nastyleg
04-17-2010, 01:00 AM
Teen shoots for the big-time with air rifle
TUCSON, Ariz. - Tyler Rico hits his mark.
Rico, a sophomore at Flowing Wells High School, set a new national shooting record late last month at the National JROTC Championship in Anniston, Ala.
Competing for Flowing Wells' JROTC team, Rico earned a new overall record in the prone position for sporter-class air rifles by scoring 199-16 out of 200.
He took 20 shots and hit his targets in a specific area 16 times to earn a score of 199-16.
At the event, Rico and the other prone shooters fired at targets from 34 feet while lying on their stomachs.
Rico's national record ranks high on his list of achievements, which is sure to grow as the 15-year-old aims for a chance to shoot in the Olympics.
He'll put his talent on display later this month at the U.S. Olympic Shooting Center in Colorado Springs, where he will shoot for Olympic officials.
``It's a good feeling,'' he said of his success as a marksman. ``You know you can do better, so you try to beat yourself.''
Rico's record will be tough to top, retired Maj. Bob De Witt said.
``It's going to be really hard to beat it with a 199. Someone is going to have to shoot a perfect score,'' said De Witt, the Army JROTC instructor at Flowing Wells.
Still reeling from setting the national record, Rico finished in first place at last weekend's Arizona Shooting Junior Olympics in Phoenix and qualified to shoot in a National Junior Olympics shooting event this summer in Alabama.
His score at Saturday's competition also provided him with enough points to earn his second distinguished shooting badge through the Civilian Marksmanship Program, a national organization dedicated to gun safety training, marksmanship training and competitions.
He received the badge for air rifle, but it wasn't his first.
Rico earned his first badge for high-power rifle back when he was just 13 years, five months and 15 days old.
He stands as the youngest shooter to earn a distinguished badge.
``People try their whole life for that and he did it in three short years,'' said Cecil Rico, Tyler's father.
Rico grew up with rifles, but he and his father didn't start competing in shooting events until 2005.
Today, father and son travel all over the country to participate in competitions.
Rico regularly tops his father at contests.
``It's a good bonding experience,'' Tyler said of shooting with his dad. ``We have some friendly competition.''
Both compete for the Remington High-Power Rifle Team.
Cecil Rico calls his son a prodigy and credits Tyler's talent to good hand-eye coordination and strong mental discipline. And Tyler's success hasn't come without hard work.
``Hours of practice and mental management. That's what it is,'' Tyler said. ``You have to tell yourself not to shoot a bad shot.''
http://www.ktar.com/index.php?nid=6&sid=1284764
TUCSON, Ariz. - Tyler Rico hits his mark.
Rico, a sophomore at Flowing Wells High School, set a new national shooting record late last month at the National JROTC Championship in Anniston, Ala.
Competing for Flowing Wells' JROTC team, Rico earned a new overall record in the prone position for sporter-class air rifles by scoring 199-16 out of 200.
He took 20 shots and hit his targets in a specific area 16 times to earn a score of 199-16.
At the event, Rico and the other prone shooters fired at targets from 34 feet while lying on their stomachs.
Rico's national record ranks high on his list of achievements, which is sure to grow as the 15-year-old aims for a chance to shoot in the Olympics.
He'll put his talent on display later this month at the U.S. Olympic Shooting Center in Colorado Springs, where he will shoot for Olympic officials.
``It's a good feeling,'' he said of his success as a marksman. ``You know you can do better, so you try to beat yourself.''
Rico's record will be tough to top, retired Maj. Bob De Witt said.
``It's going to be really hard to beat it with a 199. Someone is going to have to shoot a perfect score,'' said De Witt, the Army JROTC instructor at Flowing Wells.
Still reeling from setting the national record, Rico finished in first place at last weekend's Arizona Shooting Junior Olympics in Phoenix and qualified to shoot in a National Junior Olympics shooting event this summer in Alabama.
His score at Saturday's competition also provided him with enough points to earn his second distinguished shooting badge through the Civilian Marksmanship Program, a national organization dedicated to gun safety training, marksmanship training and competitions.
He received the badge for air rifle, but it wasn't his first.
Rico earned his first badge for high-power rifle back when he was just 13 years, five months and 15 days old.
He stands as the youngest shooter to earn a distinguished badge.
``People try their whole life for that and he did it in three short years,'' said Cecil Rico, Tyler's father.
Rico grew up with rifles, but he and his father didn't start competing in shooting events until 2005.
Today, father and son travel all over the country to participate in competitions.
Rico regularly tops his father at contests.
``It's a good bonding experience,'' Tyler said of shooting with his dad. ``We have some friendly competition.''
Both compete for the Remington High-Power Rifle Team.
Cecil Rico calls his son a prodigy and credits Tyler's talent to good hand-eye coordination and strong mental discipline. And Tyler's success hasn't come without hard work.
``Hours of practice and mental management. That's what it is,'' Tyler said. ``You have to tell yourself not to shoot a bad shot.''
http://www.ktar.com/index.php?nid=6&sid=1284764