Photo By Lt. Col. Michelle Lunato | Staff Sgt. Will Hinton, a Dacula, Georgia native who is a marksmanship...... read more read more
Five Fort Benning Soldiers will represent Team USA at the upcoming International Shooting Sports Federation Shotgun World Championship in Osijek, Croatia September 19 through October 12.
To make Team USA, the Soldiers, who are all marksmanship instructors/competitive shooters for the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Shotgun Team, competed side by side with the best trap and skeet athletes from across the country in various USA Shooting Selection Matches. Now, these Fort Benning Soldiers, along with their civilian teammates, will seek, not only World Championship Medals, but the highly coveted quotas for the 2024 Olympics.
To compete in the Olympics, every country must first earn a quota, or spot for one of their athletes, and only two athletes per event, per country are allowed. The Croatia World Championship is the first opportunity for the United States to earn quotas in the trap and skeet events.
This fact alone makes the Croatia World Championship a high stakes competition, and the Soldiers know it.
“It is humbling and exciting to be representing the U.S. Army and the United States at the World Championship,” said Sgt. Rachel Tozier, a Pattonsburg, Missouri native who will compete in both the Women’s Trap and Mixed Trap Team events.
After a competitive selection process, Sgt. Will Hinton, like Tozier, knows just making the team was a privilege. However, now this Dacula, Georgia native, says it’s time to put his past efforts to the test.
“Serious training and focus put into my sport, allowed me to secure a spot on the team. I am excited to further execute my abilities with the intention of winning an Olympic Quota and medal for the USA and U.S. Army at this World Championship,” said Hinton who will compete in both the Men’s Trap and Mixed Trap Team events.
The Trap portion of the World Championship will take place September 26 - 30.
The Skeet portion of the World Championship will take place October 7 - 11 and will include three more USAMU Soldiers.
Newest to the unit, but not the International competition circuit, is Spc. Samantha Simonton from Gainesville, Georgia. This experienced World Championship athlete will compete in both the Women’s Skeet and Mixed Skeet Team events.
On the men’s side, there are two more Fort Benning Soldiers: Staff Sergeants Christian Elliott and Dustan Taylor. They will compete in both the Men’s Skeet and Mixed Skeet Team events.
With the top international competitors all vying for the limited medals and Olympic quotas, the competition will be intense, but that’s also what makes this World Championship so unique, said Elliott.
“The ISSF World Championship hosts the highest caliber of international shotgun shooters every year. Being able to represent the U.S. Army and the United States at this event inherently adds a level of pride and honor unmatched by many competitions,” said the Greenville, Indiana native.
With this level of pressure, the Soldiers know they have to push past any anxiety and focus on the mission, said Taylor.
“I am currently focused completely on my fundamentals, foundation and rotation. When all of these are in sync, the game slows down and the targets seem to get larger,” explained the Liberty, North Carolina native.
“While training, I do not focus on score. I have a goal for every shot and I break down the movement of my body before I shoot my next target. In making this second nature, I can identify problems before they cause misses without having to ask a coach what my body did different in the previous shot.”
Of course, even with all the focus and determination on the process, deep down each Soldier feels the excitement when they are not on the range. For Taylor, going to his first-ever World Championship is more than a mission, it’s the biggest competition of his life.
“This is an opportunity I have dreamed of since the day I started shooting international skeet.”
To follow the World Championship details, go to the ISSF website at https://www.issf-sports.org/competitions/venue/schedule.ashx?cshipid=3073.
| Date Taken: | 09.21.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2022 12:08 |
| Story ID: | 429778 |
| Location: | FORT BENNING, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | DACULA, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | GREENVILLE, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | LIBERTY, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | PATTONSBURG, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 332 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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