USA Shooting sends team to Championship of the Americas

[USAS & USAMU]

USA Shooting & U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

SALINAS, Puerto Rico - USA Shooting has sent a team of 31 shooter-athletes to Salinas, Puerto Rico, for the IX Championships of the Americas - called the CAT Games - which is being conducted through Nov. 11; four of the shooters are Soldiers from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Ga.

USAMU international pistol shooters Sgt. 1st Class Daryl L. Szarenski, Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Rose and Staff Sgt. Keith A. Sanderson and USAMU shotgun shooter Pfc. Joshua M. Richmond left Fort Benning Nov. 1 and headed to Puerto Rico to compete in the CAT Games.

The CAT Games, Campeonato de Tiro de las Americas, is the shooting championships for the Western Hemisphere, which is conducted every four years. The CAT Games is one of four big international matches - along with the Olympics, World Championships and Pan American Games - where shooters can win medals and set world records. At the CAT games, the USAMU shooters competed against other teams from North, Central and South America for the title of being the best in the Americas.

“Originally, USA Shooting was planning on using the CAT Games to develop its younger or more inexperienced team members for international competition, but after the International Shooting Sports Federation allocated 13 Olympic Quota Slots to be distributed at CAT, USAS felt it was necessary to meet this opportunity along with continuing the initial goal of developing its young athletes,” said Sara Greenlee, media director of USA Shooting.

“In turn, USAS amended its team, allowing already-named CAT team members to retain their position, and adding one additional athlete to the team in the events that have a quota opportunity,” Greenlee continued. “USA Shooting, along with its Executive Committee, feels this amendment meets the requirement of maximizing the quota opportunity presented by the CAT match.”

Events in which quotas are currently available at CAT and unfilled by the U.S. Shooting Team are as follows: For men: One in Free Rifle Prone; one in Three Position Free Rifle; one in Free Pistol; one in Air Pistol; and one in Trap; and for women: one in Air Rifle; one in Sport Rifle; one in Sport Pistol; one in Air pistol; one in Skeet; and one in Trap.

For more information and CAT results, check USA Shooting’s website at www.usashooting.org <http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe5517787766 ... 1670756701>.