Post date: Jun 30, 2015 8:47:21 AM
By Tim O’Donnell, TODONNELL@NEWSMINER.COM
FAIRBANKS — Matt Emmons knew it would be challenge to win the 50-meter prone match at the USA Shooting National Championships on Sunday at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Emmons, the former Alaska Nanooks shooter, was going up against a field that included Emmons’ Team USA teammate Michael McPhail, who is ranked No. 1 in the world in the prone position by the International Shooting Sports Federation.
“Whether it’s me or him, it all depends on the day,” Emmons said by cellphone Sunday night.
Sunday turned out to be Emmons’ day. The native of Mount Holly Township, New Jersey won the gold medal after shooting a 1,278.3 in the two day-match before winning the finals with a score of 209.0.
It was the second gold medal for Emmons at the championships. The three-time Olympic medalist won the 50-meter three position title on Friday.
Emmons is ranked No. 1 in the three-position match by the ISSF and No. 4 in the prone position.
McPhail finished second in the prone match on Sunday after shooting a two-day score of 1263.6.
Emmons held the top spot in the prone match after firing a 207.5 on Saturday. He shot a 631.4 on Sunday to secure the win over McPhail, who shot a 625.7 on Saturday and a 624.9 on Sunday.
“We have a very good US team in prone, one of the best in the world,” Emmons said.
Emmons said he was using the championships as training for upcoming World Cup matches. He will be competing in the World Cup match on Aug. 6-16 in Gabala, Azerbaijani. He then heads to the World Cup Finals on Sept. 1-7 in Munich
Emmons, who has won 25 World Cup medals entering the 2015 season, credited his success recently to a switch in guns about a year and a half ago.
“Both events, the 3x40 and prone, you can’t do with a bad gun,” Emmons said. “I’m shooting well with this new gun.”
Emmons was one of three current or former Nanooks to finish in the top-10 of the prone match. Former Nanook Mike Liuzza finished fifth with a two-day score of 1,248.6. Liuzza shot a 623.6 on Saturday and a 622.0 on Sunday.
Current Nanook Soren Butler, a redshirt junior, finished 10th after shooting a 1,244.5. Butler, from Casselton, North Dakota, shot a 618.5 on Saturday and finished with a 622.0 on Sunday.
“It’s the coolest things ever,” Emmons said of seeing the Nanooks shoot well. “I love everything about it.”
Emmons said he even took a photo with sophomore Luke Johnson at the championships. Johnson finished 49th in the prone match after shooting a 1,219.9.
Johnson’s score placed him 20th in the junior men competition.
Former UAF shooter Ryan Anderson took 22nd after shooting a 67.5 on Sunday to finish with a two-day score of 1,234.0. Anderson, who finished runner-up in the smallbore individual final at the NCAA Championships this past season, shot a 616.5 on Saturday.
Nanooks senior Tim Sherry finished 28th at 1,230.8 Sherry fired a 612.6 on Saturday before shooting a 618.0 on Sunday.
“I still love seeing the team do well, seeing the guys do well and keep the tradition going,” Emmons said.
Incoming Nanooks freshman and Lathrop High School graduate JT Schnering finished 71st overall and 36th in the junior men. Schnering shot a 604.8 on Saturday and a 604.5 on Sunday to finish with a two-day total of 1,209.3.
Fellow incoming Nanooks freshman Nathan Taylor finished 99th. Taylor shot a 593.2 on Saturday and a 593.7 on Sunday to finish with a two-day score of 1,186.9.
Schnering’s former Lathrop teammate Connor Gilman finished 77th overall and 42nd in the junior men with a two-day score of 1,203.9. Gilman fired a 604.0 on Saturday and a 599.9 on Sunday.
In the women’s prone match, UAF senior and Lathrop grad Jaimie Barnes finished 31st after finishing with a two-day score of 1,213.7. Barnes shot a 603.5 on Saturday and a 610.2 on Sunday.
Hutchison’s Amy Gentry took 54th after shooting a 604.4 on Sunday to finish with a final score of 1,195.9. Gentry shot a 591.5 on Saturday.
The rifle portion of the championships conclude with men’s air rifle and the women’s three position matches. Both events get underway today and finish on Tuesday.