FORT BENNING, Georgia (May 13, 2018)
So close.
The U.S. Mixed Teams for Air Pistol and Air Rifle just missed the podium today, finishing in fourth place to close the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Fort Benning, Georgia.
The USA 1 Team of Alexis Lagan (Boulder City, Nevada) and 2012 Olympian Nick Mowrer (Butte, Montana) finished in third place in Qualification in Air Pistol Mixed Team a combined score of 768. Mowrer shot the highest individual Qualification score in the match of 392 (of a possible 400).
“The whole team thing is kind of a strange dynamic. We’re not really used to it yet, but we’re building towards it and trying out different strategies” Mowrer said. He and Lagan were also teammates at the previous World Cup in Changwon, South Korea where they finished in 23rd place. “We’ve been working the match strategy a bit and that seems to be paying off. Moving into the Finals, I think we were the only team talking on the firing line. You’re allowed to and I think we were really the only team trying to utilize that. I think it worked out well to help us remain centered and calm and help each other really get the job done. It was an absolutely great learning opportunity.”
Once in the Final, the pair hovered in the middle of the pack, but was 2.3 points behind at the moment of elimination to finish in fourth place. This was also the pair’s first appearance in an international Final in the Air Rifle Mixed Team event, and Lagan’s first international Finals appearance overall.
The other Air Pistol Mixed Team of 2012 Olympian Sandra Uptagrafft (Phenix City, Alabama) and James Hall (Anniston, Alabama) finished in 17th place overall with a combined Qualification score of 755. Spain won gold, Serbia 1 won silver and Greece won the bronze in Air Pistol Mixed Team.
In Air Rifle Mixed Team, the USA 1 Team of 2016 Olympic gold medalist Ginny Thrasher (Springfield, Virginia) and Dempster Christenson (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) qualified for the Final in second place with a combined score of 835.7. Once in the Final, the team shot a pair of low-10 shots at the moment of elimination, putting them just .2 point back to eliminate them in fourth place.
“I think we – I think the entire world – is still figuring out Mixed Team since it’s such a new event,” said Thrasher. “We really went in there with no expectations, just trying to shoot our best. We did a good job of rhythm and being present. With the whole ‘person on the left having to shoot first,’ I didn’t know how it would work out or the timing, but I think we did a good job of adapting. We had a few shots out there in the end, but to be so close to medaling - we were close to the whole thing.”
Thrasher also finished in fifth place in Women’s Air Rifle earlier in the week. This was also the pair’s first appearance in an international Final in the Air Rifle Mixed Team event.
The other Air Rifle Mixed Team of Emily Holsopple (Wilcox, Pennsylvania) and Bryant Wallizer (Little Orleans, Maryland) finished in 14th place with a combined score of 830.2. China 1 won gold, China 2 won silver and Germany 1 won bronze in this event.
More than 350 athletes from 350 countries have competed in the 10 Olympic Rifle and Pistol events at this ISSF World Cup. Fourth place in today’s events were the highest finishes by the U.S. team. For complete results from the ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning: http://www.issf-sports.org/competitions ... hipid=2392. View video coverage of any of the Finals from this World Cup: https://livestream.com/ISSF.
