.

Thanks,
Keith Hanzel