National Champions Named in Men’s Air Rifle and Women’s Three-Position Rifle
OutdoorHub 06.30.14
Rifle events wrapped today at the USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle/Pistol as titles were awarded in the Men’s Air Rifle and Women’s Three-Position Rifle events.
Not only were titles, medals and bragging rights on the line, but for Junior shooters in these events, the chance to represent the United States at the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Championship in Granada, Spain was also up for grabs.
Garrett Spurgeon (Canton, Missouri) claimed yet another National Title today by winning the Junior Men’s Air Rifle event. Tim Sherry (Highlands Ranch. Colorado) once again claimed the silver and Brandon Muske (Burton, Texas) won bronze.
Seems Spurgeon and Sherry are often atop the Junior Men’s Rifle podiums together. The pair has been gold/silver and vice versa since earlier this year when Spurgeon won gold and Sherry won silver in Men’s Three-Position Rifle at the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC). In Men’s Air Rifle at NJOSC, Sherry instead would win the gold.
At this National Championships, Spurgeon also won the Junior Men’s Three-Position Rifle title and silver in Junior Men’s Prone. Sherry took silver in Junior Men’s Three-Position Rifle and bronze in Junior Men’s Prone.
In the rifle events contested today, National Championships is Part Two of an intensive qualification process for the World Championship that began for junior competitors during the 2014 NJOSC. The junior team members were identified following a selection process that included two qualifiers and a final at the NJOSC and another two qualifiers and two finals at National Championships.
Spurgeon and Sherry had already secured their spots on the U.S. team competing in Spain with wins earlier this week, but they will now compete in all Junior Men’s Rifle events. Joining them on the Junior Men’s Air Rifle team for the World Championship is Michael Steinel (Lowell, Ohio).
In the Open division, Ryan Anderson (Great Falls, Virginia, pictured right) would claim top honors in Men’s Air Rifle, narrowly edging out defending National Champion Connor Davis (Shelbyville, Kentucky) with the points he earned in today’s Final. Dan Lowe (U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit/Olympia, Washington) would once again find himself on the Men’s Rifle podium, this time with a bronze medal. Lowe also won silver in Men’s Prone Rifle and bronze in Men’s Three-Position earlier this week.
The gold medalist for Junior Women’s Three-Position Rifle, Lauren Phillips (Seabeck, Washington) also won gold in the event at NJOSC earlier this year. Joining her on the podium were Nicole Hankey (McKinney, Texas) who won silver and Junior Women’s Air Rifle gold medalist Sonya May (Rockland, Massachusetts) who took bronze.
Phillips, May and Lorelie Stanfield (Fairbanks, Alaska) will represent the U.S. at the World Championship in Junior Women’s Three-Position Rifle.
Hankey and Steinel would also win appointments to the National Junior Team by virtue of their top-two finish at Nationals or selection to the World Championship team.
The Women’s Three-Position title in the Open division would go to Amy Sowash (Richmond, Kentucky). Winning silver was 2012 Olympian Amanda Furrer (Spokane, Washington) and winning bronze was Sarah Beard (Danville, Indiana). Beard also won gold in Women’s Prone Rifle and bronze in Women’s Air, bringing her medal total to 12 National Championship medals since 2011.
Winners in the Open division for both rifle events were determined based on a composite of scores from each day of competition plus additional points for finish in today’s Final.
With the completion of the Rifle events, the roster for the World Championship team is now complete. The following athletes are the latest additions/updates to the World Championship roster:
Women’s Prone Rifle
Sarah Beard (Danville, Indiana)
Amanda Furrer (Spokane, Washington)
Reya Kempley (Farmington, New York)
Junior Women’s Prone Rifle
Lauren Phillips (Seabeck, Washington)
Lorelie Stanfield (Fairbanks, Alaska)
Katie Bridges (Kingsland, Texas)
Women’s 300m Three-Position and Prone Rifle
Erin McNeil (USAMU/Fort Wayne, Indiana)
Reya Kempley (Farmington, New York)
Michelle Bohren (Taylor, Michigan)
Junior Men’s Three-Position Rifle
Garrett Spurgeon (Canton, Missouri)
Tim Sherry (Highlands Ranch, Colorado)
Lucas Kozeniesky (Southern Pines, North Carolina)
Men’s Three-Position Rifle
Matt Emmons (Browns Mills, New Jersey)
Michael McPhail (USAMU/Darlington, Wisconsin)
Ryan Anderson (Great Falls, Virginia)
Action also got underway in Women’s Sport Pistol and Men’s Free Pistol with another day of competition to follow and National Champions crowned tomorrow. Currently Brenda Silva (Snowflake, Arizona) is leading Women’s Sport Pistol overall, but is followed closely by three competitors tied for second place just four points behind. In Men’s Free Pistol, Jim Henderson (USAMU/Midland, Ga.) is currently leading with a commanding 14 points ahead of his closest competitor.
