Army Shooters Dominate Interservice Pistol Matches

Capt. Rhonda Bright and Staff Sgt. Daryl Szarenski, both members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Benning, captured two gold medals each.

Bright, assigned at Benning since 1988, won the gold medal in the women's 25-meter sport pistol match. She scored 680.8 out of a possible 709 points. She then captured the 10-meter air pistol title, scoring 480.9 of 509 possible points.

Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Callahan of Upper Marlboro, Md., a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team, finished second in both events. Sgt. Sheryl Kaufman, an Army National Guard soldier from Scottsdale, Ariz., took both bronze medals.

Szarenski captured three medals overall, first winning the men's 50-meter free pistol competition. He scored 662.9 points of a possible 709 to finish nearly 10 points ahead of Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class George Ross of Santa Clarita, Calif. Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Wilder, an Army reservist from Lowell, Ind., took third.

Szarenski then captured his second gold medal, again defeating Ross, in the men's 10-meter air pistol. Air Force Reserve 1st Lt. David Vondrak of Navarre, Fla., finished third.

Ross earned one gold medal, winning the men's 25-meter center-fire competition. Center-fire shooters, using .32- or .38- caliber pistols, have three seconds to fire five shots at a single target. They repeat this process every eight seconds and fire 60 rounds during competition.

In winning the center-fire gold medal, Ross edged Army Sgt. Roger Jacobson of Benning by one point. Taking third was Army Capt. Steven King, also of Benning.

Wilder also earned a gold medal, defeating Szarenski in the three-round, 25-yard standard fire competition. In this format, shooters fire 60 shots -- 20 self-paced, 20 timed shots in 20 seconds and 20 rapid shots in 10 seconds. Wilder scored 574 points out of a possible 600. Szarenski took the silver medal, finishing eight points behind Wilder. Ross finished third, winning his fourth tournament medal.

The 25-meter rapid fire title went to Army Reserve Lt. Col. Terry Anderson of Dallas. Anderson, also a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team, earned a five-point victory over Army Sgt. Stan Hayes, another Dallas reservist. Staff Sgt. Eric Daniels of Benning took third.

Rapid fire shooters fire five shots at five targets in decreasing time increments. They shoot five rounds in eight seconds, then five shots in six seconds, followed by five shots in four seconds -- all in rapid succession. Shooters do this four times and fire 60 shots in competition.

Men's 50-meter free pistol (.22-caliber pistol with spotting scope)
1. Staff Sgt. Daryl Szarenski (A) Fort Benning, 662.9 points.
2. Sgt. 1st Class George Ross (A) Santa Clarita, Calif., 653.3.
3. Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Wilder (A) Lowell, Ind., 623.3.

Men's 10-meter air pistol (.177-caliber pistol)
1. Szarenski, 680.7.
2. Ross, 672.
3. 1st Lt. David Vondrak (AF), Navarre, Fla., 661.1.

Men's 25-yard standard free pistol (.22-caliber pistol)
1. Wilder, 574.
2. Szarenski, 566.
3. Ross, 563.

Men's 25-meters center fire pistol (.32- or .38-caliber)
1. Ross, 722.
2. Sgt. Roger Jacobsen (A), Benning, 721.
3. Capt. Steven King (A) Benning, 712.

Men's 25-meter rapid fire pistol (.22-caliber)
1. Lt. Col. Terry Anderson (A), Dallas, 679.6.
2. Sgt. Stan Hayes (A), Dallas, 674.7.
3. Staff Sgt. Eric Daniels (A), Benning, 664.4.

Women's 25 meter sport pistol (.22-caliber pistol with spotting scope)
1. Capt. Rhonda L. Bright (A), Benning, 680.7.
2. Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Callahan (A) Upper Marlboro, Md., 676.2.
3. Sgt. Sheryl Kauffman (A), Scottsdale, Ariz., 666.1.

Women's 10-meter air pistol (.177-caliber pistol)
1. Bright, 480.9 points.
2. Callahan, 472.7.
3. Kauffman, 460.5.

(Paula J. Randall-Pagan of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit contributed to this story.)