Rifle team athletes competing in the Championships of the Americas
10/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Rifle
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. - The Air Force rifle team has two cadet athletes who qualified to represent the United States at the Championships of the Americas (CAT Games) in Guadalajara, Mexico, Oct. 14-17. Cadet Meredith Carpentier (CS35) qualified to compete in the women's air rifle event and cadet David Higgins (CS26) qualified in the men's prone event. Higgins also represented the US at the World Championships in September.
According to assistant rifle coach Michael Anti, "They qualified by their performance at the USA Shooting National Championships and Team Selection Match. There are only three athletes selected for each event."
The CAT Games occur every four years and is one of the four major international matches during the Quadrennial (Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games, and Championships of the Americas). This is also a chance for the US team to earn quota slots to be eligible to participate in the Olympics. The International Shooting Sports Federation, part of the International Olympic Committee, awards a quota slot to a country when their athlete places in the top three spots at a major international competition (CAT, Pan-Am, and World Championships) or wins a World Cup. In order for a country to compete at the Olympics in shooting that country has to earn quota slots. A maximum of two quota slots can be earned by one country per shooting event.
"Carpentier and Higgins have an excellent chance of winning a quota slot for the US during this competition," said Anti.
