This weekend two senior and seven junior target shooters traveled to Nova Scotia for the second North Atlantic Air Gun Challenge. This match was the test competition for the 2011 Canada Winter Games shooting venue. Our shooters claimed four gold, one silver and one bronze medal, for a total of six out of 13 available medals. All nine of our athletes made the finals. In total there were 26 shooters from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick at this competition.

Beginning with the junior men's rifle event, Jason Harnum (Mount Pearl) and Ben Taylor (St. John's) took gold and silver after the finals with scores of 1103 and 1088 respectively. Samantha Marsh (Mount Pearl) captured the bronze medal with a score of 725 in the junior women's rifle event. Meghan Harris (Paradise) finished 6^th in the same event after shooting a very solid finals.

Newcomer Emma Meulenkamp shot her way to the junior women's pistol gold with a 666. Teammate Alyssa Sparks finished fourth shooting 513. Rene De Haitres was the province's sole representative in men's junior pistol. He handily secured goal shooting 1067. All these athletes are new to the sport of air pistol and this was their first big competition outside of the province.

Finally, Dave Woolridge and Dave Ficken (both from St. John's) had a one two finish in the senior men's rifle class with 1125 and 1096 respectively.

- 30 -

Media contact:
Dave Woolridge
709-778 0405
dave.woolridge@mi.mun.ca