August 27, 2009 (Washington, DC) - A record number of Congressional staffers joined the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation on Wednesday for the annual August Recess Shoot at the Prince George's County Trap and Skeet Center in Glenn Dale, Maryland.
The Recess Shoot is designed to bring Congressional staff together for a fun day out of the office with hands on experience at the shooting range and to discuss issues in the U.S. Congress that impact sportsmen and the outdoor industry.
Participants ranged from beginners who had never touched a firearm to experienced shooters. The beginning shooters were introduced to the sport with one-on-one lessons in firearm safety and target shooting skills from experienced instructors, while the more experienced shooters took part in the friendly competition to determine the best shot.
"This year, we had more than 100 people participate including nearly a third that had never held a shotgun before," said CSF President Jeff Crane. "The increasing popularity of this event is a strong indication of how we have built a network of knowledgeable staff that can be an important resource in advancing the sportsmen's agenda in Congress."
Top gun for the best overall score for the day went to Travis Couture-Lovelady from the office of Sen. Sam Brownback. Republican top gun went to Brent Boydston from the office of Rep. Steve King, and Democrat top gun went to Joe Toth from the office of Rep. Chris Carney. Female top gun was Allison Shulman. Other winners included: top skeet shooter, Steve Ernst; top trap shooter, Pete Lamont; top sporting clays shooter, John Runyan; and top beginners included Kyle Oliver, Matt Weinsten and Brendon Plack.
