Shooter of the Year

USAMU · Post by **USAMU** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:02 pm

FORT BENNING, Ga. - A Soldier with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit has been named as Shooter of the Year. Pfc. Vincent C. Hancock, a member of the USAMU Shotgun Team, was chosen by USA Shooting as the Male Shotgun Shooter of the Year.

Hancock, 18, had a very successful year winning the World Cup in Italy and setting a finals World Record in Men's Skeet. He also captured the Gold Medal at the 2007 Pan-American Games and won the Bronze Medal at the 2007 World Clay Target Championships. Hancock is currently leading the Olympic Selection process in Men's Skeet by
winning the first Shotgun Olympic Selection Match.

Born in Port Charlotte, Fla., Hancock graduated from Gatewood High School of Eatonton, Ga., in 2007. He joined the Army Reserve while still in high school in June 2006 and completed Basic Training during the summer of 2006 at Fort Sill, Okla. He was attached to the USAMU after graduating high school and has trained with the USAMU since entering the military. Hancock completed his advanced individual training as a motor vehicle operator at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Nov. 16, and was assigned to the USAMU as a regular Army Soldier Nov. 21.

Nov. 26, USA Shooting of Colorado Springs, Colo., announced that
2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Matthew Emmons and three-time Olympic Medalist Kimberly Rhode were selected as the 2007 USAS Athletes of the Year. These athletes were chosen based on the USAS Athlete of the Year
Policies and Procedures and were selected by a points system.

Emmons of Browns Mills, N.J. recently secured two nominations to the 2008 Olympic Team following a two-year point selection system and a Gold Medal win in the Men's 50-Meter Three-Position Rifle event as well as a Silver in the Men's Prone Rifle event at the 2007 International Shooting Sport Federation Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final in Bangkok, Thailand.

Emmons won a total of eight medals on the World Cup circuit in 2007. Along with his Gold and Silver at the World Cup Final, Emmons captured the Gold in Men's Prone along with the Silver in Men's 10-Meter Air Rifle at the 2007 World Cup USA at Fort Benning in April. He claimed the Bronze in Men's 50-Meter Three Position Rifle at the 2007 World Cup in Sydney and took home the Silver at the 2007 World Cup Bangkok. He also won the Silver in Men's Prone as well as 50-Meter Three Position at World Cup Munich.

Rhode of El Monte, Calif., was the 2007 World Cup Santo Domingo Champion and set a world record in Women's Skeet. She was also the 2007 Pan-American Games Silver Medalist and 2007 National Champion in Women's Skeet.

Rhode finished in sixth place at the 2007 World Clay Target Championships and is currently leading the Olympic Shotgun Team Selection in Women's Skeet after winning the 2007 Shotgun Fall Selection Match. Rhode will be vying for a spot on her fourth consecutive Olympic Team at the final Shotgun Olympic Selection Match in Kerrville, Texas, in March.

Emmons and Rhode were selected as the overall USAS Athletes of the Year, but USAS also recognized the Discipline Athletes of the Year, who were the individuals with the highest number of points in each discipline. Hancock was the top male athlete in Shotgun, while Jamie Beyerle won the honor for Women's Rifle and Army Staff Sgt. Keith Sanderson had the highest number of points for Men's Pistol.

Beyerle of Lebanon, Pa., the 2006 USAS Female Athlete of the Year, claimed the Gold Medal in Women's Three Position Rifle at the 2007 Pan-American Games. Beyerle also took the Bronze Medal at the 2007 World Cup USA in Women's 10-Meter Air Rifle and claimed the National
Title in Three Position Rifle.

Sanderson of San Antonio, Texas, claimed the Bronze Medal in Men's Rapid Fire Pistol at the 2007 World Cup in Changwon, winning an Olympic Quota Slot for the USA. He was also the 2007 Pan-American Games Silver Medalist in Men's Rapid Fire and took second place at both the
2007 USA Shooting Spring Selection Match and the 2007 National Championships. Sanderson trains at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., through the Army World Class Athlete Program.

(Formed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to raise the standards of marksmanship throughout the U.S. Army, the Army Marksmanship Unit is assigned to the Accessions Support Brigade of the U.S. Army Accessions Command. The Marksmanship Unit trains its Soldiers to win competitions and enhances combat readiness through train-the-trainer clinics, research and development. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, paula.randall@usaac.army.mil or www.usamu.com. USA Shooting is recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Shooting Sport Federation as the national governing body for the Olympic and international shooting sports in the United States. For more information on USA Shooting, contact Public Relations Manager Mary Beth Vorwerk at (719) 866-4896, marybeth.vorwerk@usashooting.org or http://www.usashooting.com.)