Maj. Mike Anti of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Beki Snyder (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Libby Callahan (Columbia, S.C.), Jason Turner (Rochester, N.Y.) and Sgt. 1st Class Daryl Szarenski of the USAMU all qualified for spots on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Shooting (Smallbore).
Three-time Olympian Anti will represent the U.S. on his fourth Olympic team, after finishing the Men’s Prone event in first place today with a total score of 2002.6. Two-time Olympian Sgt. 1st Class Thomas A. Tamas, Anti’s U.S. Army Marksmanship teammate, finished close behind in second place with 2001.1.
Anti will join Matt Emmons (Browns Mills, N.J.), the 2004 Olympic gold medalist in Men’s Prone, on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Men’s Prone Rifle. Emmons has already secured two Olympic team spots in both Prone and 3 Position Rifle.
Two-time Olympian Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker of the USAMU finished in third place overall in Men’s Prone with a total score of 1999.5 Parker has already secured a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Men’s Air Rifle.
The top seven finishers in Men’s Prone Rifle are all members of the USAMU.
In Women’s Sport Pistol, three-time Olympian Snyder (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned her second spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, finishing on top with 2136.1 points. Snyder will represent the U.S. in both Women’s Sport Pistol and Women’s Air Pistol at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Fifty-six year old three-time Olympian Callahan landed a spot on her fourth U.S. Olympic Team, finishing the Women’s Sport Pistol competition in second place with 2129.2 points.
In Men’s Free Pistol, 2004 Olympian Turner qualified for his second consecutive U.S. Olympic Team today, finishing in first place with 1868.7 points. Szarenski will represent the U.S. on his third U.S. Olympic Team, taking second place with a total score of 1849.3.
The U.S. had a total of three 2008 Olympic quota slots each for Men’s and Women’s Pistol, but because Beki Snyder and Jason Turner already qualified in Air Pistol, and are now doubling in Sport Pistol and Free Pistol respectively, Brenda Shinn and Brian Beaman, who were the second place finishers at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Airgun, have now qualified for spots on the U.S. Olympic Team in Air Pistol.
Over 170 top rifle and pistol shooters from around the United States are competing for spots on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Shooting (Smallbore) May 12 to 22 at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Pool International Shooting Complex.
