CAMP PERRY, Ohio – Only 5.2 points kept Alaska rifle's Sagen Maddalena from being named to the 2016 USA Olympic Rifle Team, as the redshirt junior fell short to Sarah Scherer (Woburn, Mass.) in the Air Rifle event during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Airgun at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center on Sunday. Over the course of three-days, Maddalena earned an impressive second place finish with a cumulative score of 1,263.7, while Scherer punched her ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with a score of 1,268.9.
After three straight days of qualification rounds and three separate finals, the 11 athletes competing in the women's Air Rifle event earned their cumulative score after combining each day's qualifying scores and points from the event finals. On day one, Maddalena finished in third place after posting a 415.1 (29x), before finishing first amongst the competition on day two with a 418.0 (35x). On the final day of shooting, Maddalena posted a 416.6 (33x) to combine for a total score of 1,263.7, including 97x (the highest of all 11 shooters), that left her with a second place finish.
Alaska rifle rival West Virginia University's sophomore shooter Elizabeth Gratz took third place with a total score of 1,260.6 (91x).
Only five sports were up for grabs over the three-day selection period for Team USA's Airgun team, including: (2) men's Air Rifle, (1) men's Air Pistol, (1) women's Air Rifle and (1) women's Air Pistol.
Of the five who were named to Team USA on Sunday, Scherer is the only returning Olympian of the group. As a favorite for the women's Air Rifle spot this summer, Scherer was also on Team USA during the 2012 London Olympic Games, placing seventh in Air Rifle. For Rio, Team USA only qualified one quota slot in both women's Air Rifle and women's 3-Position Rifle. Scherer will be allowed to shoot in the 3-Position Smallbore event since she holds the Minimum Qualifying Score (MQS) to compete during this summer's Olympic Games (Ginny Thrasher earned the women's 3-Position Smallbore title back in April).
The 2016 Olympic Games will kick off Aug. 5 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with medal rounds for shooting ranging from Aug. 6-14.
For the complete USA Shooting release, click HERE.
OTHER NEWS
Alaska Nanooks rifle recruit and Fairbanks native Amy Gentry will be shooting in the 2016 Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) National Matches from Jul. 21-29 in Camp Perry, Ohio.
According to the CMP website, "The National Matches include Small Arms Firing Schools that are mandated by law and a series of CMP National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches and CMP Games Events as well as several National Rifle Association (NRA) national championships that are held in connection with the National Matches. The CMP fulfills its responsibility to conduct the National Matches through a working partnership that includes the Ohio National Guard and the NRA.
The National Matches include the CMP National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches, the Pistol and Rifle Small Arms Firing Schools, CMP Games rifle events and the NRA National Pistol, Smallbore Rifle and Highpower Rifle Championships. The matches are conducted jointly by the CMP, the NRA and the Ohio National Guard."
For more information on the CMP National Matches, click HERE.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks rifle team, follow @NanooksRifle on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Rifle page on Facebook.
