The first event that I shot was Free Pistol.  This is a precision, slow fire event shot with a .22 pistol.  It is an Olympic event and consists of 60 match shots plus unlimited sighting shots over the course of 2 hours.  It is shot at a distance of 50 meters with the “bull’s-eye” or 10-ring about the size of a college coin.  I shot a personal best score of 506/600 which seeded me 12^th in the US and earned me an invitation right there!  It was also the 3^rd place score at the West Point sectionals, behind two shooters from the USMA team and earned me the bronze in that event for the sectionals.  This was a pleasant surprise, but a necessary one as the next day my air pistol match wasn’t the best I had ever shot and I missed the cut-off by one point out of 600.  This was a disappointment but I was happy with the knowledge that I would be going to the Nationals! 

After departing New York for some R&R&R (rest, recreation and recruiting!) in Vancouver, I ended my reading week with another competition in Toronto.  The Canadian Air Gun Grand-Prix is an internationally sanctioned event held in the ballroom of the Doubletree International Plaza Hotel in Toronto.  The air pistol event is similar to free pistol, consisting of 60 match shots and unlimited sighting shots in 1.75 hours.  The air pistols are .177 calibre, the same size pellets as you might find at Canadian Tire.  It is shot at 10 meters, so the bull’s-eye is substantially smaller, less than the size of a dime.  Here, I would be shooting two matches of Air Pistol, hoping to make up for my score in West Point.  In this I succeeded greatly, shooting a personal best of 555/600 on the first day then a respectable 549/600 on the second day.  These scores were added together for a total of 1104/1200.  This score earned me 12^th of 55 shooters from Canada and the USA.  That number does not include any junior shooters as due to my birthday I was one day too old to shoot as junior.  Had I been one day younger I would have taken gold in the junior category.  Quite happy with my results, I headed back to RMC for school and more training. 

All of my efforts came together for the NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Championships which were held at the US Army Marksmanship Unit in Fort Benning, GA.  This facility is a world class shooting facility, which has hosted many World Cups in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun and has been the training facility for many Olympic medalists and World Champions.  Although I would not be shooting air pistol, I brought it

with me to train and hope that I might get a chance to compete if some of the invitees did not attend.  I again used ammunition and a free pistol graciously donated by the USMA team.  I was concerned, as without a free pistol to practice with at RMC I had been relying on my air pistol training to help me.  The day before the competition I matched my previous score in practice, but the next day I didn’t do as well, dropping 15 points from my previous score.  That was disappointing, but no one can shoot personal bests every day in this sport!  The following day though, I used the air pistol range to train as my competitions were done.  This practice time was very successful and effective as I was shooting and practicing under match conditions in an international facility.  The culmination of my efforts was a personal best of 561/600.  This score, had I shot it the next day in competition would have put me in the silver medal spot, though as an international guest, I would have just gotten a pat on the back.  On the day of the air pistol match everyone did indeed show up, so unfortunately I didn’t get to shoot.  I was not disappointed though, I left Ft. Benning with a new personal best in air pistol, tying an old record in free and an amazing experience.  Thought it was my last visit to Ft. Benning as a colligate shooter, I look forward to shooting there again as a CISM team member and soon, hopefully, a member of the Canadian National Team.  This match helped me greatly in working towards my long-term goals of shooting competitively on the international scene, and ideally at the Olympics in 2012.  

Many thanks go out to the RMC Foundation and the support of the athletic dept. for making this financially possible for me and especially to LTC Saunders and the members of the USMA Pistol Team who helped me and worked very closely with me to make going to the Nationals possible. 

(click on picture for larger view)

The West Point pistol team for 2005/06 and 23518 RMC IV Year Officer Cadet Jesse Olsen on the grounds behind the AMU ranges Ft. Benning, GA. Do we detect Mr. Olsen attempting a likeness of one of the Old 18?