The following is being distributed at the request of Sport Newfoundland and Labrador:

The North Atlantic Air Gun Challenge Turns Four and Newfoundland is Still a Force to be Reckoned With

This weekend a record 28 athletes, 16 from Newfoundland and Labrador, gathered at the Frank Zahn Marksmanship and CSSA Training Facility to shoot the fourth annual North Atlantic Air Gun Challenge. Our athletes claimed the championship titles in seven out of eight events, and numerous gold medals in the classes. The match was run on electronic targets that are approved for World Cup competition, making Newfoundland and Labrador one of only two provinces capable of hosting matches with the ability to meet international standards.

This year the most intense match was the Women’s Rifle Finals. Last year’s Bronze medalist in women’s air gun, Samantha Marsh of Mount Pearl, fired a new 40 shot provincial record (391/400) to take a three-point lead on Brenda Greene, St. Joesph’s SMB, going into the finals. Greene was the previous record holder at 390. After the finals, Marsh increased her lead to 4.9 points to claim both the Open Women’s Rifle Championship and the Women’s Junior Rifle Champion title. In the Classification events Greene was the gold medalist for Master, 10 points ahead of Meghan Harris, Mount Pearl. Harris finished the competition third overall and was the gold medalist in the Junior Women’s Rifle category.

Similarly in the Men’s Rifle event, Ben Taylor took both the Open Men’s and Junior Men’s Match Champion titles. Taylor narrowly missed out on the 60 shot record shooting 579. Currently, Greene holds the 60 shot record at 580. Taylor finished 22.4 points ahead of Dave Woolridge, St. John’s. Woolridge took the Gold for Men’s Master Class. Dave Ficken, St.John’s, entered the finals one point ahead of James Boyd of NB. This was the narrowest margin between competitors in any finals shot this weekend. Unfortunately for Ficken, Boyd shot the best finals of all the men’s group and was able to pass Ficken. In the end Ficken was fourth overall and gold in the Expert Class. Danial Dimitrov of St. John’s fired 1095 to beat out Joshua Mailman, also of St. John’s, for gold in the Sharpshooter Class. Dimitrov was the Bronze medalist in the Junior Men’s Rifle category. Gold in the Marksman Class went to Reagan Mills of Nova Scotia.

In Men’s Pistol Newfoundlanders went into the finals in the top three positions. First was Mario Dimitrov followed by MUN student Rene De Haitre. The gaps between the two shooters was only three points (just like women’s rifle). However, this difference was statistically closer as in rifle shooting it is significantly harder to close such a gap as compared to pistol shooting. De Haitre had just come off a stressful and yet successful Nationals in late August and the World University Shooting Championships in Kazan Russia in September. Dimitrov, is a seasoned shooter and former Bulgarian National Junior Team Shooter. The struggle to win the Men’s Open Pistol Title could only be decided in the finals. By the end of these finals, Dimitrov claimed the Men’s Open Pistol Title by increasing his lead over De Haitre to 5.8 points. De Haitre earned the Gold for Expert Class. Andre Nobert, of St. John’s, finished third overall and won the gold medal in the Sharpshooter Class.

Finally, Alyssa Sparkes of St. John’s was our sole representative in Women’s air pistol. Sparkes, who shot at the 2011 Canada Winter Games, fired a personal best of 346 out of a possible 400, to win both the Open Women’s Pistol and Junior Women’s Pistol Champions titles.

The North Atlantic Air Gun Challenge was inaugurated four years ago in St. John’s as an effort to improve the standings of Atlantic Canadian shooting athletes in the 2011 Canada Games. As a result all three provinces saw athletes make it into the finals in numbers that were not seen before and Newfoundland and Labrador taking three medals at these games. Because of the improvement seen at those games, the respective provincial sport organizations have agreed to continue this event.

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

2012 10 09             4:10 p.m.