FAIRBANKS, AK - University of Alaska Fairbanks senior
Jamie Beyerle (Lebanon, PA) has once again demonstrated her dominance, winning both the women's smallbore three-position and women's prone events at the USA Shooting Spring Selection Match in Ft. Benning, GA. With the victories, Beyerle has earned a spot on the U.S. contingent traveling to Zagreb, Croatia to compete at the 49th International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Shooting Championships July 21-August 5.
Over 2,000 athletes from around the world will make the trip to Croatia to compete for the title of World Champion which is awarded only once every four years.
The Spring Selection Match is used to determine who will represent Team USA at the World Championships. The top-three shooters in the three-position smallbore, air rifle and prone events will make the team. No more than nine shooters can qualify for the World Championships, but the number will decrease if an individual places in the top-three in more than one event.
Beyerle was followed closely in the three-position event by 2004 Olympian Morgan Hicks, a former shooter for the Murray State Racers in Kentucky. Beyerle finished with a grand total of 1937.2, followed by Hicks with 1928.8.
The women have one event remaining with the air rifle competition to round out the female team.
A three-time NCAA All-American in both the smallbore and air rifle, Beyerle finished ninth in the smallbore at the World Cup Guangzhou in Rifle and Pistol in Guangzhou, China, March 25-April 2. She is scheduled to compete at the three remaining World Cup matches prior to the World Championships. The World Cup will make its way to Resende, Brazil, April 25-May 3, Munich, Germany, May 22-29, and Milan, Italy, May 29-June 5.
Beyerle, the 2006 NCAA smallbore champion and air rifle runner-up, has been training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO since the conclusion of the NCAA rifle championships on Mar. 11 where she helped the Nanooks win their eighth national championship in school history.
Also representing UAF at the tryouts is junior standout
Matthew Rawlings (Wharton, TX) competing in the men's air rifle event. Rawlings finished fourth in the event behind two former Olympians, Jason Parker of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and 2004 gold medalist and UAF alumnus
Matt Emmons (UAF '03/Browns Mills, NJ). Jonathan Hall from Georgia finished in the third spot nudging Rawlings from the guaranteed spot on the World Championship Team.
Hall, who is also in the lead for the U.S. Junior Team must pick to shoot in the open class or junior class, still leaving Rawlings with a chance to make the team. Rawlings is a three-time All-American in both shooting disciplines and a two-time individual NCAA champion in smallbore (2004 & 2005). The men have two events remaining in the tryouts with prone starting on Sunday and the three-position event following several days later.
Freshman
Christian Lejon (Umea, Sweden) has also made the trip to Ft. Benning for the Spring Selection Match where his scores will be reported back to his native Sweden as he attempts to qualify for the Swedish national team and a place at the World Championships. Lejon finished 22nd in the air rifle competition.
50m Three Position Rifle Women's Results:
Champion: Jamie Beyerle - 1937.2
2nd Place: Morgan Hicks - 1928.8
3rd Place: Sarah Blakeslee - 1916.8
50m Prone Rifle Women's Results:
Champion: Jamie Beyerle - 1777
2nd Place: Reya Kempley - 1768
3rd Place: Sarah Blakeslee - 1767
10m Air Rifle Men's Results:
Champion: Matt Emmons - 1994.1
2nd Place: Jason Parker - 1987.9
3rd Place: Jonathan Hall (Jr.) - 1974.7
4th Place: Matt Rawlings - 1973.2
- UAF RIFLE -
