Julie Goloski Golob wins two titles at World Speed Shooting Championships

Team Smith & Wesson Captain Julie Goloski Golob racked up two more championship wins at a recent match.

Julie took the Ladies Production World Champion and Ladies Limited World Champion trophies at the Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships in Piru, California, August 18-22.

She began the match shooting Iron Sight Rimfire with a Smith & Wesson Model 41 .22 caliber pistol firing Lapua Signum ammunition. Julie placed ninth overall in the division.

“This was the very first time I’ve competed in Rimfire at this match, so to finish in the top ten was very exciting,” Julie said. SCSA [Steel Challenge Shooting Association] recorded her taking Top Lady Honors in Rimfire, but Julie declined to add this title to her list of wins. “I was the only woman competing in that part of the match,” she said with a laugh.

For both her centerfire divisions at the match, Julie shot her Smith & Wesson M&P Pro Series 9mm pistol with a Safariland ELS production belt and holster system.

“I worked really hard training for this match, and it paid off,” Julie said. “I knew I had to be at the top of my game to win, especially in Limited Division, where I was competing against custom 1911s and race guns.”

Julie’s next match in her 2010 competition season is the IDPA National Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 22-25.

Julie Goloski Golob wins three titles at Wyoming State Steel Challenge

Team Smith & Wesson Captain Julie Goloski Golob won three titles at the Wyoming State Steel Challenge match at the Great Divide Shooting Club in Rawlins, Wyoming, the weekend of July 17 and 18. She finished the match as Ladies Champion, Production Champion and Limited Champion.

She shot the entire match with her favorite competition handgun, the Smith & Wesson M&P Pro Series 9mm, Julie told The WOMA.

“The Great Divide Shooting Club (GDSC) has an impressive facility complete with all eight Steel Challenge stages,” Julie said. “This was the staff’s first time running a state-level Steel Challenge event, and they did an outstanding job. They’re some of the nicest folks you could hope to meet, and they’re dedicated to growing Steel Challenge in Wyoming,” she added.

Julie said that, schedule permitting, she’ll be back to compete at the Wyoming State Steel Challenge again in 2011. She added, “I hope to be able to experience GDSC’s wonderful hospitality next year, too.”

Julie is training hard for her next match of the 2010 season, the World Speed Shooting Championships in Piru, California, August 16 to August 22.

Julie Goloski Golob wins again

The WOMA’s Julie Goloski Golob has won her second title in as many matches in the young 2010 handgun competition season. Read more

Julie Goloski Golob wins Single Stack Ladies title

Champion competition handgun shooter and WOMA member Julie Goloski Golob has won . . . again.

Julie took the Women’s Single Stack division title at the USPSA Area 6 Championships, held April 16-18 in Conyers, Georgia. USPSA Area 6 was the first match in her busy 2010 competition season. “Montana’s News Station” KTVQ ran a feature story on Julie’s win this week. She lives in Glasgow, Montana, with her husband and their young daughter.

She will travel to Barry, Illinois, this weekend to compete in her second 2010 season match, the USPSA Single Stack Nationals, held from April 30 to May 2.

A competition handgunner since age 14, Julie was a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit for eight years, and was named U.S. Army Female Athlete of the Year in 1999. She has won more than 70 titles in national and international shooting competitions.

Julie also serves as team captain for the Smith & Wesson pro staff.

Women making a mark at USPSA Area 6

The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) divides the nation into eight different areas and each area hosts its own championship. These action-packed competitions are the sport’s premiere matches. Many draw from more than just their resident competitors. Area 6, the Southeast region, is one of these area championships. Hosted by the South River Gun Club, the competition has always been among the best. Honestly, this match could be a national level championship. There are certainly enough competitors. A whopping 380+ shot the match this year!

There are some matches where you see just a handful of women on the range. Not the case with Area 6! At the helm,  a woman who wears so many hats, The WOMA’s Cindy Noyes, was once again the match director. There were women working at every level, from Chief Range Officer Beth Wingfield and 15 lady range officers (including The WOMA’s own Melita Sims Ellington) to seven women serving roles in Stats and Registration. Thank you, ladies, for all your hard work!

Women represented every level of competition, from national champion shooters to junior ladies just making their marks in USPSA. While competing on Friday, I had a chance to catch up with Kay Miculek and Lisa Munson, who were fresh off teaching yet another successful Babes With Bullets (TM) Ladies Action Shooting Camp. I also got to meet Katie Harris and Tierani Hendrix, two talented young ladies competing in Production Division.  I just love seeing all the  junior females participating in the sport!

Here’s a video from the 2010 USPSA Area 6 match demonstrating the wide variety of stages that were both challenging and a blast to shoot.

There’s no doubt that Area 6 is a match you don’t want to miss on the circuit. It’s a huge success on so many levels. The match has excellent leadership, and the dedication from the hardworking women who serve on the staff is impressive.  Pair that with the wonderful and diverse group of women who compete, and Area 6 is one competition where women truly make a mark.

For more on the match and photos, please visit the Women of USPSA Blog and my personal blog.

Winning big in Vegas

Last week was an exciting time for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the firearms industry. I have been fortunate enough to attend a number of Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades Shows (SHOT Show) over the years. Not only was this year’s show packed, but I was particularly excited to see more products designed for women on the show floor than ever.

I also attended my first WOMA networking event.  What a wonderful opportunity to meet members of WOMA and talk about generating exposure for women in the outdoor industry! It was such a pleasure to meet and reconnect with some of the people who have pioneered the way into a traditionally male industry. Though not a huge gathering in number, the event hosted a talented and diverse spectrum of participants dedicated to the goals of The WOMA.

