Smith & Wesson Hosts 2010 Joint Service Academy Combat Weapons Competition
West Point Academy Takes Top Honors.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Smith & Wesson Corp., announced that the West Point Academy was awarded top honors during the 2010 Joint Service Academy Combat Weapons Competition.
Held at the Hartford Gun Club in East Granby, Connecticut, the annual competition featured cadets from three of the nation’s top-ranked military academies. After the last shot was fired during the team competition, the West Point Academy regained control of the championship trophy by outscoring the U.S. Naval Academy, last year’s champion, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
In the individual competition, Andrew Beck of the West Point Academy was named the overall winner, narrowly defeating U.S. Naval Academy champion Michael Ross and U.S. Coast Guard Academy champion Matthew Peterson.
Hosted by Smith & Wesson for the fifth year, the match featured eight stages of fire designed to test each cadet’s awareness and stamina as they pushed each other to the limit competing in seven-man teams. Using current military equipment including semi-automatic pistols, shotguns and carbine rifles, each academy displayed their skills during the one-day competition. Featuring over 40 of the nation’s top cadets, the Joint Service Academy Combat Weapons Competition is one of the few events where cadets from separate divisions of the armed forces square off in head-to-head competition.
“For anyone who has ever witnessed this annual joint service match, it is evident from the very beginning that these young people exemplify the finest qualities of our U.S. Military,” said Leland Nichols, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Smith & Wesson. “In addition to their tremendous marksmanship, each team also demonstrated core fundamentals such as leadership, discipline and camaraderie. Despite the extremely challenging stages of fire, each academy performed well and it was a close race to the end. On behalf of Smith & Wesson, I would like to congratulate the West Point Academy on their hard fought victory.”
Nichols continued, “I would also like to thank the various sponsors and individuals within Smith & Wesson who helped make this match possible. We are very grateful to have the opportunity to host this prestigious match and we look forward to growing our relationships with each of the three academies.”
At the conclusion of the event, the cadets were treated to a special awards banquet attended by Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant First Class Sammy L. Davis. Not only did Sgt. Davis personally congratulate each cadet as they entered the banquet, but he also showed the young cadets a thing or two as he competed alongside them earlier in the day in one of the courses of fire. Sgt. Davis, who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War, gave a short speech during the banquet, which was considered by many in attendance to be the highlight of the event. During the awards banquet, over $40,000 in prizes were awarded to the three academies.
Match sponsors for the 2010 Joint Service Academy Combat Weapons Competition included Smith & Wesson, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Brownells, Plano Molding Company, Aimpoint, Trijicon, Emerson Knives, Taylor Cutlery and various other companies in the shooting sports industry.
About Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: SWHC) is a U.S.-based, global provider of products and services for safety, security, protection and sport. The company designs and constructs facility perimeter security solutions for military and commercial applications, and delivers a broad portfolio of firearms and related training to the military, law enforcement and sports markets. SWHC companies include Smith & Wesson Corp., the globally recognized manufacturer of quality firearms; Universal Safety Response, a full-service perimeter security integrator, barrier manufacturer and installer; and Thompson/Center Arms Company, Inc., a premier designer and manufacturer of premium hunting firearms. SWHC facilities are located in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Tennessee. For more information on Smith & Wesson and its companies, call (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com; www.usrgrab.com; or www.tcarms.com.