FORT BENNING, Ga. — Former Kentucky rifle standout Amy Sowash has claimed the women?s air rifle national championship in the 2008 USA Shooting National Championships, held in Fort Benning, Ga.
Sowash, who lettered at UK from 2003-06, earned the national championship in women?s air rifle with a 894.9 total score. Sowash, a native of Richmond, Ky., also placed second overall in women?s three-position smallbore, putting up a 1258.3 overall score.
?I am extremely proud of Amy and everything she has accomplished and continues to accomplish,? Kentucky head coach Harry Mullins said. ?She has been used to coming from behind at the end of a match to put up a good score, so I am especially glad she got the experience of holding on to a lead going into the final. It really takes a different mindset to accomplish that, and Amy really fought through and put up a good score.?
Sowash was not the only Wildcat to put on a good showing at the national championships, as two UK signees claimed junior national championships, with Megan English (Boulder, Colo.) earning the Junior Women?s Air Rifle National Championship and Ethan Settlemires (Walnut, Miss.) winning the Junior Men?s Air Rifle National Championship. English finished sixth overall in air rifle with a 886.7 score, the highest among junior competitors, with the first five finishers all boasting collegiate All-America resumes. Settlemires, also an incoming freshman for 2008-09, placed fourth overall in air rifle with a 1283.5 total, the highest mark among junior shooters.
?I am really happy for Megan and Ethan, a pair of incoming freshman who are excellent shooters and will only get better,? Mullins said. ?The accomplishment of winning a junior national championship places them on the USA National Team for the upcoming year, which can give them the opportunity to compete in international matches during the 2008-09 season.?
UK junior shooter Tom Csenge also had an outstanding match, claiming the high collegiate score in smallbore, posting a 2417.7 total score, good for sixth overall.
?Our returning shooters did a good job of competing in a tough environment despite not getting an extensive amount of summer training time,? Mullins said. ?They are so busy with classes and summer activities that they didn?t have the same kind of preparation time they get during the season, so for them to put up the scores they did, I am pleased.?
UK returnees Jen Pason, Sarah Broeker, Andrew Roland, Leslie Angeli and Ashley Jackson also competed in the match. Angeli placed 13th in women?s air rifle (874.7), Jackson 27th (771) and Pason 35th (764). Roland, a senior, posted an 1180 score in prone smallbore, good for the best collegiate score.