For those who didn’t have the opportunity to attend, Kim Pezzeminti of Doeville.com graciously donated several beautiful door prizes at the event. One of these prizes was a beautiful, bronze and peach, freshwater pearl and antler shed necklace with matching earrings. I admit to fully thinking, “Ooh, pick me!” for the drawing and it must have paid off.  I was a very lucky winner, not only for the beautiful jewelry, but for the opportunity to meet others dedicated to promoting women in the outdoor industry.

~Julie Golob

The WOMA Press Conference and Networking Event at SHOT Show a Win-Win Situation

I just got back from our event and it was a tremendous success in spite of some of the problems getting around at the Shot Show.  We will be getting several new members from this event!  Our keynote speaker and Chairman, Deb Ferns, gave a great presentation outlining what our organization does and who we are.  We have made great strides since our launch a year ago at the 2009 Shot Show and we will continue to grow in the coming year.  I heard several comments about this being a wonderful event to meet and exchange views and ideas with other women in the outdoor world.

A big THANK YOU goes out to WOMA member Kim Pezzeminti of Doeville.com for her generous gifts donated for the event!  Some of the highlights included members Cara Peebles of Otis Technologies winning a beautiful Doeville Denim Jacket and Julie Goloski-Golub of Smith & Wesson winning the lovely necklace and earrings donated by Doeville.  Tom Scott from Remington Arms Company Freedom Group won the 2-year membership donated by WOMA board member Marsha Petrie Sue.

Thanks to our President, Barbara Baird, for putting together a killer slide show for the meeting.  We received many compliments on the slide show that showcased our organization and its members and it is posted here on the web page.  If you couldn’t make it this year, we hope to see you next year and keep talking about our organization and bring in those new members!

Opening day deer season kudos for Julie

My experience with deer hunting has roots in hunting with my dad in upstate New York well over a decade ago. Hunting and shooting were two of the things we did together as a father/daughter team when I was growing up. Now that I have a career as a competitive shooter and am a parent too, it has been a challenge to get out into the woods.

As the saying goes, “When in Rome …” Well, when in Montana you take the opportunity to hunt! Living in this beautiful state I was able to get a shot on opening day of deer season. Thanks to my husband and his .308, I had the chance to set the cross hairs on a beautiful 8-point whitetail (or 4×4 as they call them here in the West). It was a successful shot at around 230 yards — right behind the buck’s shoulder. My first big buck! The first thing I did after we found him just 30 yards from where he was shot was call my dad and share the experience, just like old times. Now, I just need to get my own rifle!

~Julie Goloski Golob

Julie Goloski Golob wins top prize in women’s division at Bianchi Cup

Smith & Wesson Corp., announced that Team Smith & Wesson members achieved multiple top five finishes during the National Rifle Association (NRA) National Action Pistol Championship held May 18-23 at the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club in Columbia, Missouri. During the 30th Anniversary of the NRA Bianchi Cup, Professional Shooter Julie Goloski Golob was named overall winner of the Women’s Division while fellow teammate Doug Koenig finished an impressive 2nd place overall. Team Smith & Wesson members Carl Bernosky and Jerry Miculek secured additional top five finishes in the Open and Metallic Sight Division during the prestigious match.

In the Women’s Division, Golob’s four match aggregate score of 1907-138X was enough to advance her past second place finisher Helen Jeavons Golob was the only woman to eclipse a score of 1900, securing her 19th place overall in the Open Division of the competition. In the race for the overall championship title, Koenig was once again in contention to win after placing first in the Practical Event. After two days of intense competition, Bruce Piatt narrowly edged out Koenig for the overall title.

“The Bianchi Cup is one of the most challenging shooting contests in the world and to be a part of the 30th Anniversary of this enduring championship has been amazing for me,” commented Julie Golob. “To be able to compete wearing the Smith & Wesson colors after taking time off to start a family and to come back and win the women’s title in a field of extremely talented women is an accomplishment I will always be very proud of. The NRA and their dedicated staff of volunteers truly made this event unforgettable and I look forward to competing again next year.”

Smith & Wesson sponsored shooter Carl Bernosky, who also delivered a strong performance in the Open division, finished the match in fourth place overall. Also competing in this year’s Bianchi Cup was Smith & Wesson Revolver Champion Jerry Miculek. Miculek, competing in the Metallic Sight Championship, placed fifth overall in the iron sight divisions.

In other competition, Koenig was named the winner of the Bianchi International Speed Event Shoot Off and Team Smith & Wesson member Annette Aysen earned the High Woman Title during the Ray Chapman Nostalgia Match held earlier in the week before the main competition.

The NRA Bianchi Cup consists of four separate matches: Practical Event (timed shooting from 10 yards to 50 yards); Barricade Event (timed shooting from “cover”); Falling Plate Event (timed fire at banks of six, 8″ plates); and the Moving Target Event (target moves and is exposed for just 6 seconds). Designed to test the speed and accuracy of each participant, competitors shoot at stationary and moving targets from both standing and prone positions.

About Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation, a global leader in safety, security, protection and sport, is parent company to Smith & Wesson Corp., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of quality firearms and firearm safety/security products and parent company to Thompson/Center Arms Company Inc., a premier designer and manufacturer of premium hunting rifles, black powder rifles, interchangeable firearms systems and accessories under the Thompson/Center brand. Smith & Wesson licenses shooter protection, knives, apparel, and other accessory lines. Smith & Wesson is based in Springfield, Massachusetts with manufacturing facilities in Springfield, Houlton, Maine, and Rochester, New Hampshire. The Smith & Wesson Academy is America’s longest running firearms training facility for law enforcement, military and security professionals. For more information on Smith & Wesson, call (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com. For more information on Thompson/Center Arms, log on to www.tcarms.com.