COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Shooting announced Oct. 30 that Kimberly Rhode of El Monte, Calif., and Walton Glenn Eller III of Houston, Texas, were selected as the USA Shooting Female and Male Athletes of the Year. Rhode, a double trap two-time Olympic medalist, blew her national competition away, going undefeated in every 2003 national event. She also added a win at the Perth World Cup, a Silver Medal at Grenada's World Cup, a Bronze at the World Cup finals and a fourth-place finish at World Championships. Eller, a 2000 Olympian in double trap, had a fantastic 2003 season, as well, winning a Gold at the World Championships and a Gold at the Grenada World Cup. Eller clinched the honor of Athlete of the Year, which is determined by assigning points to a shooter's finish in each event, from Staff Sgt. Jason A. Parker of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit of Fort Benning, Ga., by a fairly slim margin. Parker, also a 2000 Olympian, grabbed a Gold at Munich's World Cup, while also setting a World Record score in Air Rifle. USA Shooting changed the procedure for picking the Athlete of the Year, just last year, making it much more objective. Wanda Jewell, USA Shooting director of operations, who was the person to implement the new procedure, said it just seems better this way. "It is more objective than subjective," Jewell said. "We don't have to worry about missing anyone who might have a chance." USA Shooting also chose Athletes of the Year in each of the four Olympic shooting disciplines. Eller and Rhode took the Shotgun titles. Parker and Jamie Beyerle of Lebanon, Pa., are the Rifle Shooters of the Year. Besides his Munich World Cup Gold Medal, Parker also won the Gold Medal in Three Position Rifle at the Pan-American Games and Gold Medals in Air Rifle and Three Position Rifle in the National Championships. Beyerle won an Olympic quota slot and the Gold Medal in Sport Rifle at the Zagreb World Cup.
Sgt. 1st Class Daryl L. Szarenski of USAMU, a 2000 Olympian, and two-time Olympian Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Elizabeth A. Callahan of Upper Marlboro, Md., were chosen as the Pistol Shooters of the Year. Szarenski won a Gold Medal in Free Pistol at the Pan-Am Games and a Gold Medal in Free Pistol and a Silver in Air Pistol at the National Championships. Callahan, an Olympic quota slot winner, was a member of Pan-Am Game Team and took a Silver Medal in Sport Pistol and a Bronze Medal in Air Pistol at the first Olympic Selection Match.
Staff Sgt. Armando R. Ayala was selected as the Running Target Shooter of the Year. He won Gold Medals in 10-Meter 30+30 and 50-Meter Mixed and Silver Medals in 10-Meter Mixed and 50-Meter 30+30, at the National Championships, as well as receiving the Bronze Medal in 10-Meter 30+30 at Pan-Am. (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, U.S. Army Accessions Command, of
Fort Monroe, Va. The Marksmanship Unit trains its Soldiers to win
competitions and enhances combat readiness through train-the-trainer clinics, research and development. The world-class Soldier-athletes of the USAMU also promote the Army and assist recruiters in attracting young Americans to enlist in the Army. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, paula.pagan@usarec.army.mil or http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/amu/. For more information on USA Shooting, contact media director Sara Greenlee at (719) 866-4896, sara.greenlee@usashooting.org or http://www.usashooting.com.)
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