Rifle members impress over holidays

Over The UTM break after the fall 2011 commencement, several Skyhawk rifle team members returned home and racked up some impressive awards.

Each year USA Shooting – the national governing body for shooting who selects, trains and coaches the US Olympic, World Championship and Pan Am Games teams – holds Junior Olympic Championships in each state.

The female and male state champions are then invited to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for a National Junior Olympic Championship in the spring. The male and female winners in air rifle and smallbore from the competition are placed on the National Development Team.

With that said, four of UTM's current freshmen and an incoming signee accounted for four state championships and one runner-up performance.

Joe Barefoot won the male slot in Pennsylvania, while Steve Hahn brought home the male qualifying spot from New York. Kelly James earned the Maryland female qualifier in both air rifle and smallbore, while Dana Maurizio was New Jersey's representative in the female air rifle slot. Sean O'Brien – a signee for next fall – was the air rifle runner-up in New Jersey.

The Skyhawks are currently competing in the UTM Invitational and will shoot at the Withrow Invitational in Murray, Ky. before hosting the OVC championships on Feb. 4-5.