Davis Tops Precision Class and Howald Sets New Sporter Records at 2010 Gary Anderson Invitational 3x20

ANNISTON, ALABAMA & CAMP PERRY, OHIO – Connor Davis, 17, of Shelbyville, Kentucky, cruised to victory in the precision air rifle class and Tessa Howald, 17, of Ozark, Missouri, set two new Army Junior ROTC records en route to winning the sporter air rifle class at the 2010 Gary Anderson Invitational 3x20 tournament. The matches were fired concurrently at identical CMP shooting facilities in Alabama and Ohio.
 

Connor Davis, 17, of Shelbyville, Kentucky, captured first place in the precision air rifle class at the 2010 Gary Anderson Invitational. Davis competed at the CMP South Marksmanship Center in Anniston, Alabama.

 

The Gary Anderson Invitational tournament was comprised of four events: Individual Sporter, Individual Precision, Team Sporter and Team Precision. All competitors fired a three-position 3X20 match and the top eight shooters in sporter and precision from each relay fired a 10-shot final each day following each relay.

For individual rankings, the 10-shot final round scores were added to the 60-shot scores of the competitors who had the top eight sporter and precision class 60-shot totals. The individual 3X20 scores fired by the four members each team was used to determine team winners. Final round scores were not used for team totals.

In precision air rifle, Davis, a Distinguished air rifle badge holder, combined scores of 199, 198 and 194 in prone, standing and kneeling to qualify for the final in which he followed with an outstanding 103.8 for an aggregate score of 698.4 with 40 center shots.

Kelsey Moral led her East Coweta High School, Georgia precision air rifle team in placing first in the scholastic team competition at the Gary Anderson Invitational in Anniston.

Jason Sharbel, 15, of Nashville, Tennessee, was the high non-distinguished precision competitor who fired a 100.8 in the final and ended with an aggregate of 682.8-36 to finish second overall. Sarah Banks, 16, of Hueytown, Alabama, also a non-distinguished shooter, placed third overall in the precision class with an aggregate of 680-38. Kelsey Moral, 16, of Sharpsburg, Georgia, was the third highest non-distinguished shooter and placed fifth overall.

Tessa Howald, 17, of Ozark, Missouri, prepares to fire a sighting shot with her sporter air rifle at the GAI in Anniston. Howald broke two Army JROTC sporter air rifle records en route to winning the sporter title.

In the sporter competition, Howald’s 567-22 eclipsed William “Trey” Eades’ Army JROTC 3x20 individual qualifying score record of 565-29, fired at the 2009 National Junior Olympics. Howald’s 3x20-plus-final aggregate score of 658.4 also surpassed Eades in the record book. Howald, also a Distinguished air rifle competitor, fired qualifying scores of 195, 181 and 191 in prone, standing and kneeling, plus a final round score of 91.4.

Makennon Doran, 16, of Ozark, Missouri, placed second in the sporter competition with an aggregate score of 642.1 and Mikaelah Atchley, 18, of Daleville, Alabama, fired a 640.8 aggregate for third place. Doran and Atchley were the top two non-distinguished place finishers in the tournament in the sporter class. Aaron Ward, 17, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, finished third among the non-distinguished ranks and placed fifth overall.

The Gary Anderson Invitational 3 x 20 air rifle tournament gave many junior shooters of all ages an opportunity to compete in a challenging event. The tournament was fired simultaneously at identical airgun ranges in Anniston, Alabama and Camp Perry, Ohio.

In the New Shooter category, Katelyn Powely, 15, of Brunswick, Georgia, placed first with an aggregate score of 571-30 in the precision class and Dave Osborne, 15, of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, placed first in sporter with an aggregate score of 540-20. For the Gary Anderson Invitational, shooters are considered new to the sport if they began competing in organized matches on or after April 1, 2010.

In team events, all entrants were four-member teams that were designated as either scholastic or club. Mixed teams (precision and sporter) shot as precision teams.

Georgia teams swept the top three places in scholastic team competition, precision rifle class as East Coweta High School placed first with a total aggregate of 2276-93. Team members include Kelsey Moral, Tyler Dayton, Kevin Murray and Zachary Moye.

