COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (August 3, 2017)
The U.S. International Hall of Fame Class of 2017 -- Ed Etzel (top left/Photo courtesy of WVU Athletic Communications.). David Kimes (top right/Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit). Don Haldeman (bottom left/Photo courtesy of NRA). Martin Gunnarsson (bottom right/Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit).Four outstanding marksmen will be inducted into the U.S. International Shooting Hall of Fame on August 26, USA Shooting announced Thursday. Ed Etzel, David Kimes, Martin Gunnarsson and Don Haldeman will be the largest group of inductees since the first distinguished class in 1991.
The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will anchor USA Shooting’s Legacy Weekend, which includes a special celebration of legendary rifleman Lones Wigger on Friday, August 25, the USA Shooting alumni reunion, the Biennial Coach Conference, and concluding with the induction ceremony Saturday evening.
To REGISTER for the Hall of Fame dinner and to make hotel reservations through USA Shooting, please click here.
Etzel served as the coach of the WVU Rifle team from 1976-89, turning in a 101-3 career coaching record. He coached over 30 WVU All-Americans and guided his teams to four NCAA National Championships during the 1980s. He was an active duty officer in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps for nearly three years during the Vietnam War and subsequently for 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, retiring at the rank of Captain. Etzel was the gold medalist at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles in the Men’s English Match Rifle event and was a gold medalist in the 1978 World Championships and 1979 Pan American Games. He was 11-time National Champion and set numerous national rifle records as a member of the U.S. Shooting Team.
“It’s sort of cliché, but you move up the ladder of life on the shoulders of other people,” said Etzel. “I’m just grateful to be in the Hall of Fame. Shooting has had a lot to do with my life. I’ve learned a lot about myself and I have to tip my hat to a list of people.”
Kimes was a 1980 Olympian but was unable to compete due to the U.S. withdrawal from those Games in the USSR. He was a five-time World Team member from 1966 to 1986. Also, Kimes competed in the CAT Games and Pan Am Games. He is the only U.S. Shooter in any event to win an individual World Championship (1974) in which he set a World Record and then repeated the same feat in the next World Championships (1978). Kimes earned 14 World Championship medals (team & individual) during his career.
Upon word of his induction, Kimes quickly quoted Thoreau who said, “Our truest life is when we are in our dreams awake.” He recalled the collegiate shooting, world championships and invaluable Army and Army Reserve Team support, and the mental training given to him by Hall-of-Famer Lanny Bassham that helped him along in his journey as one of the best marksmen of his time. He reflected back on his last shot of the 1974 World Championships in Thun, Switzerland, the cheering of over a thousand Swiss fans as he connected on his final shot in kneeling for a perfect string of 100, resulting in a world record and title of world champion.
“Even now, I’m still smiling about all my memories made in this sport and all that it has provided me,” Kimes said. “Thanks to USA Shooting for this tremendous honor.”
Gunnarsson won the bronze medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in the 300m Three-Position Rifle event and was a Pan American and World Championships medalist during his distinguished career. His Pan American medals were both gold and were won in team events at the 1959 and 1963 Pan Am Games – in the English match and free rifle event, respectively. At the 1966 World Championships, he also won a gold medal in the free rifle team event. In addition, both free rifle team performances (in 1963 and 1966) earned him a share of the world record.
A two-time Olympian having competed in both the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games, Haldeman earned an Olympic gold medal in 1976 in Men’s Trap. He finished the 1972 Olympic Games in 17th position. Haldeman was a member of the gold-medal winning 1973-74 U.S. World Championship Team. He was also a member of the 1975 U.S. Pan American Games Team, winning individual silver along with a team gold medal. He remains the last U.S. team member to earn Olympic gold in Men’s Trap.
The U.S. International Shooting Hall of Fame was established in 1991 by the NRA International Competitions Committee. Selection criteria was established that limited selection to those that had excelled in international competition over an extended period of time. There was also consideration given to those shooters in pre-1948 competitions and those who had served the U.S. Shooting Team in administrative or coaching positions. To be eligible nominees must have been retired from active international shooting at least five years. Living USA Shooting Hall of Fame members and USA Shooting Board of Directors were asked to nominate candidates and then joined with USA Shooting alumni in voting on the final nominees.
U.S. International Shooting Hall of Fame
1991 - Gary L. Anderson, Lones W. Wigger, Jr., Alfred P. Lane, Morris Fisher
1992 - Margaret Thompson Murdock
1993 - Huelet (Joe) Benner and Walter Stokes
1994 - William McMillan and Carl Osburn
1995 - John H. Writer, Lawrence Nuesslein and Thomas Sharpe (Official)
1996 - John R. Foster and William C. Pullum (Official)
1998 - Lanny R. Bassham
1999 - Arthur C. Jackson
2000 - Matt Dryke
2001 - Arthur Cook
2002 - Tommy G. Pool
2004 - Launi Meili and Joseph B. Berry (Official)
2008 - Daniel Carlisle and Ruby Fox
2013 - Walter Walsh and Pat (Spurgin) Pitney
2015 - Glenn Dubis & Admiral Willis A. Lee
2017 – Ed Etzel, David Kimes, Martin Gunnarsson, Don Haldeman