Written by Steve Cooper, CMP Writer

CAMP PERRY, OHIO - Junior airgun shooters once again had the opportunity to rub elbows and shoot alongside some of the best shooters in the sport at the fourth annual Camp Perry Open, 15-17 January.

Members of USA Shooting's National Development Team and the US Army Marksmanship Unit made their presence felt both on the firing line and as ambassadors of the sport before, during and after the three-day competition.

Shooters as young as nine-year-old Anna Williams of Cranston, Rhode Island, shouldered her precision air rifle in the same 3x20 and 60-shot standing relays as Olympic shooters like Jamie Beyerle, Emily Caruso, Patrik Sartz and Matt Rawlings to name a few.

In fact some of the elder juniors may want to keep an eye on Williams in the years to come - she fired a 510 on Day 1 of the 60-shot standing relay and followed with a 535 on Day 2. Just holding an eight-pound rifle relatively level for 60 shots standing is a feat for a nine-year-old girl let alone averaging an 8.9 score, including seventeen 10s or better, which she accomplished on Day 2.

"I set a goal of breaking 500," Williams said upon finishing her first 60-shot match. "I just wanted to beat 510 today," she said on Day 2 after bettering her first round by 25 points.

Brian and Anna Williams, left, with Danielle and Michele Makucevich made the trip to Camp Perry from Rhode Island. Michele is also a CMP State Junior Director for Rhode Island.

"Last year Anna shot a 262 in the 40-shot match," said her coach, Michele Makucevich of the Newport Rifle Club of Rhode Island. "This year at the 40-shot mark she was at 360."

Makucevich, 43, a former Rhode Island junior state record holder, said Williams is a very dedicated shooter. "When she's on the firing line, she's not nine years old - she's a shooter. When she's in the car on a road trip, she's a nine-year-old who likes happy meals and her blankie," Makucevich said.

Catherine Green, also with the Newport Rifle Club, was the Three-Position Precision Air Rifle Champion.

Anna's junior teammates range in age from nine to 17-year-old Catherine Green, a high school senior in her fourth year of precision rifle. Green fired a 591 in winning the 3x20 match earlier in the weekend. Makucevich's daughter Danielle, 12, also shoots for the Newport club and continues to improve.

"Some kids don't like to start shooting that young," Makucevich said. "They can lose interest and end up doing something else."

Makucevich credits parental support and the team's great work ethic. She said every member of the rifle team is also pursuing other interests in school including tennis, music and other activities. Seven shooters made the 14-hour van trip from Newport for the weekend matches.

Robyn Hubbard, 16, of Detroit, Michigan, drew the firing point next to the USAMU's Hank Gray but the Renaissance High School Army JROTC shooter wasn't fazed.

"It was completely different that I expected," Hubbard said about the experience of shooting next to Olympians and international shooters. "I thought I would be scared.”

"But I'm learning that rifle competition is such an individual sport. I was able to relax in my own little world and just shot my match. It didn't matter who was around me," she said.

The Renaissance HS Army JROTC team from Detroit, Michigan attended the Camp Perry Open. Pictured above are: L/R top: Durwin Johnson, Coach Major James Clarahan, Stephan Bradley; L/R bottom: Cherice Todd, Robyn Hubbard, Xeleda Estioco.

Hubbard has been shooting with her JROTC team for about 18 months. She made the trip with four of her teammates and her coach, Army Major (Ret.) James Clarahan, who has been the senior Army instructor and rifle coach at Renaissance for 14 years. Clarahan said of the enrollment of 1,100 students at Renaissance, 249 are enrolled in JROTC programs, eight of which comprise the rifle team.

Clarahan said the Renaissance rifle program has amassed a solid record of performance in Michigan scholastic marksmanship and he encourages more teams from his state to participate in events like the Camp Perry Open.

Seventeen year old Yvonne Swiontek was the Three-Position Sporter Air Rifle Champion. Swiontek is a member of the Zion Benton High School NJROTC Team.

