FORT BENNING, Ga. – The 2008 USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle and Pistol are set to begin this weekend at the Pool International Shooting Complex and Phillips Range on post; the competition will run through July 5.

Approximately 300 rifle and pistol shooters will compete in the week long National Championships, hosted by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and conducted by USA Shooting, the National Governing Body for the Olympic Shooting Sports. Among the athletes competing for national titles will be 13 members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team

Two-time Olympian USAMU’s Sgt. 1st Class Jason A. Parker, who was last year’s National Champion in Men’s Three Position Rifle will represent the USA in both Men’s Three Position and Men’s Air Rifle at the Olympic Games in Beijing this August. Parker will join 2004 Olympian Matt Emmons of Browns Mills, N.J., on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Men’s Three Position. Emmons secured two Olympic team spots, both in Three Position and Prone Rifle. Emmons was the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist in Men’s Prone.

Jamie Beyerle of Lebanon, Pa., the 2007 National Champion in Women’s Three Position will be representing the USA on her first Olympic team in August. At 18 years of age, Sandra Fong of New York City, N.Y., is the youngest member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Shooting team, having qualified for a spot in Women’s Three Position Rifle, along with Beyerle.

Nineteen-year-old West Point Cadet Stephen Scherer and 2004 Olympian Emily Caruso of Fairfield, Conn., each qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in Air Rifle. Caruso was the 2007 National Women’s Air Rifle Champion.

Three-time Olympian and 2004 Silver Medalist in Three Position, Maj. Michael E. Anti of the USAMU secured a spot on his fourth consecutive U.S. Olympic Team, this time in the Men’s Prone event.

Last year’s National Champion in Women’s Sport Pistol, 56 year-old three-time Olympian Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Callahan will represent the USA in Beijing on her fourth U.S. Olympic Team.

In Men’s Free Pistol, 2004 Olympian Jason Turner of Rochester, N.Y., qualified for his second consecutive U.S. Olympic Team, along with two-time Olympian and USAMU member Sgt. 1st Class Daryl L. Szarenski, who will represent the USA on his third Olympic team. Turner will compete in both Free Pistol and Air Pistol at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and was also last year’s National Champion in both events. Army Staff Sgt. Keith Sanderson earned his first berth to the U.S. Olympic Team in the Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol event.

Brenda Shinn of Riverside, Calif., and Brian Beaman of Selby, S.D., both qualified for spots on the U.S. Olympic Team in Air Pistol.

National Championship results will be updated daily on USA Shooting’s website, www.usashooting.org.

The schedule of events for the 2008 Rifle and Pistol National Championships is as follows:

June 29
Men’s Free Pistol Match
Women’s Sport Pistol Match
Men’s Air Rifle Match
Women’s Air Rifle Match

June 30
Men’s Free Pistol Match and Final
Women’s Sport Pistol Match and Final
Men’s Air Rifle Match and Final
Women’s Air Rifle Final Match and Final

July 1
Men’s Air Pistol Match
Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol Match
Women’s Air Pistol Match
Men’s Prone Rifle Match
Women’s Prone Rifle Matches

July 2
Men’s Air Pistol Match and Final
Men’s Rapid Fire Match and Final
Women’s Air Pistol Match and Final
Men’s Prone Rifle Match and Final
Women’s Three Position Match

July 3
Men’s Standard Pistol Matches
Women’s Three Position Match and Final

July 4
Men’s Center Fire Matches
Junior Men’s Sport Pistol Matches
Men’s Three Position Rifle Match

July 5
Men’s Three Position Match and Final.