Air Force marksmen selected for the 2017
4/3/2017 12:00:00 AM | Rifle
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. -- Represented by the top overall men's air rifle qualifier, Air Force Academy's sophomore Spencer Cap will compete in the 2017 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC – Rounds 1 & 2). Along with 274 men's rifle invitees, Air Force freshman Logan Ogden, sophomore Nick Learn and freshman Kyle Cox will also compete. Sophomore Anna Weilbacher will compete in the women's championships. Representatives from 41 different states will compete in the NJOSs, April 7-13, in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center.
Cap (Cranbury, N.J.) qualified for the NJOSCs in January at the Colorado Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (as a nonresident - NR). His score of 595 in the air rifle was the highest score of the match. As a nonresident, Cap, could not claim a medal for his achievement, nonetheless his score is a NJOSC qualifying score and he received the invite during the first round invitation in February. In March, he received the second round invitation into the men's smallbore with a score of 561. In 2016, Cap was the silver medalist in the National Junior Olympics (NJOs) with a final score of 1249.5.
In January, freshman Logan Ogden (Galway, N.Y. – NR) received the first round invite into the nationals with a qualifying score of 594 in men's air rifle. Ogden also received the invitation for the smallbore event with a score of 569.
Also in men's air rifle, sophomore Nick Learn (South Range, WI) had a qualifying score of 581 and received his first round invitation in February. Learn, who had the high score (576) in the men's 3x20, will compete in April in the men's smallbore. He finished 11th among 68 competitors in the 2016 NJOSC last April with a final 2280 in the three-position rifle. Learn also placed 10th in the prone with a score of 1230.4.
In January, as a Colorado resident, freshman Kyle Cox (Montrose, Colo.) had a 569 in the air rifle at the 2017 State NJO, and received the first round invitation for nationals.
In the California state NJOC women's air rifle championships, sophomore Anna Weilbacher (Leona Valley, Calif.) qualified for nationals with a 388. Weilbacher was also the California Junior Olympic state champion in smallbore with a 573 qualifying score, and will also compete in the women's 3x20 at nationals. She was a first round pick for the nationals in April. In 2016, Weilbacher placed seventh overall in the 2016 NJOs in the three-position rifle (1157). She placed 18th in the air rifle (818.8). Prior to attending Air Force, she was the 2014 CRPA California small bore state and junior champion.
"To date, this is the most team members that USAFA has sent to the NJORC. With a strong match season behind us, the freshman and sophomores that qualified are poised to compete for the medal stand next month. We'll take some time off over spring break and then get ready to focus on the international side of the sport to be ready to compete in April," said head coach Launi Meili.
