USA Shooting Launches Lones Wigger Junior Olympic Endowment

by
posted on February 8, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
loneswigger-endowmentpic.jpg
Above: Lones Wigger alongside the Women's Three-Position Rifle medalists from the 2015 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships—Olympic gold medalist Ginny Thrasher of West Virginia University (right), Texas Christian University-bound Elizabeth Marsh (middle) and University of Kentucky sophomore Hanna Carr.

USA Shooting has announced the Lones Wigger/USAS Junior Olympic Endowment in cooperation with the MidwayUSA Foundation. This endowment will help create an enduring legacy for one of the greatest competitive shooters in history. The endowment serves as the official launch of the Lones Wigger Legacy Project that will be announced in full detail later this month.

Wigger helped construct the USA Shooting Junior Olympic program, which annually gives youths ages 11-20 the opportunity to compete on a national stage at the USA Shooting Centerlocated at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. The creation of a legacy endowment which will provide additional funding opportunities for USA Shooting to help grow youth programs and enhance grassroots development.

A five-time Olympian, Lones Wigger is an iconic figure in the shooting sports and is the only USA Shooting Team member ever elected to the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Hall of Fame. He has won more medals in international shooting competition (111) than any other shooting athlete in the world, and is the only athlete to win medals in all three Olympic rifle shooting disciplines. Wigger was selected as one of the United States Olympic Committee’s 100 Golden Olympians in 1996 and carried the Olympic Torch in 1996 and 2002. A member of four Halls of Fame, including the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and U.S. International Shooting Hall of Fame, his international shooting career spanned 25 years (1961-86). The National Rifle Association honored Wigger last year at the National Smallbore Prone Championship with the debut of the Lones Wigger Iron Man Trophy.

"The Lones Wigger Endowment is the continuation of a lifelong pursuit of greatness and an important investment in recognizing a man who has given selflessly to his sport throughout his career," said USA Shooting Interim CEO Dave Johnson. He added, "The real winners here are the youth this endowment will help serve and the betterment of youth shooting sports programs across this country."

The Lones Wigger/USAS Junior Olympic Endowment is the second youth endowment started by USA Shooting. The Athlete Endowment Fund was established in 2005 with the intention of awarding grants to shooting sport athletes to help offset the cost of competitions, equipment, ammunition, travel and training in hopes of maintaining USA Shooting’s competitive excellence well into the future.

Story and photo courtesy of USA Shooting.

Latest

1930 39 Natmatches Lede 1
1930 39 Natmatches Lede 1

Marksmen and Milestones: The National Matches 1930–1939

The National Matches in the 1930s elevated marksmanship, blending military, police and civilian prowess to shape America’s pre-World War II shooting legacy.

Review: Federal Master Class Sporting Clays Shotshells

Federal’s Master Class shotshells deliver solid patterns and competition-ready consistency at a price that undercuts premium target loads.

USA Shooting Athletes Set for 2025 ISSF World Cup Final in Qatar

Eleven U.S. shooters arrive in Doha carrying recent world titles and momentum into this week’s ISSF World Cup Final.

Hampden-Sydney College Marks a New Era With Slate Hill Shooting Sports Academy Dedication

Hampden-Sydney College opens new Shooting Sports Academy at historic Slate Hill in Virginia, uniting campus history with competitive shooting sports.

What’s In Your Range Bag, Connor Daniel?

Junior world champion Connor Daniel reveals the gear and preparation supporting his rapid rise in Sporting Clays and FITASC competition.

SK Customs Unveils Mayan Empire Series

SK Customs’ new Mayan Empire Colt 1911s chambered in .38 Super blend precision guncraft with the legacy of the ancient Mayan civilization.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.