United States Department of Defense

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Athlete Profiles

Army Spc.
Dennis Bowsher

Army Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers

Army Sgt. Glenn Eller

Army Sgt. Vincent Hancock

Marine Corps Sgt.
Jamel Herring

Air Force Captain
Seth Kelsey

Army Spc. Justin Lester

Army Sgt. Spenser Mango

Army Staff Sgt. Michael McPhail

Army Sgt. John Nunn

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker

Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Richmond

Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith Sanderson

Army Sgt. 1st Class Daryl Szarenski

Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Uptagrafft

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class S. Uptagrafft

Army Spc. Dennis Bowsher
Modern Pentathlon, Men’s Modern Pentathlon

Bowsher, 29, began competing in modern pentathlons after seeing a recruitment flyer at a high school swim meet. Today, he is a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic complex in Colorado Springs, Colo. Among his accomplishments, Bowsher received gold medals at the USA Pentathlon Senior National Championships in 2007, 2009 and 2011. His hobbies include movies and video games.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers
USA Wrestling, Wrestling: Men’s 120 Kg Greco-Roman

As one of the most notable Greco-Roman wrestlers in modern times, Byers, 37, will be returning to the Olympic Games this year. Born in Newark, N.J., and nicknamed “Bam,” he received an animal science degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, N.C. A 10-time U.S. national champion, nine-time U.S. Armed Forces champion and a two-time Olympian, Byers has vast experience in the sport. He placed seventh at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Army Sgt. Glenn Eller
USA Shooting, Men’s Double Trap

An Olympic gold medal recipient, the 2012 Summer Olympics in London will be Eller’s fourth time participating in the games. A native of Houston, the 30-year-old was the first American to win the prestigious British Open Sporting Clay title. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, golf and also was involved in track in high school. Eller is a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit on Fort Benning, Ga.

Army Sgt. Vincent Hancock
USA Shooting, Men’s Skeet

A native of Eatonton, Ga., Hancock has been shooting since he was a young child and started competing when he was 11 years old. The 2012 Summer Olympics in London will mark his second trip to the games after winning the gold medal in skeet in 2008 in Beijing. He is a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit on Fort Benning, Ga. Hancock has plans to separate from the Army in November 2012 and open a shooting academy in his hometown with his father, Craig.

Marine Corps Sgt. Jamel Herring
USA Boxing, Men’s Light Welter (64kg)

Herring, 26, credits his fancy footwork and quick speed for his success in the boxing ring. A native of Coram, N.Y., he received a silver medal at the 2010 World Military Games, and was named the 2011 Armed Forces Champion, the 2012 USA Boxing National Champion and the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Champion. Herring is assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Air Force Capt. Seth Kelsey
USA Fencing, Men’s Individual Epee

Kelsey, one of the United States’ all-time most accomplished epee fencers, was a member of the first U.S. Men's Epee Team ever to earn a medal at the world championships in Paris in 2010. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, he continued to compete in fencing while at the academy, where he received an athletic achievement award and attained most valuable player status three times as a fencer. Kelsey was active duty in the Air Force for several years before transitioning to the Air Force Reserve. Now 30, he recently transitioned back to the Air Force Active Reserve. His hobbies include reading, cooking and sailing. He regularly trains with the modern pentathletes, whose disciplines include fencing, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Army Spc. Justin Lester
USA Wrestling, Men’s 66 Kg, Greco-Roman

A native of Akron, Ohio, Lester has a long string of wrestling championships in his portfolio. He is a senior education-science major at Northern Michigan University, where he trains at the Olympics Education Center there. Lester is ranked No. 1 by Team USA in the 66 kg/145 lb. weight class for Greco-Roman wrestling. He enjoys playing chess, fishing, watching television and cooking in his spare time.

Army Sgt. Spenser Mango
USA Wrestling, Men’s 55 Kg Greco-Roman

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Mango, 26, competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he qualified for the quarterfinals before he was eliminated. He finished eighth. Mango attends Northern Michigan University where he is studying physical education. His brother, Ryan, also is an accomplished wrestler, winning cadet nationals in freestyle and Greco-Roman in 2006.

Army Staff Sgt. Michael McPhail
USA Shooting, Men’s 50m Rifle Prone

After learning to shoot at age 16, McPhail has spent the past 14 years refining his craft. Now 30, the Darlington, Wis.-native has set his eye on Olympic gold. Among his many marksmanship accomplishments, McPhail received the bronze medal in prone at the 2008 Beijing World Games; was a 2007 Pan American Games silver medalist and quota slot winner in prone; and was the 2006 World Championships gold medalist in team prone and bronze medalist in team three-position. He is assigned to Fort Benning, Ga.

