Emmons keeps sights set high: Former Nanook rifle standout shows his best days could be ahead
Post date: Jul 1, 2015 7:24:39 AM
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner editorial
News-Miner opinion: There comes a time in every professional athlete’s life when he or she looks at the potential for the future and makes a decision, conscious or unconscious, to begin a transition into a life after competition at the highest level. Matt Emmons is the highest-profile shooter of many accomplished rifle competitors to start their careers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. After three medals (one of each color) earned in the past three Olympic Games, no one would fault him if he were to decide to begin that transition now. But he has no plans to step back. On the contrary, he threw down a marker for the world during the past weekend by turning in one of his best performances ever at the USA Shooting National Championships.
Mr. Emmons’ career shooting rifle has been colorful, marked by success, drama and occasional disappointment. At UAF, he was a force of nature on a team full of great talents. In his years competing, he not only led the Nanooks to four consecutive NCAA national rifle titles but also captured the individual rifle title himself all four years.
During his first year after graduating from UAF, he competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. He won gold in the prone competition and was one shot away from a historic second gold in three-position when he fired at the wrong target, knocking himself out of contention. That lost gold medal, however, had a silver lining, as Czech shooter Katerina Kurková came over to him after the miss to express her sympathies. The two were married three years later.
In 2008 and 2012, Emmons again competed with the U.S. team at the Olympics, winning a silver medal in prone in Beijing and a bronze in three-position in London. The gold-silver-bronze trend over three successive Olympic Games might have led some to the conclusion Emmons’ talents were reaching twilight, and that a new generation of shooters had arrived to take over at the sport’s highest level. Last weekend, he put any such talk to rest.
Emmons got his week at nationals off to a good start early. Thursday, he shot an 1,186 in the three-position competition, a tally that would equal the world record in the event. Friday, he did himself one better, finishing with a 1,187 and running away with the gold. Sunday, he locked down a second gold in the prone competition. Recent UAF graduate Ryan Anderson distinguished himself as well, placing third in the three-position event and securing his own spot to compete at the upcoming International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Gabala, Azerbaijan.
Current UAF rifle team member Luke Johnson also did well for himself, winning a Junior National title in the three-position competition. The standout performance is good news for Nanook rifle fans, as Johnson still has three years of NCAA eligibility left to compete with the squad.
There will surely come a day when Emmons, like everyone else, decides to move on from his sport. But with his performances at nationals last week, he left no doubt he will be a force to be reckoned with in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro — and quite likely 2020 in Tokyo. It’s a testament to many things: the strength of the UAF rifle program, the character of athletes molded in Interior Alaska, but most importantly, to the fact that what we accomplish can have quite a bit more to do with our own expectations and goals than the expectations of those on the sidelines. So long as Matt Emmons is shooting, he’ll have our support.