March 23, 2009–The University of Utah Pistol Team scored impressive wins at the National Inter-Collegiate Pistol Championships held last week at Fort Benning, Georgia. Lindsay Daniels, a senior graduating with a double major in international studies and sociology, as well as a minor in Arabic, is the National Champion in the Women’s Air Pistol event. Daniels also finished fourth in the Women’s Sport Pistol event. She is only the second athlete in team history to win an individual national championship in pistol shooting. Lindsay also took third place in the women’s individual aggregate, the first Utah athlete to achieve this honor. Daniels took All-American honors in the Women’s Sport Pistol Event.

Brad Collins, a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, won the qualifying match in the Open Air Pistol event but dropped to second place in the Finals competition, trailing the winner by only 0.6 points out of a possible 609. Collins brought home All-American honors in the Free, Standard and Air Pistol events, only the second athlete in team history to earn that many in one year.

In the team competition, the University of Utah Naval ROTC Standard Pistol team won the national championship in that event, improving their score by more than 100 points since the qualifying match a month ago that earned them a berth at Nationals and overcoming a severe deficit behind Texas A&M. The U’s Air Pistol team came in second nationally, a mere six points out of 2400 behind perpetual powerhouse Ohio State. Note that this means they beat traditional powerhouses Navy, Army and MIT.

For more information, please contact coach Matt DeLong at 801-581-07462, delong@physics.utah.edu.