Shooting Wire

Sacramento, California- On July 17 and 18, 116 juniors from across the country gathered in Colorado Springs, Colorado to compete in the 2010 USA Shooting Junior Olympic Championships. A team of three shooters representing Santa Ynez Gun Club - composed of two National Junior Olympic Team members, Ashley Carroll (Solvang) and Michael J. Flores (Sacramento), and fellow California shooter Logan Mountain (Palmdale) - took the Gold medal and were crowned the 2010 National Scholastic Trap Program Open Champions. The Santa Ynez team closed the match with 309 targets and never looked back finishing well ahead of the Silver medal team from Missouri and Bronze medalists from Connecticut .

Santa Ynez coach Charlie Carroll was pleased to say the least, "these young athletes put tremendous hours into shooting year round and it finally paid dividends in Gold." This is the first time the team from California reached the top of the podium.

Both Carroll and Flores took the Bronze medal in last year's championships and Silver in 2008. Carroll, who just returned from World Cup competition in Lonato, Italy, said, "I guess it's true when they say the third time is a charm." Carroll also won the gold medal in the Junior Olympics' J2 division.

Mountain was thrilled with the win. He joined the team for this year's match but had known his team mates for sometime. Mountain said he had great respect for his team mates but felt right at home along side of them.

Flores, the reigning California State Junior Olympic Trap champion, said he was looking forward to the Fall Selection match especially with the momentum of his team's gold medal win. The Fall Selection match, in Kerrville, Texas on August 26, is the next competition for these athletes. They will individually compete with other shooters for spots on the 2011 World Cup Team by taking their combined scores from this year's National Championship and the Kerrville match.

California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) is proud to be the primary sponsor of Michael J. Flores. In addition to his remarkable accomplishments on the trap range, he serves as an extraordinary ambassador for our hunting and shooting traditions and a beacon for the future of these time-honored American traditions.

To learn more about Michael Flores and follow his progress, visit his web site at www.MJFshooting.com

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The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) is a partnership of conservation organizations, outdoor industry, other related interests and individuals who support science-based wildlife management and the preservation of our hunting rights in California. COHA is a 501(c)4 Political Advocacy organization dedicated solely to influencing legislative, regulatory and administrative policy decisions which promote wildlife conservation and our outdoor and shooting heritage. For more information, please visit COHA's web site at www.outdoorheritage.org.

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