Just being invited to compete at the USA Shooting National Championships and finals for the 2000 USA Olympic Trails was an honor in itself. But to bring home a bronze medal for finishing third overall among the Juniors and two gold medals for shooting was simply outstanding.

Glen Brace, 15, a sophomore-to-be at Montezuma-Cortez High School, competed June 24-26 at the Tom Lowe Shooting Grounds in Atlanta, the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics.

He shot in the Prone competition for smallbore (.22) rifles. He won the bronze medal in the 2000 USA Shooting National Championships Junior Third Place (bronze medal). He also won a gold for the 2000 USA Shooting National Championships Junior Free Rifle Prone High Intermediate. He shot 584 and 584 (possible 600) scores both days of the competition. He also won a gold for 2000 USA Shooting National Championships Junior Free Rifle Prone High Class D.

"I beat the National Three-Position Air Rifle National Champion in off-hand and in .22," Brace said after getting back home to Cortez. "I beat him bad. That was fun. He shot 560 both days and I shot 584 both days."

They weren’t exactly shooting at normal National Rifle Association ringed targets. They were shooting from 50 meters at a black disk which was hooked up to a computer.

"You weren’t shooting at a target but this disk. That was really unusual to be shooting at something like that. It was like you were shooting at target but you weren’t. It was just basically a black dot. It is electronically scored. It has four (protected) microphones behind it. You shoot at the dot. But you do have a computer screen right off to the left or right of you. It has the scoring there. This was totally new to me and just about everybody," he explained.

A total of seven made the finals, including one junior. Actually qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team were two marksmen from the U.S. Army.

Brace said the experience to compete at trails was "a treat. It was just like being a chocolate lover and getting to chew chocolate. It was just quite a treat to be shooting against the best in country, adult and junior."

Brace received an invitation this year because he is one of the top 25 sporter and 25 precision shooters ranked nationally.

He decided he will pass up competing in the National Smallbore Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio. Instead, he wants to attend the Shooting School at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in August. If he can’t get in there, another shooting school is being held in Oregon.

"We are sending in scores of all the matches I have shot in this year. We are faxing in a lot of paperwork today. I decided to pass up going to Camp Perry. I can shoot the air rifle and just shoot. But this an opportunity to go and learn how to shoot better. I hope I get accepted," he commented.