GMC News
Rifle Team Repeats as National Rifle Association ROTC National Champions!
GMC’s ROTC Rifle Team had steady hands as they shot their way to a National Championship on March 16 to win the 2014 NRA National Collegiate Club Championship ROTC Category. The team consisting of Cadets Ariel Vasquez(Palmetto,Fla.), Luke Torres (Palmetto,Fla.), Reginald Kendrick(Fairburn,Ga.), and CameronSchneberger (Crestview,Fla.), all had personal bests recorded as they shot this nationalmatch.The team had excellent focus throughout the match, visualizing their shots, then honing in on their abilities and shooting magnificently throughout the contest. What is truly remarkable about these shooters isthatthree of the four of them are first year shooters at the collegiate level.Cadet Kendrick is the only returning shooter from last year’s ROTC National Championship Team. Shootingagainst junior and senior level competition,GMC’s ROTC team scored an aggregate team score of 2171 which blew away the score of last year’s winning team by a 126 point spread.GMC not only won the first place trophy for the ROTC Category but also came in second overall in the Air Rifle Competition. This contest had GMC shooterspitted against teams from theUniversityofMichigan,North DakotaStateUniversity,ClemsonUniversity,PurdueUniversity,UniversityofWisconsin-Oshkosh,University of Wisconsin-Superior,IllinoisState University,andCanisusCollege. Cadet Ariel Vasquez scored a 547, the highest score of all ROTC Competitors, andreceived the goldmedal. GMC’s other ROTC team members shot exceptional scores as well scoring as follows; Cadet Torres – 545, Cadet Kendrick – 540, and CadetSchneberger– 539. TheGMC Rifle team had two teams in the competition at the national level as both qualified at the sectional competition for the opportunity to compete at the National Level. The Varsity Team (as they are known) also shot exceptionally well with a sixth place finish overall in the Air Rifle Competition. These team members shot an aggregate team score of 2073 with each shooting as follows; Cadet AlexanderBueler– 547 (Germany), Mr. Cameron Smith – 523(Macon,Ga.),Cadet Howard Lane– 505(Crestview,Fla.), and Cadet Robin Rochester – 498(Palmetto,Fla.). The GMC Rifle Team began their quest for a repeat of their National Championship in September as the team was formulated and began working hard to make this Championship a reality. These young men worked tirelessly to earn this second championship. All eight of these young shooters shot thousands of shots over the season to hone their skills and to bring this championship home toGeorgiaMilitaryCollegefor a second yearin a row. To say the least, Coaches Mary Ellen Eaton and LTC (Ret) Duane Clayton are proud of the team’s accomplishments and the work these men put into making this opportunity become a reality. During the weekend of the competition the GMC shooters had the opportunity to see and speak to the United States Army Marksmanship Unit personnel who regularly compete in world class-level competitions. In fact, while GMC shooters shot their match, one of the World Class shooters, SFC Norton of the Army Marksmanship Unit, shot on the same relay adjacent to the GMC Shooters. SFC Norton is hoping to make the USA Olympic Team. Olympic Gold Medalist Jamie Lynn Gray, who won the 3 Position Shooting Competition at the London Olympics in 2012, was in attendance and offered encouragement to all those competing, explaining that ‘nervousness goes with the sport of shooting and you have to learn to embrace it and to deal with it in a positive manner.’ Georgia Military Rifle Team received many compliments from the officials and the Director of the NRA Competitive Shooting Sports, Dennis Willing. The GMC shooters demonstrated character and discipline that must be exhibited by champions of any sport. That, paired with steady and continuous focus throughout the match gave GMC the necessary edge to become the NRA ROTC National Champions!
GMC ROTC Team and NRA ROTC National Champions – L to R Cadet Ariel Vasquez, Cadet Reginald Kendrick, Cadet Cameron Schneberger, and Cadet Luke Torres
Gold Medal of the NRA Intercollegiate National Champions
Cadet Ariel Vasquez receives the Gold Medal for the highest score in the ROTC Category
GMC ROTC Team Receiving Awards
L to R – Cadet Robin Rochester, Cadet Luke Torres, Cadet Ariel Vasquez, Cadet Howard Lane, Cadet Cameron Schneberger, Cadet Alexander Bueler, Mr. Cameron Smith, Cadet Reginald Kendrick, and Sergeant First Class Norton, a member of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit
L to R (kneeling) – Cadet Alexander Bueler, Mr. Cameron Smith, Cadet Howard Lane, and Cadet Robin Rochester; (standing) – Cadet Cameron Schneberger, Cadet Luke Torres, Cadet Ariel Vasquez, and Cadet Reginald Kendrick
Cadet Howard Lane with Gold Medalist Jamie Lynn Gray who won her gold medal in 3-position shooting at the 2012 London Olympics
