National Hunting and Fishing Day is drawing near (Sept. 25, 2010) and this year’s honorary chair—the entire USA Shooting Team—is available for media interviews.

 

A complete roster of these prospective 2012 Olympians, including hometowns, is below.

 

“Most members of our shooting team grew up hunting and fishing,” said National Shotgun Coach Bret Erickson, himself a four-time Olympian and lifelong hunter and angler from Bennington, Neb. “Nobody starts hunting because they want to go to the Olympics, but it helps. The skills learned in hunting and, to a lesser degree, fishing—safety and comfort with firearms, basic shooting mechanics, patience, controlling emotions, concentration, ability to focus for long periods, persistence—can translate directly to competitive shooting.”

 

The USA Shooting Team’s strong background in sporting traditions is unique among international shooting teams. Denise Wagner of Wonders of Wildlife, the Springfield, Mo., official home of NHF Day, said, “American hunters and anglers are not only world-class conservationists, they have skills that help make world-class athletes.”

 

The USA Shooting Team is just back from the World Shooting Championships in Munich, Germany, where it won numerous medals, set new world records and secured five quota spots for the U.S. in the upcoming 2012 London Olympic Games.

 

Shooters are among the most decorated athletes in U.S. Olympic history. With 103 medals for shotgun, rifle and pistol marksmanship, only track and field, swimming, diving, wrestling and boxing have been more prolific medal producers for Americans. In fact, shooting ranks ahead of gymnastics, figure skating, volleyball and more than 30 other Olympic sports.

 

Here’s the USA Shooting Team roster of shotgun, rifle and pistol shooters, by state:

 

Alabama
Joe Hein, Phenix City

Eric Uptagrafft, Phenix City
Sandra Uptagrafft, Phenix City

Daryl Szarenski, Seale

Teresa DeWitt, Smiths Station

Matthew Gossett, Springville

 

Ryan Dunham Bender, Delta Junction

Corey Cogdell, Eagle River

Janine Dutton, Eagle River

 

John Zurek, Tucson

California
Jake Wallace, Castaic

Susan Sledge, El Cajon

John Bickar, Menlo Park

Kimberly Rhode, Monrovia

Brenda Shinn, Riverside

Ashley Carroll, Solvang

Jeff Holguin, Yorba Linda

Colorado
Amber English, Colorado Springs

Hannah Lewis, Colorado Springs

Keith Sanderson, Colorado Springs

Kathryn Kananen, Florissant
Scott Franz, Livermore

 

Emil Milev, Tampa

Alex Chichkov, Temple Terrace

Jimmie Cooper, Columbus

Steve Goff, Columbus

Vincent Hancock, Eatonton

Jason Parker, Forston

Rhonda Bright, Midland

Idaho

Will Brown, Twins Falls

 

Kelcey DePatis, Donovan

 

Indiana
Sarah Beard, Danville

 

Haley Dunn, Eddyville

 

Jake Wallace, Castaic

Michael Liuzza, New Orleans

Caitlin Connor, Winnfield

 

Rachael Heiden, Clinton

Teresa Meyer, Dearborn

 

 

Matt Emmons, Grand Rapids

 

Shawn Dulohery, Lee’s Summit

 

Montana
Lauren Brester, Bozeman

Kylie Gagnon, Bozeman

 

Reya Kempley, Carson City

Tarl Kempley, Carson City

 

Sandra Fong, New York
Jason Turner, Rochester

 

Matthew Pueppke, Amenia

 

William Crawford, Johnstown

Derek Haldeman, Sunbury

Michael Seery, Toledo

 

Jon Michael McGrath, Tulsa

 

Michael Seery, Oregon

 

Michael Kulbaki, Du Bois

Josh Richmond, Hillsgrove

Ian Rupert, Muncy

Brad Balsley, Uniontown

 

Christopher Hudock, Charleston

Cathy Arnot, Columbia

 

South Dakota
Brian Beaman, Shelby

Dempster Christenson, Sioux Falls

 

Brandy Drozd, Bryan

Thomas Bayer, College Station

Miranda Wilder, Diana

Morgan Harbison, Farmersville

Glenn Eller, Houston

Sean McLelland, Mission

Taylor Gallegos, Prosper

Chris Nona, Richmond

Dominic Grazioli, San Antonio

Meghann Morrill, San Antonio

B.J. Blanchard, Vidor

Matt Rawlings, Wharton

 

Denise Martin, Chewelah

Jaiden Grinnell, Port Angeles

John Mullins, Port Orchard

Jake Turner, Richland

Amanda Furrer, Spokane

 

Michael McPhail, Darlington

 

Dustin Chesboro, Laramie

 

To arrange an interview with any member of the USA Shooting Team, contact Katie McGinty, USA Shooting media and public relations manager, at 719-866-4896 or katie.mcginty@usashooting.org.

 

For info on NHF Day, contact Denise Wagner at Wonders of Wildlife museum at 203-241-4468 or nhfday@wondersofwildlife.org, or visit www.nhfday.org.

 

Sponsors for NHF Day 2010 include Wonders of Wildlife, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Bass Pro Shops, Smith & Wesson, Sportsman Channel, Realtree, Cabela’s, GunBroker.com, Yamaha, Pope and Young Club, Izaak Walton League of America, and Academy Sports + Outdoors.