2024 -- H 8288

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LC006121

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND SOPHOMORE SOPHIA ELISE

WOOD FOR HER MANY OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN RIFLERY

MARKSMANSHIP

     Introduced By: Representatives P. Morgan, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale,
Fenton-Fung, Quattrocchi, Roberts, Tanzi, Kennedy, and Ajello

     Date Introduced: May 21, 2024

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Sophia Elise Wood is the daughter of Michele and David Wood and has two

sisters, Katie and Allie. She is an outstanding student-athlete attending the University of Rhode

Island, and is completing her sophomore year, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring

in Leadership Studies. She is an outstanding athlete who has performed magnificently at the

highest levels of riflery competition both in Rhode Island and the United States; and

     WHEREAS, Ms. Wood began Olympic-style 3 position smallbore rifle shooting in

January of 2020, quickly learning each of the shooting positions, prone, kneeling and standing. A

quick study, she competed in her very first competitive match for the South County Rod and Gun

Club Junior Rifle Team in January of 2021, finishing 4th on her team and in 7th place overall. In

her very next match, she finished in 1st place on her team and her reputation as an elite marksman

in Rhode Island took off, with her recording a stellar 469 score at the 2021 Rhode Island Junior

Olympic Championships. Soon thereafter, she broke 500 for the first time and led her team in

average score for the 2020-2021 season; and

     WHEREAS, In her second season of riflery competition, Ms. Wood once again led her

team in average scoring. She placed 4th in the 2022 Rhode Island Junior Olympic Championships

and 5th in the season-ending Governor’s Cup. She also competed for the first time in the Rhode

Island Senior Smallbore League, a 3-position league open to all athletes aged 18 and older.

Incredibly, she finished in 4th place, competing against older and more experienced athletes; and

     WHEREAS, Ms. Wood continued her ascent into the rarified air of elite shooters in the

2022-2023 season, winning both the Rhode Island Junior Olympic Smallbore Championship and

the Air Rifle Championship. These accomplishments earned her an invite to the National Junior

Olympic Championships held in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and

     WHEREAS, In her latest season, Ms. Wood repeated as the State of Rhode Island Junior

Olympic champion in Smallbore shooting and air rifle shooting. Her smallbore score of 572 was

the highest score in the last 5 years at the Rhode Island Junior Olympics. She was once again

invited to compete at the National Junior Olympic Championships where she recorded a personal

record score of 609.1 in the 60-shot standing air rifle; and

     WHEREAS, Ms. Wood also led her South County Rod and Gun Club Senior Rifle Team

to a sterling 18-2 record and finished with the highest individual scores in kneeling shooting and

standing shooting for the league. She led the University of Rhode Island Rifle Team in its first

season of competition. The team finished with an undefeated 3-0 record, and Ms. Wood finished

in first place in smallbore shooting at the Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference Championships. She also

compiled the highest aggregate score in the combined smallbore and air rifle competition; and

     WHEREAS, Ms. Wood has also competed in the Civilian Marksmanship Program

National Matches, the Massachusetts Bay State Games, the Connecticut Nutmeg games where

she earned gold medals in the 3-position and prone shooting, the West Point Open, and the New

Hampshire State Championships; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

honors Sophia Elise Wood for excelling in Riflery shooting and in the classroom as a sophomore

student at the University of Rhode Island; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Ms. Sophia Elise Wood.

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