By W&G Staff

With the Summer Olympic Games set for Beijing, China, next summer, the shooting sports-and American women-will briefly return to the national consciousness. Since the shooting medals are traditionally among the first awarded, it's a pretty good bet that the first American medal will be won by a shooting Olympian.

Among the hopefuls is our cover girl, Jamie Beyerle, 23 years old, of Lebanon, PA, will compete in 3-position rifle as well as airgun. Beyerle was the gold medalist at this year's Pan American Games in rifle and bronze medalist in airgun at the 2007 World Cup.
She got her start in shooting at age 8 in a BB gun program and is currently a student at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, where she is a member of that school NCAA Rifle Team. Beyerle has a blog at NBC's (which will carry the 2008 Summer Games) website, which will detail her Olympic journey.

Joining Beyerle on the short list for the US Women's Rifle Team are Emily Caruso, Nicole Cooper, Becky Hershberger, Erin Lorenzen, Janet Raab and Amy Sowash.

The Shotgun Team, in which events are Trap, Double Trap and Skeet will likely include 3-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode, 28, of El Monte CA, who took home gold in 1996 and 2000 for Double Trap as well as a 2004 bronze in the same event.

Other Shotgun Team members may include Corey Cogdell, Joetta Dement, Teresa DeWitt, Haley Dunn, Brandie Neal and Olympic veteran Connie Smotek.

On the handgun side, Olympic Events include Pistol and Sporter Pistol events. Libby Callahan, 55, of Columbia, SC, a veteran of 1922, 1996 and 2004 Olympic Games, will anchor the Pistol Team. Other competitors in Beijing may include: Vladamira Borisova, Heather Depp, Teresa Meyer, Diana Nee, Elizabeta Nishica, Brenda Shinn and Sandra Uptagrafft.

With the Olympics on the horizon, it's good to remember that every year there are major shooting sports titles up for grabs and every year American women step up to the line.
For the first time in four years, 2007 saw the US Women win the Randle Women's International Team Trophy with a score of 3985-260X.

The Randle Trophy, was first presented in 1952 and is named for former National Rifle Association (NRA) President Thurman Randle and teams must be from English-speaking countries.

The US Team shot its portion of the match at Camp Perry this summer. Randle Cup competition is a postal match, meaning teams do not meet face-to-face but instead submit their scores by mail to a central authority.

Great Britain was second in the competition, followed by South Africa.

Nearly perfect for the US Team was Leslie Grace Angeli, whose total score was 400-29X (400-30X was the best possible score for an individual). Angeli's teammates were: Reya Kempley, Melisso Lussier, Edie Reynolds, Michele Bauer, Deena Wigger, Virginia McLemore, Taylor Beard, Stephanie Petrescu and Celeste Green.

Also in international competition, the US Young Eagles Team, a mixed-sex rifle team, shot the World Long Range Championship in Ontario, Canada in two divisions-under 21 and under 25. The match is held every four years.

The US Under 21 Team took gold and the Under 25 Team took silver. Vikki Gaddie, vice captain of the team was W&G's July/August cover girl.

Back at Camp Perry, where the National Matches are shot, individual honors went to several women.

Kimberley Hobart of New Philadephia, OH, was the Woman Champion in several pistol disciplines, including Centerfire and .22 Rapid Fire, leading to a an overall Woman Championship.

The National 3-Position Smallbore Rifle Championship (an aggregate of three matches) saw Abby Fong of New York, NY, claim both High Civilian and High Woman honors. High Power Rifle honors were claimed by Gsg. Julia Watson, of West Jordan, UT.

Julie Goloski, under the auspices of Team Smith & Wesson, won her first Bianchi Cup title this year as well as the United States Practical Shooting Association's Limited 10 Ladies Title. Goloski was also High Lady shooter at the International Practical Shooting Association's World Cup Match, held in El Salvador, placing 7th overall.

Fellow S&W Team member Annette Aysen took two American Handgunner titles-stock revolver and stock woman.