NJOSC Air Rifle Competitors Perform as USA Shooting Opens David F. Ridenour Finals Range Wednesday
OutdoorHub 04.24.14
Dave Ridenour would have been proud. The former West Virginia rifle standout was honored by his family and USA Shooting Wednesday as they unveiled the David F. Ridenour Finals Range prior to the start of the Men’s Air Rifle final at the 2014 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC). The main event wouldn’t disappoint with a back-and-forth final worthy of the moment.
Corey Miller (Los Alamos, N.M.) and Michael Steinel (Lowell, Ohio) captured the moment, but it was Tim Sherry (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Garrett Spurgeon (Canton, Mo.) and Jean-Pierre Lucas (Dunlevy, Pa.) who won the day.
Miller and Steinel overcame the strength and experience of the three collegiate shooters to finish first and second in the event final with Miller overcoming a .5 deficit on the final shot by firing a solid 10.7. Sherry and Spurgeon both had the finals lead but were unable to maintain that and eventually fell to the consistent challenge laid down by Miller and Steinel.
The loss was short-lived however with the confidence in knowing that their work in qualifying had placed Sherry, Spurgeon and Lucas into the top-three overall finishes.
Champions at this year’s NJOSC are determined through a modified selection format similar to that of USA Shooting’s National Championships: Competitors are awarded points each day of based on qualifying score with additional points awarded for performance in the Final – Eight for first, seven for second and so on.
Sherry may have finished third in final but with back-to-back 622s in qualifying was enough to secure him a 10-point lead over Spurgeon. His qualifying scores were so good he could of finished last in the finals and still been first overall.
Today’s top-two overall finishers earned appointments to the National Junior Team or in the case of Sherry and Spurgeon reaffirm their previous appointment. This year’s NJOSC is serving as the first of two selection matches for the Junior team that will represent Team USA at the ISSF World Championships in Granada, Spain in September. Members of that team will be determined following the USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle and Pistol in June.
The fact that David Ridenour’s father, Don, got to place silver and bronze medals on the neck of two Mountaineers and a J2 division gold medal on the son of former WVU teammate Mike Anti after the event had concluded surely made the moment even more special for the Ridenour family and his former teammates and friends.
The Finals Range was a special gift provided to USA Shooting by the Ridenour family in memory of David, who made a name for himself in the rifle events during the early 1980s. Don and Dave’s spouse, Marge, were on hand as the Finals Hall was unveiled for the first time. Ridenour passed away suddenly in 2010 after suffering a brain aneurysm.
Ridenour is remembered for his giving spirit and it’s only fitting that a Finals Hall for the sport he loved will help both past and present USA Shooting Team members remember him. As a standout rifle competitor at West Virginia University, Ridenour was the first collegiate shooter ever to be named NRA All-American four consecutive times in Air and Smallbore Rifle. He helped lead WVU to a 45-2 record while winning two national titles and finishing second twice during his four-year collegiate career. In addition, he represented USA Shooting Teams in Germany in 1983 and 1984 and was a two-time National Development Team member.
“I grew up with Dave and competed on the Langley Junior Rifle club team with him for several years,” said USA Shooting’s Director of Operations Dave Johnson. “I followed a year behind him to West Virginia and part of the reason I went there was because he was on the team. I knew he was a performer under pressure and that he would help create a fun and strong team atmosphere.”
“His performance level was best illustrated by qualifying for 1st Team All American in both Air and Smallbore—the first shooting athlete to ever attain that over 4 years. That club is still small 28 years later,” Johnson added.
The David F. Ridenour Finals Range is another in a long-line of improvements made to the USA Shooting Complex in the past year. All airgun competitors now shoot on electronic targets after the facility underwent a massive range upgrade to improve its competitor capabilities, improve lighting and enhance the spectator experience. The upgraded range is a testament to USA Shooting’s commitment to providing the best possible experience for its athletes. The upgrade would not have been possible without a large amount of generous donations and several very long days put in by USAS staff members and volunteers.
Men’s NJOSC Air Rifle Medal Winners
Overall
Champion: Tim Sherry (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
2nd Place: Garrett Spurgeon (Canton, Mo.)
3rd Place: Jean-Pierre Lucas (Dunlevy, Pa.)
J2
High J2: William Anti (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
2nd J2: Jack Anderson (Franklin, Pa.)
3rd J2: Logan Ogden (Galway, N.Y.)
J3
High J3: Alec Patajo (Puyallup, Wash.)
2nd J3: Peter Fiori (Lebanon, N.J.)
3rd J3: William Shaner (Silt, Colo.)
For complete Men’s Air Rifle scores, click here: http://www.usashooting.org/library/Competitions/0_2014/Junior_Olympics/NJOSC/Start_List/Men_Rifle_RESULTS.xlsx
