Murray State University Athletics
Hicks Shoots For Spot In Pan American Games
4/8/2007 5:00:00 AM | Rifle
As a shooter, Morgan Hicks has reached several goals that many shooters only dream of. She took part in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. An eight-time All-American as a collegiate shooter at Murray State and NCAA champion in air rifle, later becoming the coach of her alma mater's rifle team, the youngest rifle coach in the nation.
One international event that has eluded her grasp, however, is the Pan American Games. The last time the Pan Am qualifiers came around, Hicks opted instead to focus on her studies. The Games were held Aug. 1-17, 2003, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, just before her senior year began at Murray State.
"This is the only international competition that I haven't gone to," Hicks said. "I've gone to World Championships, the Olympics, Championship of the Americas -- this is the one big one that I have not been able to go to. I didn't try out for it the last time, four years ago, because of school. I decided that was more important. Then, I tried out for the Olympics, and I made it to the Olympics the next year. Now, I've got the opportunity to get into the Pan American Games, so hopefully, things will go well."
This time around, the Spring Selection/Pan American Qualifier will be held at Fort Benning, Ga., this Monday through Wednesday. The 2007 Pan American Games will be held July 13-29 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
"To qualify for the Pan American Games, you have to finish among the top two in the qualifying rounds," Hicks said. "This is for the smallbore portion, the .22 portion. Right now, I'm going into it in fifth place, and hopefully, I'll come out in first or second!
"I've been training really hard. This is probably the hardest I've been training in a while. I've been shooting a lot at our range, and things are improving every day, it seems like. I'm improving a point here and a point there, and at this level, a point here and a point there is quite a bit! It's been going really well. I'm really excited about it and worked hard. I'm not going to go down there and slack off; that's for sure. I didn't work this hard for nothing."
For more information about the qualifier, visit the Web site www.USAshooting.com, and for information about the 2007 Pan American Games, visit www.cob.org.br/pan2007/ingles/indexing.asp.
