Shotgun Championships Kickoff

[USA Shooting]

Competition for Shotgun National Championships Kicks off July 13 in Colorado Springs



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 11, 2008) – The first day of competition for the 2008 USA Shooting National Championships for Shotgun will take place this Sunday, July 13 in Colorado Springs. The event will feature approximately 200 shotgun shooters vying for national titles in Men’s and Women’s Trap, Double Trap and Men’s and Women’s Skeet. The competition will be held at Ft. Carson’s International Shooting Park.



Among the athletes competing for national titles will be four members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.



Air Force shooter Dominic Grazioli (San Antonio, Texas), who will represent the U.S. on his first Olympic team in Beijing next month, is the reigning National Champion in Men’s Trap and is looking to claim the title once again this year.



U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) member Glenn Eller (Katy, Texas) will be competing on his third consecutive Olympic team in Men’s Double Trap in Beijing, along with his USAMU teammate Jeff Holguin (Yorba Linda, Calif.), who earned his first spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. Both will be vying for the national title in the Men’s Double Trap event.



Last year’s national champion in Women’s Skeet, Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.), a three-time Olympic medalist (1996 and 2004 gold medalist, 2000 bronze medalist) in Women’s Double Trap will be in Beijing this summer to compete on her fourth consecutive U.S. Olympic Team, this time in Women’s Skeet. Rhode made the switch to Skeet since the Women’s Double Trap event was eliminated from Olympic competition following the 2004 Games in Athens. Rhode will be looking to defend her national title in Women’s Skeet.



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 Shotgun National Championships is as follows:



Saturday, July 12

Men’s and Women’s Trap Training



Sunday, July 13

Men’s and Women’s Trap Matches



Monday, July 14
Men’s and Women’s Trap Matches



Tuesday, July 15
Men’s and Women’s Trap Matches



Wednesday, July 16

Men’s and Women’s Trap Matches, Finals and Awards



Thursday, July 17

Men’s Double Trap Training

Men’s and Women’s Skeet Training



Friday, July 18

Men’s Double Trap Matches

Men’s and Women’s Skeet Matches



Saturday, July 19

Men’s Double Trap Matches, Finals and Awards

Men’s and Women’s Skeet Matches



Sunday, July 20

Men’s and Women’s Skeet Matches, Finals and Awards





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