Furrer makes Olympic team

Olympics: Another Spokane native has qualified for the London Olympics.

Amanda Furrer, 21, who began shooting at age 11 on the Spokane junior rifle team, made the U.S. women’s team in three-position rifle during team trials on Friday in Fort Benning, Ga.

Having built a sizeable lead on Thursday, Furrer fell behind after the first position (standing) of Friday’s match.

“I completely thought I was out of it at that point,” said Furrer.  “I went outside and fought back the tears and I talked to my dad and he told me to hang in there and he calmed me down a little bit.  I just decided right there that I was not going to give up and I just was not going to let it end like that.”

Furrer then rallied in the kneeling position to secure the Olympic spot.

Furrer will join Spokane native Eric Uptagrafft (men’s 50-meter rifle prone) and Uptagrafft’s wife, Sandra, (women’s 25-meter sport pistol and air pistol) in London.

Monterola to compete in meet

Track and field: Unable to compete in the NCAA Championships on Wednesday because of the death of her brother, Eastern Washington pole vaulter Keisa Monterola will compete in his memory on Sunday in her home country of Venezuela.

Monterola’s 26-year old brother, Keldeson Monterola, was killed in a robbery on Tuesday near their hometown of Caracas, Venezuela. Keisa was in Des Moines, Iowa, for the NCAAs but returned to Venezuela upon being informed of the shooting.

Eastern women’s track and field coach Marcia Mecklenburg said Keisa will compete in the Ibero-American Championships in Athletics in the Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto.

The meet is a last chance for athletes to qualify for the Olympic Games in London.