News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5056 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE OCTOBER 12, 2006

ABAC student Steve Evans practices his shooting

ABAC STUDENT AIMING FOR OLYMPICS

TIFTON – Steve Evans, an 18-year-old pre-law major at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, is setting his sights on the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The Nashville native has just completed his first qualifying round in shooting, competing in trap and double trap, for a chance at the World Cup Grand Prix.

“I average 102 – 103 out of 125 in single trap,” Evans said. “Single trap shooting is when they launch a bird going 100 miles per hour at a 45 degree angle in any direction, and the shooter has less than a second to break the bird. In double trap shooting, there are two birds leaving at 70 miles per hour.”

Evans said he got started in professional competitive shooting when someone who knew about the sport saw him shooting.

“I learned to shoot through 4-H,” Evans said. “I never shot competitively before that, and I never had a coach before, other than my dad.”

He entered his first competition in June of 2005 and has made rapid progress in the sport.

“I’m still very young in the sport and have been fortunate to move up so rapidly,” Evans said. “I hope to continue improving as rapidly as I started.”

Evans participated in the Georgia Junior Olympics sixteen days after making his professional debut and was ranked fifth in the competition.

In July of 2005, he qualified for the National Championship and in August he competed in the National Junior Olympics. Only one-tenth of one percent of eligible shooters get invited to events such as these.

Evans competed in both of these events with a broken shoulder blade to his shooting side caused by a car accident.

“People, including my competitors, thought I was crazy for competing in that condition,” Evans said.

In 2006 Evans competed once again in the Georgia Junior Olympics, where he took home the bronze medal. Evans credits much of his success to his new coaches. He is coached by Brett Erickson, a three-time Olympian and six-time champion in the sport. He is also coached by Dean Clark of the Army marksman team at Ft. Benning.

“They have really helped to improve my scores, and I credit both of them for moving me up a notch and being more competitive,” Evans said.

Evans also credits his father for supporting him in the sport. “Until recently my dad was the one paying for everything,” Evans said.

“My training budget is $3,000 a month. That consists of ammunition, equipment, and the guns themselves,” Evans said. “I train three hours a day, seven days a week.

“Thankfully I had a lot of help from the people at Bo Hunter Gun Shop, Carlton Outdoors, Perrazzi, Winchester Ammo, Decot Shooting Glasses, and Steve Taylor with Delta Airlines. They have been instrumental in getting me what I needed.”

Before going onto the World Cup Grand Prix next summer, Evans still has to compete in Florida at the Southeastern Regional Olympic Trap competition and the spring qualifier for the World Cup Grand Prix.

“If you do well there, you can go on to the Grand Prix,” Evans said. “There is a lot more participation and competition. After the Grand Prix, I would like to make a team. I would like to make the National Junior Olympic team or the National Development team.”

Currently, Evans is ranked in the top 100 in the nation in single trap shooting and in the top 30 in doubles trap shooting.

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