2008 U.S. Olympic alternate to join Buckeyes in 2009-10 season

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Amanda Furrer, a sharp shooter from Spokane, Wash., signed a NCAA National Letter of Intent to compete for the Ohio State rifle team starting in the 2009-10 season, Patrick Cherry, Ohio State head coach, announced Thursday.

“We are as happy as we could be to have Amanda be Buckeye,” Cherry said.

Furrer, who is on track to graduate from Mead High School in the spring, placed third at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the women’s 3-position smallbore rifle event May 22 at Ft. Benning’s International Shooting Complex in Columbus, Ga. As the third finisher, she served as the U.S. female alternate for the Beijing Games.

She also represented the country at the 2008 ISSF Beijing World Cup April 12-20. The cup, which served as a test event for the 2008 Olympic Games, was held at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall and Beijing Shooting Range Clay-Target Field.

This year, Furrer, who started shooting at age 11, captured first place in the 3-position smallbore event at the Junior Olympics in Colorado and Junior International Hopes Match in the Czech Republic. She also had second-place finishes in the air rifle at the Rocky Mountain Championships and Junior Olympics.

In 2007, she was the gold medalist at the Spring Selection and silver medalist at the Junior Olympics in the women’s 3-position competition. In addition, Furrer was one of 26 athletes selected to represent the U.S. at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13-28. At the international competition she won the bronze medal in the women’s 3-position smallbore event, shooting a 1926.9.

Furrer, who owns six junior national records in smallbore and air rifle, has taken part in shooting competition in seven countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, England, Germany and Korea.