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

19th Provincial Air Gun Championships

This past weekend the Newfoundland and Labrador Shooting Association conducted the 19th annual Provincial Air Gun Championship. A total of 16 shooters completed a gruelling 120 shot, three and a half hour match. Four of them shot in both the pistol and rifle events. This year four clubs, MUN Sea~Hawks, Spaniard's Bay Eagles, Enwright Memorial Shooting Club and the Tempest Shooting Club, competed at ranges in Croque (Northen Peninsula), St. Catherine's (St. Mary's Bay) and on the main campus of Memorial University. This year saw a merger of the pistol and rifle championships.

In men's air pistol Sea~Hawk Tony Smith claimed the title with a score of 1,055 out of 1,200. Mitchell Hunt of Croque took top junior, 730, followed by teammates Jermey Bromly, 714, and Joey Flynn, 396. Second overall and first marksman, went to Corey Ivany, 978, from the Tempest Shooting Club, Croque. Paul Miller of the Sea~Hawks took silver in the sharpshooter class and third over all. Jason Pelley and Dave Woolridge of MUN took the silver and bronze marksmen. Mitchell Hunt, Jermey Bromley and Joey Flynn, all from the Tempest Shooting Club, claimed the tyro gold, silver and bronze

In the men�s rifle Dave Woolridge of the Sea~Hawks and Canadian National Small Bore Rifle Team claimed the top title and gold master with 1,122 / 1,200. Fellow Sea~Hawk Jason Dalton took second over all with 1,107. Top female went to Brenda Greene, bronze medalist in the Canada Winter Games, of St. Catherine's, Brenda shot 662/800. Teammate Laurie Hearn, also a Canada Games Bronze medalist, took second with 656 while MUN's Alana Ranger got the bronze with 622. Mitchell Hunt took top junior with 872 followed by teammate Trudy Kearney 837 and bronze going to Chad Gosse, 829 of the Spaniard's Bay Eagles. In the class events Corey Ivany claimed top expert at 1,076. Jason Dalton earned gold in the sharpshooter class. Finally, in tyro Alana Ranger took the gold, followed by Mitchell Hunt for silver and Trudy Kearney for bronze.

As a result of this match a provincial junior rifle and pistol team will be formed later this week. Members of this team will represent the province at the Canadian Grand Prix in February, an annual international air gun event held in Toronto.

Media contact: D. Molloy and D. Woolridge, (709) 778-0405

2003 12 01                                        4:35 p.m.