Smith & Wesson Corp. announced today that its shooting team members have earned seven revolver titles and multiple top-three finishes during the summer months of the 2014 competition season. Claiming wins in state, regional, area and national matches, Smith & Wesson sponsored shooters have helped lay the ground work for one of the most productive seasons that the company has had in recent years.
As this year’s competition trail reaches its mid-way point, Team Smith & Wesson members are poised yet again to end the season with more revolver wins than any other shooting team in the industry. Led by wheel-gun sharpshooters Josh Lentz and David Olhasso, who have proven to be each other’s toughest competition so far this season, Team Smith & Wesson has proven that it’s members and their equipment have helped set the standard in revolver-based competitions.
Competing as teammates as well as friendly rivals, Josh Lentz and David Olhasso met for their first showdown of the season at the USPSA Area 8 Championships. Lentz and Olhasso entered the competition evenly matched with each competitor sporting a highly customized Smith & Wesson Performance Center™ Model 627 revolver. As each team member negotiated the ten challenging courses of fire, it was Lentz who was able to take five stage wins to Olhasso’s two, earning him the Revolver Division title.
One week later, the two teammates met again at the Area 7 Championship located just two hours away from Smith & Wesson headquarters in Dartmouth, MA. This time however, it was Olhasso who had the upper hand, posting the top scores in five out of the nine courses of fire. Lentz finished closely behind with four stage wins making it a clean sweep for Team Smith & Wesson and the second one/two finish in back-to-back weekends.
Earlier in the summer, both Lentz and Olhasso competed at the International Revolver Championships and while not in direct competition, both team members added another title to their already impressive resumes. At the conclusion of the match, Lentz bested the competition taking the Classic Division title using a Smith & Wesson Model 686 and Olhasso won the Limited Division title shooting the same Performance Center Model 627.
“It’s always enjoyable to enter a competition knowing you’re going to be competing against the very best,” said Team Smith & Wesson member David Olhasso. “Both Josh and I are very equally matched and while he might be a little faster, I have the upper hand when it comes to match experience. As it played out at both the Area 7 and Area 8 Championships, on any given day, one of us can beat the other. Being able to maintain your focus and execute your strategy regardless on how the other is performing is critical. As we commonly say in shooting, you’re not going to win the match on any one stage, but you can definitely lose the match on any particular one.”
Team Smith & Wesson also featured another pair of formidable shooters, Annette and Elliot Aysen, who delivered a different one-two punch of their own. Husband and wife teammates, the Aysens breezed through the summer months helping Team Smith & Wesson capture revolver wins in both world, national, international and state competitions. Summer highlights from the revolver duo included a one-two finish at the World Speed Shooting Championships with Elliot earning first place in the Iron Sight Revolver division and Annette following closely behind in second place. Once again, the teammates relied on the legendary wheel-guns of the Smith & Wesson Performance Center in order to seize their titles with each member shooting a Model 627 revolver. Annette also claimed High Lady titles at the 2014 Sportsman’s Team Challenge and again at the International Revolver Championships shooting the classic .357 Magnum revolver. Not to be outdone, Elliot earned a top place finish and the Senior Revolver title at the 2014 Mississippi Classic.
What about the legendary Jerry Miculek? The most decorated revolver champion in the world has set his sights this season on 3-Gun competition alongside his wife and daughter, Kay and Lena Miculek. You can still watch him break records and showcase his incredible skills with Smith & Wesson wheel-guns on the hit show Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots.
Team Smith & Wesson Revolver Top Finish Breakdown:
USPSA Area 7 Championships
David Olhasso – Revolver Division Champion, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
Josh Lentz – 2nd Place Revolver Division, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
USPSA Area 8 Championships
Josh Lentz – Revolver Division Champion, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
David Olhasso – 2nd Place Revolver Division, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
2014 European Bianchi Cup
Molly Smith – 3rd Place Production Division, *Smith & Wesson Model 14
2014 WA State IDPA Championships
Bobby McGee – 2nd Overall, 1st Master ESR Division, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 625
2014 PA State IDPA Championships
Josh Lentz – ESR Champion, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 625
2014 World Speed Shooting Championships
Elliot Aysen – 1st Place Iron Sight Revolver Division, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
Annette Aysen – 2nd Place Iron Sight Revolver Division, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
2014 Sportsman’s Team Challenge
Annette Aysen – 1st Place Sportsman’s Lady, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
2104 International Revolver Championships
David Olhasso – Limited Division Champion, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
Josh Lentz – Classic Division Champion, *Smith & Wesson Model 686
Annette Aysen – High Lady Limited Revolver, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
2014 Mississippi Classic
Elliot Aysen – 1st Place Senior Revolver, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
VA-MD Sectional
Josh Lentz – Revolver Champion, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
USPSA Revolver Nationals
David Olhasso – 2nd Place Revolver Division, *Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 627
About Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC) is a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing and design, delivering a broad portfolio of quality firearms, related products and training to the consumer, law enforcement, and military markets. The company’s brands include Smith & Wesson®, M&P® and Thompson/Center Arms™. Smith & Wesson facilities are located in Massachusetts and Maine. For more information on Smith & Wesson, call (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com.