By Brittany Nelson, USAS PR and Comms Manager
COLO SPRGS, CO (June 29, 2022) – Sagen Maddalena earned two gold medals, one in Women’s Air and one Women’s Smallbore Rifle, at the 2022 Rifle National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 16-26.
Maddalena, a Soldier in the Army’s Marksmanship Unit, finished in the top three for Women’s Air Rifle alongside Kristen Hemphill, who earned silver, and Abigail Gordon, who won bronze.
In Women’s Smallbore Rifle, Maddalena faced Katie Zaun in the gold medal match. Zaun earned silver and Virginia Thrasher took home bronze.
Katie Zaun went on to earn gold in the Junior Women’s Smallbore final. Zaun beat Mary Tucker, who earned silver, and Cecelia Ossi, who won bronze.
L to R The Junior Women’s Smallbore Rifle medalists, Mary Tucker, silver; Katie Zaun, gold; and Cecelia Ossi, bronze.
In the Junior Women’s Air Rifle final, Mary Tucker, University of West Virginia rifle athlete, won gold as she triumphed over Camryn Camp, who took home silver. The bronze medalist from that final was Emme Walrath.
In the Para-athlete category, Madison Champion was named national champion in R5 SH2 Prone Air Rifle. Line Tremblay took home silver in this event.
In R4 SH2 Standing Air Rifle, Tremblay earned gold, Champion won silver, and Sydney Knight took home bronze.
Kevin Nguyen won the national title in R3 SH1 Prone Air Rifle. Nick Beach earned silver, and Leonard Esparza won bronze. Nguyen also took home gold in Men’s Para Smallbore Rifle. John Joss won silver, and William McLeroy earned bronze.
Another 2022 Rifle National Champion is Rylan Kissell, who beat out Lucas Kozeniesky in the Men’s Air Rifle gold medal match. Kozeniesky took home silver in air, and Ivan Roe secured the bronze.
Kissell, University of Alaska Fairbanks Rifle team athlete, also brought home the gold medal in Junior Men’s Smallbore Rifle. Braden Peiser took home silver after facing off with Kissell in the gold medal match. Gavin Barnick, also on the University of Alaska Fairbanks Rifle team, took home bronze.
Men's Air Rifle medalists
L to R, The Men’s Air Rifle medalists, Lucas Kozeniesky, silver; Rylan Kissell, gold; and Ian Roe, bronze. Photo by Brittany Nelson, USAS.
Lucas Kozeniesky, 2020 Silver Olympic Medalist, was crowned champion of Men’s Smallbore Rifle. Peter Fiori, recent Air Force Academy graduate, earned silver, and Tim Sherry, an AMU soldier, won bronze.
Benjamin Salas earned his gold medal in that Junior Men’s Air Rifle final. He beat out Scott Rockett who took home silver, and Kissell, who earned bronze.
Additional medals were awarded in each male and female discipline for the age categories U18 and U15. Find all official results here.
View photos of the event here.
Up next for USA Shooting is the Pistol Junior Olympic National Championships, July 24-31, at the training center.