Yvonne Swiontek, 17, of Zion Benton High School in Zion, Illinois, was the high scoring junior in the sporter class of three-position air rifle, winning the final on the second relay on Saturday. It's her third year of sporter shooting and she said she got involved in JROTC when encouraged by her cousin, who's also in JROTC. Swiontek said she plans to pursue criminal justice at Illinois State University upon graduation from high school.

Catherine Green won the final in the three-position air rifle precision class. The high school senior has been shooting precision for four years and got her start in shooting with her dad by trap shooting and pistol at their local gun club.

"I just loved hitting the target. It was awesome," Green said. In the final Saturday, she said she let her heart rate climb more than it should and she missed a few of her shot calls.

"I felt pretty good overall though and I'm very happy with my finish in the final," Green said.

Illinois native Meredith Carpentier finished fourth overall in the Precision Air Rifle event.

Meredith Carpentier, 17, of the Waukegan, Illinois, rifle team won the Friday night precision air rifle final. She eventually finished fourth overall but was excited to make it to the final after the first relay and hang on for the win.

"It was exciting. It was something new for me and a little intimidating about half way through the final. I told myself I needed to pick it up a little and finish strong," Carpentier said. The high school senior has been shooting precision air rifle for three years after beginning in the sporter class as a freshman.

Christian Klinkhammer won the Friday 3x20 sporter final and placed 3rd overall.

Christian Klinkhammer, 18, of Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois, won the Friday 3x20 final in sporter class. The JROTC rifle team member was able to track his progress by glancing at the screen on the north wall of the airgun range but managed to stay relaxed and focused for the win.

"I just took it one shot at a time and tried to stay cool," Klinkhammer said.

Spokane, Washington, in a shoot-off for third place in the 60-shot standing match final on Saturday, Day 1. Mouhot jumped from fifth place to capture third.

"Everything just felt there - it just felt right," Mouhot said afterward. "I couldn't tell you what I did differently, it just felt right."

Furrer came back on Day 2 and captured third place in the junior division with an aggregate score of 1377.1 to Mouhot's 1372.3.

Mouhot shoots with the Ft. Benning junior rifle team having moved from Florida to Columbus, Georgia, to take advantage of opportunities to grow with the Ft. Benning team.

Furrer, a member of the Ohio State University rifle team and USA Shooting National Development Team, celebrated her 19th birthday at Camp Perry on Sunday. She began shooting at the age of 10, shooting prone air rifle and eventually moved into three-position smallbore and eventually three-position air rifle

Amanda Furrer, a member of both the OSU Rifle team and USA Shooting National Development Team, finished ninth overall in the 60-shot standing air rifle event.

Reflecting on her Saturday performance, Furrer said she enjoyed the match and didn't realize she was in a shoot-off right away.

"It was a good match - a lot of fun. I tend not to pay attention to what other shooters are doing," she said. Furrer has been working on relaxation techniques and focus. She said working with a sports psychologist has helped her concentrate more. She also credits good sleeping and eating habits for her success.

When asked how college shooting was going she said, "Ohio State is awesome. I love my team."

Cecelia Oxender-Tio, with mom Cindy, experienced the CMP North Competition Center for the first time during the Camp Perry Open.

Cecelia Oxender-Tio, 14, of Marietta, Ohio, who prefers her last name pronounced Tio-Oxender, said she really enjoyed her first experience shooting at the new Camp Perry facility.

A three year member of her local 4-H club, Tio-Oxender began shooting smallbore, pistol and eventually sporter air rifle.

"I like shooting air rifle a lot," she said. "This match was really fun. It was kind of intimidating because I've never seen this many kids shooting in one room," Tio-Oxender said.

Her mom, Cindy Oxender, said "it's beautiful in here." Cindy was recently certified as a 4-H rifle instructor.

I think I was more intimidated than she was,” Oxender said.

For more information and complete results of the 2010 Camp Perry Open, log onto http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=5071.  Photos can be viewed at http://www.odcmp.com/Photos/10/CPO/index.htm. 

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