UK Student Shoots for the Gold

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2010) − Precision, grace and skill are only a few of the necessary qualities of an Olympian.

That's all in a day's rifle shooting practice for University of Kentucky geology major Thomas Csenge, who is graduating Saturday.

Csenge has been invited to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he will practice 25-30 hours a week, Monday-Saturday, in preparation for his United States rifle shooting team debut in London's 2012 Summer Olympics.

"This is a great opportunity to see how far I can go," he said. "And living at the center in Colorado Springs surrounded by Olympic athletes will be a great experience."

Csenge's first encounter with a rifle was during childhood hunting expeditions with his father. "My dad's a big game hunter in North America and has been to Africa as well," he said.

But it was the junior rifle club in Csenge's hometown of Keene, N.H., that provided his initial motivation for competitive shooting. "We have a great club in my hometown," he said. "It's not too competitive, and the junior program was a great starting point for me."

Csenge began shooting at 10 years old and didn’t look back. "I started traveling to local matches and really enjoyed it," he said. Csenge continued to improve, competing annually in the junior Olympics until he turned 21.

Out of more than 20 competitive rifle shooting programs around the country, Csenge chose the basement at Barker Hall. "I had a great visit here, and UK has a great reputation; I wanted to bring the rifle team back to the level it had been known," he said. "Kind of like our basketball team."

Csenge is quiet but sure of himself, explaining the ins and outs of rifle shooting to a novice with an engineer's patience and precision.

Rifle shooters compete in three events: the 10-meter air rifle, the 50-meter 22-caliber rifle in a prone position; and the 50-meter 22-caliber rifle in three different positions (prone, standing and kneeling).

Csenge and his competitors shoot at a 10-ring target that's half a millimeter in diameter. As intense as all of this sounds, it gets even more extreme: bull's eyes are not only aspired to, they're expected. "A perfect score is not unheard of," said Csenge. "And that's what I've got to do to get to the top."

Csenge is preparing for some stiff international competition. Shooting is like golf in Europe, according to Csenge. "It's definitely smaller here in the U.S.," he said. "Really good shooters are like sports stars over there."

Csenge, who will be getting married before moving to Colorado in July, plans to shoot for as long as he can -- as long as he's competitive. "It all depends on how well I'm shooting," he said.  Using his UK degree, Csenge will work part-time at a civil engineering firm while he trains.

Although his time at the range has made time for undergraduate studies difficult, Csenge feels like shooting has shown him self-discipline and self-motivation. Rifle shooting takes physical endurance and strength, but there's mental endurance involved as well.

"It's a high level of competition," said Csenge. "If you're one or two shots short of a perfect 10, you've got to maintain, even though those misses could cost you the win."

But Csenge, with the world at the end of his gun barrel, still has five exams to contend with before it's Citius, Altius, Fortius all the way!