The U.S. Olympic Trials for Smallbore took place at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s home ranges in Fort Benning, Ga. The Trials were held in conjunction with this year’s National Pistol & Rifle Championships. There were only three rifle nominations available to those who put up top performances at the match, because the other three available team spots were already filled by athletes qualifying through the points system (Sergeant First Class Eric Uptagrafft in Men’s 50m Rifle Prone, Matt Emmons in Men’s 50m Rifle Three Position and Jamie Gray in Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position). Four pistol nominations were also up for grabs. Although weather disrupted the Men’s 50m Rifle Three Position event, the level of competition was extremely high across the board.
“It’s a dream come true. It sounds cliché, but it’s been a long struggle and it does prove that hard work, perseverance and determination really do pay off.”
Sandra Uptagrafft 34 USA Shooting News | Year in Review 2012