Union Grove High School captured second place with an aggregate score of 2267-112. Shooting members are Alex Landers, Alexander Hughes, Nolan Ripple and Austin Garvey. Third place went to Luella High School which scored an aggregate of 2258-105.

In school team competition, sporter rifle class, Ozark High School, Missouri, led by Tessa Howald, captured first place with an aggregate score of 2174-75. Shooting members were Howald, Makennon Doran, Cody Thompson and Logan Hunt.

Daleville High School-Red, Alabama, took second place with an aggregate of 2154-51. Daleville shooters were Mikaelah Atchley, Joshua Nabinger, Grady Wilkes and Joshua Ranes. In third place was R-S Central High School, North Carolina, with a score of 2144-56. Team members are Steven Murphy, Amber Swink, Martina Carson and Alex Murray.

In club competition, precision air rifle class, Magic City Gun Club, Alabama, won first place with a team aggregate score of 2289-121. Led by Sarah Banks, Magic City shooters included Samantha Bullard, Breonna Gochee and Jordan Banks.

Anne Sullivan examines a pellet prior to firing a shot that helped her Riverside Shooting Club team of Midland, Michigan, place second in precision air rifle club competition at the Gary Anderson Invitational at the CMP North Competition Center at Camp Perry, Ohio. Sullivan and her teammates fired a team aggregate score of 2266-102.

Riverside shooting Club of Midland, Michigan, placed second as Anne Sullivan, Tyler Luce, Jason Spaude and Ethan Cook fired an aggregate of 2266-102. Third place went to Ottawa County Shooting Stars, Ohio, which scored a team total of 2224-95. Firing members are Brian Wyss Jr., Sarah Sutton, Caitlin Sutton and Jason Bailey.

Caitlin Sutton, 16, of Oak Harbor and her Ottawa County Shooting Stars club team placed third in precision air rifle club competition at Camp Perry.

In club sporter team competition, Charlotte Rifle & Pistol Club-Red, North Carolina, placed first with a team aggregate score of 1972-30. Team members are Leigh Yarbrough, Brian Hampton, Kelsey Cochran and Bryron Ho.

Second place went to Erie County Conservation League Rifle Team, Ohio, which scored an aggregate of 1776-31. Shooting members are Brian Bursley, Ben Spacek, Marilyn Soviak and Ian McGill. Ottawa County Shooting Stars, Ohio, placed third with an aggregate of 1660-20. Team members are Elisjah Twardzik, Tyler Thompson, Justin Kleinhans and Bryce Thompson.

GAI Tournament History The tournament is named for Gary Anderson who earned two Olympic gold medals, seven world championships, six world records and 16 national championships. No other American has won more Olympic and world championship three-position rifle titles. Anderson eventually transitioned from world champion to mentor - authoring, instructing and leading thousands of US shooters, young and old, civilian and military alike down a path of marksmanship, firearms safety and sportsmanship.

Anderson, who was appointed Director of Civilian Marksmanship in 1999, announced his retirement in December 2009. Today, Anderson serves a DCM Emeritus where he provides occasional instruction and consulting. He remains busy in the US and abroad as Vice President of the International Shooting Sports Federation (the first American to serve in that capacity) and as President of the Board of USA Shooting.

The GAI junior competition began in 1996 as the Atlanta 500 Air Rifle Championship. From 1997 through 2000, it was known as the Wolf Creek 600. In 2001, the match location changed from the Wolf Creek Olympic Complex near Atlanta to the Army Marksmanship Unit ranges at Fort Benning, GA. That year the Wolf Creek Young Shooters Association renamed the match the Gary Anderson Invitational.

In 2009 the CMP took over the sponsorship of the Gary Anderson Invitational and conducted the match at the CMP Marksmanship Center - South in Anniston, Alabama. Due to the success of this match in 2009, the CMP will continue to grow this competition, hosting the event at both the CMP Marksmanship Center – South, and the CMP Marksmanship Center – North, located on Camp Perry, Ohio.

Each center has 80 firing points, all equipped with electronic targets. The Civilian Marksmanship Program sponsors this three-position air rifle invitational as an open sanctioned CMP Cup match.

For complete results of the Gary Anderson Invitational, log onto http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=6011. To view photos from the event, log onto http://cmp1.zenfolio.com.

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