If there was ever a must read article on a competition shooter, this is it. The July/August issue of Terre Haute Living magazine has a great profile on Sarah Irish, the rising chemical engineering sophomore at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology who also happens to be among the top women shooters in the country. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy. Beware though, you don't want to be drinking anything when you get to the part about the on campus game of Humans vs. Zombies. Laughing hot coffee through your nose is not the best way to start your day.

USPSA shooter Mike Hughes will be one of those competing in Season 3 of History Channel's Top Shot. Photo: Courtesy of History Channel

It's almost that time again. Top Shot - the History Channel's runaway ratings hit - returns as season 3 premiers Tuesday, August 9 at 10:00p/9:00p central. History Channel has released images and bios of all 16 season 3 competitors, including two faces familiar to those who follow top level handgun competition. Mike Hughes, a USPSA production division shooter from Washington, and ICORE and USPSA wheelgunner Cliff Walsh of Florida will be among those gunning for the title of Top Shot. Also representing the ranks of practical shooting this season are Amanda Hardin from Alabama and Mark Schneider of Florida.

Smith & Wesson's Tom Yost presents Liam Doak with the SSC Ohio 4-H Top Shot trophy.

If you're looking for a real top shot, then look no further than Liam Doak. The Ohio 4-H camper from Marietta, Ohio took top honors at the first Scholastic Steel Challenge Ohio 4-H Top Shot competition when he ran Smoke & Hope in record time. Stepping up to the line cold, Doak had just one chance to post the fastest time after having watched over 40 young shooters go before him. Without hesitation, and with the cool confidence seen only in top shooters, he left it all in the shooters box when he blazed through the famous Steel Challenge stage in just 2.88 seconds, wowing the crowd in the process. Doak's name will be the first one added to the permanent trophy that will be housed at the Ohio camp ground offices until next year's shooting sports camp when a new top shot will be crowned.

The only thing better than a new set of steel targets is a donated set of steel targets courtesy of Colchester Paintball.

If it's Monday, it must be new steel... Monday was steel day for the University of Vermont Shooting Sports Club when they received their set of beautiful new Steel Challenge targets from Action Target. The Utah based Action Target is a major supporter, and the official target, of the Scholastic Steel Challenge program, and the (sometimes trash talkin') UVM squad is one of the program's first collegiate teams. Thanks to the generosity of their friends at Colchester Paintball, the Gun Cats of UVM will be practicing on their new target array free of charge. Go Gun Cats! Go!

Glock's Ed Fitzgerald helps one of the hundreds of young shooters try their hand at Scholastic Steel Challenge.

While they're getting ready to bang and clang in Vermont, down in Sparta, Ill. this past weekend close to 1,000 young shooters gave Scholastic Steel Challenge a try at the World Shooting Complex during a two-day demo. Glock's Ed Fitzgerald and Smith & Wesson's Tom Yost were surrounded by kids waiting for their turn to run Smoke & Hope with either a 9mm Glock or M&P. Among those stepping to the line were several coaches and state directors who were in Sparta with their teams for the SCTP nationals. "We were wall-to-wall with kids, coaches and parents showing up to learn more about SSC," explained Scott Moore, director of SSC. "When not on the line running shooters through Smoke & Hope, Ed, Tom, Tammy Mowry [of SSC] and I were talking to coaches and parents about how easy it is to get an SSC team started in their area." For more information on starting an SSC team in your area, visit ScholasticSteelChallenge.com for step-by-step instructions. Companies interested in joining Glock, Smith & Wesson, NSSF, Action Target and others in supporting SSC should contact Scott Moore (scott@steelchallenge.com) or Tammy Mowry (tammy@steelchallenge.com).

Loyal Shooting Wire reader Brent Jacober shoots his way to a Production div. win in Sparta.

A couple bays down from the SSC demo on Saturday was the monthly USPSA match hosted by Sparta USPSA. In the 6-stage run & gun contest of local Illinois shooters at the World Shooting Complex, J. Griffin took high overall winning in the Open division, Ken Kelley won Limited, Steve Sweeney Limited-10, Brent Jacober Production, Jesse Ital Single Stack and Scott Fish, the lone wheelgunner, won, well, Revolver. Finally, instead of runnin' and gunnin', Apex Tactical's Lisa Farrell, 7-time Women's International Revolver Champion, will be walking in the American Cancer Society's 2011 Relay For Life of Florence, Ore. This August 12-13 Farrell will be walking to raise money for cancer research and honor her father, Jere Farrell, who she lost to cancer four years ago. Jere was Lisa's biggest fan and was on hand to see her win her 7th title at the Smith & Wesson IRC in 2007. It was the first, and last, time he saw her compete in the shooting sports. You can help Lisa honor her father and reach her fundraising goal by donating online. - Paul Erhardt, Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network Got shooting sports news? Send us an email at info@shootingwire.com.