Army Sgt. John Nunn
USA Track and Field, Athletics, Men’s 50m Race Walk

Nunn made his first appearance at the Olympic Games in 2004, and competed in the World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki in 2005, posting a seasonal best performance with his 30th place finish. Nunn first was exposed to race walking as a child by his family, and later received a scholarship for the sport from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. He enjoys woodworking in his spare time. Nunn resides in Chula Vista, Calif.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker
USA Shooting, Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions

A member of the U.S. marksmanship unit, Parker, 38, began shooting in 1988. He participated in the Summer Olympics in 2000 placing fifth in air rifle; in 2004 placing eighth in air rifle; and then again in the 2008 games in Beijing. Parker received a psychology degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati in 1996. He enjoys participating in hunting, fishing and triathlons in his spare time

Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Richmond
USA Shooting, Men’s Double Trap

Richmond's father won him his first shotgun at a trap competition when his mother was pregnant with him. He fired his first shot at age five and began shooting competitively by age 11. Now 26, Richmond is a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit on Fort Benning, Ga., and is taking online courses through Troy State University, where he is studying general education. He enjoys bass fishing, hunting, horseback riding and anything outdoors. He resides in Hillsgrove, Pa.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith Sanderson
USA Shooting, Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol

Sanderson, 37, is a rapid-fire pistol shooter in the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program. He is a two-time U.S. Olympic team member and has been on numerous U.S. world teams. He started his military career serving as a Marine for eight years before switching to the Army Reserve. His initial goal was to teach marksmanship while training for the 2008 Olympic Trials but has accomplished so much more by proving he is one of the most elite shooters that the nation has to offer.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Daryl Szarenski
USA Shooting, Men’s 50m Pistol, Men’s 10m Air Pistol

Szarenski began shooting in 1979 when his father enrolled him in a junior shooting program. He studied industrial technology at Tennessee Tech University on a rifle scholarship, where he was a member of both the pistol and rifle teams, and later at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. His brother, Dan, was an all-American rifle shooter at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. His wife, Amy, is a former member of the national pistol team as well.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Uptagrafft
USA Shooting, Men’s 50m Rifle Prone

Uptagrafft began his decorated shooting career when he was just 11 years old. In 1993, Eric made the National Development Team and just two years later, he made the national team. In 1995, he graduated from West Virginia University, with an aerospace engineering degree. Uptagrafft, and his wife, Sandra, who also is a competitive shooter, run Uptagrafft LLC, which created a new .22 competition rim fire rifle action while also producing riser blocks, bloop tubes and tuner bloop tubes. He participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sandra Uptagrafft
USA Shooting, Women’s 10m Air Pistol, Women’s 25m Pistol

Perfecting her craft as a marksman has become one of Uptagrafft’s passions. A former National Guardsman, the 41-year-old Singapore-native became a member of the National All-Guard International Pistol Team in 1992 and then was recruited to active service as a shooter/small arms instructor at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit from 1992-95. Her husband, Eric, who is also a competitive shooter and participating in this year’s Olympics, run Uptagrafft LLC, which created a new .22 competition rim fire rifle action while also producing riser blocks, bloop tubes and tuner bloop tubes. She resides in Los Angeles.

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Hancock Earns Gold, Sets Records at 2012 Summer Olympics in London

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Athlete Profiles

Army Spc. Dennis BowsherModern Pentathlon, Men’s Modern Pentathlon

Army Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel ByersUSA Wrestling, Wrestling: Men’s 120 Kg Greco-Roman

Army Sgt. Glenn EllerUSA Shooting, Men’s Double Trap

Army Sgt. Vincent HancockUSA Shooting, Men’s Skeet

Marine Corps Sgt. Jamel HerringUSA Boxing, Men’s Light Welter (64kg)

Air Force Capt. Seth KelseyUSA Fencing, Men’s Individual Epee

Army Spc. Justin LesterUSA Wrestling, Men’s 66 Kg, Greco-Roman

Army Sgt. Spenser MangoUSA Wrestling, Men’s 55 Kg Greco-Roman

Army Staff Sgt. Michael McPhailUSA Shooting, Men’s 50m Rifle Prone

Army Sgt. John NunnUSA Track and Field, Athletics, Men’s 50m Race Walk

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason ParkerUSA Shooting, Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions

Army Staff Sgt. Joshua RichmondUSA Shooting, Men’s Double Trap

Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith SandersonUSA Shooting, Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol

Army Sgt. 1st Class Daryl SzarenskiUSA Shooting, Men’s 50m Pistol, Men’s 10m Air Pistol

Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric UptagrafftUSA Shooting, Men’s 50m Rifle Prone

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sandra UptagrafftUSA Shooting, Women’s 10m Air Pistol, Women’s 25m Pistol