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USA Shooting

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. --(Ammoland.com)- USA Shooting is proud to announce Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.) and Eric Uptagrafft (Phenix City, Ala.) as the 2011 USAS Athletes of the Year.

Both athletes have risen above the rest and have handfuls of hardware as a result of their impressive performances on the international and national scene in 2011. Moreover, Uptagrafft and Rhode are the male and female athletes of their respective disciplines.

Rhode, a Women’s Skeet athlete, is the reigning Female Athlete of the Year and has held the prestigious title for the past four years.

“I’m honored to be selected as Female Athlete of the Year. I’m training hard and looking forward to the 2012 Olympic Games,” said an elated Rhode.

Kim Rhode

After a fifth place finish at the ISSF World Cup Chile, Rhode won a gold medal in Sydney, securing her U.S. Olympic Team nomination (pending approval by the USOC). Rhode’s won another medal at the ISSF World Cup in Beijing-a silver medal from the range where she won her 2008 Olympic silver medal.

Back stateside, Rhode etched her name yet again in the Sizemore trophy with another National Championship title. She concluded the year with a bronze medal at the ISSF World Clay Target Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, and her first ISSF World Cup Final gold medal in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

“This is an exciting time for me,” said Rhode. “I’m honored to receive this Athlete of the Year award and appreciate the support of my great sponsors who share in this honor with me.”

Rhode is well on her way to achieving her next goal of accomplishing five individual Olympic medals in five consecutive Olympic Games. If she accomplishes that feat, she will add her name to the history books yet again.

Sergeant First Class Eric Uptagrafft of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) has had the season of a lifetime yet was humbled by the nod as he said, “There are so many athletes that shot great this year and to be counted among them is quite an honor.”

Eric Uptagrafft

First, at the ISSF World Cup in Sydney, Uptagrafft started the year with a near perfect 599 out of 600 match points. He won his first ISSF World Cup medal of the year-silver and an important Men’s 50m Rifle Prone quota for the USA. In Changwon Uptagrafft won yet another silver medal and earned a nomination to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team (pending approval by the USOC). Back on his home range Uptagrafft won the bronze medal at the 2011 USAS National Championships for Rifle and Pistol. Just days after winning his bronze Uptagrafft was deployed to Afghanistan to serve his country in his capacity as a soldier. Upon his return from service Uptagrafft shipped off yet again, but this time to compete in the prestigious ISSF World Cup Final. In Wroclaw, Poland, Uptagrafft shined and won the silver medal after seven weeks off practice and only one week to prepare.

“Thanks to the U.S. Army, the USAMU and USA Shooting for supporting me in my mission. I’d also like to thank my wife Sandra, my coaches Dave Johnson and Tom Tamas, and the thousands of supporters and sponsors of USA Shooting who make this all possible,” said Uptagrafft.

USA Shooting would like to congratulate Kim Rhode and Eric Uptagrafft on their respective successes in 2011 and wish them continued medals in 2012. Additional team members receiving recognition as the USAS Discipline Athletes of the Year are as follows: Emil Milev (Pistol), Jamie Beyerle (Rifle), Josh Richmond (Shotgun) and Eric Hollen (Paralympic). To read more about their accomplishments, please click here. Follow members of the USA Shooting Team as the quest for the 2012 Olympic Games continues with the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Airgun Feb. 24-26, 2011 in Anniston, Ala., the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Shotgun May 17-20 in Tucson, Ariz., and finally the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Smallbore June 1-2 in Fort Benning, Ga.

About USA Shooting:
USA Shooting, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. USA Shooting’s mission is to prepare American athletes to win Olympic medals, promote the shooting sports throughout the U.S. and govern the conduct of international shooting in the country. Check us out on the web at www.usashooting.org and on Twitter at twitter.com/USAShooting.

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By Michael Molinaro
USAMU PAO

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Cpl. Matt Rawlings, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, competes in the first of two U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Air Gun Dec. 3 at the Civilian Marksmanship Program's South Facility in Anniston, Al. Rawlings currently is positioned in first place after two days of competition. The final two days will take place in February, where the top two shooters will earn positions on the U.S. Olympic team. (Photo by Michael Molinaro, USAMU PAO)

United States Army Marksmanship Unit

FORT BENNING, Ga. --(Ammoland.com)- A Soldier from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit put himself in solid position to fulfill his Olympic dream after the first of two U.S. Olympic Team Trial matches for Air Gun.

Cpl. Matt Rawlings left the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s South facility in Anniston, Al. Dec. 4 in first place in Men’s Air Rifle after posting a two-day combined score of 1297.2. The current National Champion’s hard work and determination was on full display at the trials.

“Going into the trials I was prepared and confident,” Rawlings said. “I expected to do well and have some success. One of the most important things I have learned is that there will always be another day and if you make a match bigger than it is you can easily become overwhelmed.”

Rawlings recently won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Air Rifle and is peaking at the right time. There’s a natural correlation between soldiering duties and athletic success as both require self-determination, physical discipline and mental agility to succeed. Rawlings said his duties with the unit and the upcoming holidays will take him off the gun for a few weeks but is focused on the task at hand.

“Being in the Army has helped me gain confidence in myself to do anything I set out to accomplish,” Rawlings said. “The best thing I could have done for my shooting is join this great unit. Every day I train, I know that I will be shooting among the best in the nation and the world.”

Fellow USAMU Soldiers Cpt. Christopher Abalo and Staff Sgt. Henry Gray also competed in the match and are vying for Olympic team slots. Abalo is currently in fifth place and Gray stands at 11th after the first leg. The top two shooters at the completion of the second leg will earn a spot on the Olympic team.

The second and final part of the air gun trials will be Feb. 24-26 at the CMPs North facility at Camp Perry, Ohio.

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Cpl. Matt Rawlings, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, stares down a target Dec. 3 at the Civilian Marksmanship Program's South Facility in Anniston, Al. Rawlings was competing in the first of two U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Air Gun and came out in first place after two days of competition. The final two days will take place in February, where Rawlings could cement his position on the U.S. Olympic team. (Photo by Michael Molinaro, USAMU PAO)

About USAMU:
The USAMU enhances the Army’s recruiting effort, raises the standard of the Army’s marksmanship proficiency, and supports the Army’s small arms research and development initiatives in order to raise the Army’s overall combat readiness. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, Michael.Molinaro@usaac.army.mil or www.USAMU.com.

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