MONROE - Staring down the sight in his rifle, Staff Sgt. Michael McPhail is aiming to hit the middle of a target the size of his pupil.
That's the scene that will play out on millions of televisions around the world in just a few weeks when the 2012 Summer Olympics get underway. While the games will take place in London, they'll have a bit of a southern Wisconsin feel as Darlington native McPhail goes for a gold medal in the men's 50-meter rifle prone shooting event.
McPhail, 30, a 2000 Darlington alumnus, is ranked third in the world in the rifle prone and is looking forward to his first Olympic Games and opening ceremony on Friday, July 27.
McPhail's best score is 704.6, which is just 0.3 points away from setting a world record.
"If I go out and do my job the color (of the medal) and the score will take care of itself," McPhail said. "I would really like to get the world record."
McPhail has been on the verge of breaking out in the rifle prone for several years. He was just 0.4 points away from qualifying for the 2008 Olympics. He won the gold at last year's Pan American Games and took gold at the 2010 World Cup in Belgrade. In this year's Olympic trials in Fort Benning, Ga., McPhail won with 2,002.8 match points, which was 3.8 points ahead of two-time Olympic medalist Matt Emmons.
He's taking his Olympic berth in stride.
"It doesn't really feel any different," McPhail said of his Olympic qualification. "It's expected. After the match, it was a big relief, like step one was done. It's been a couple of years since he (Emmons) has beat me."
McPhail started shooting at the Darlington Rifle Club when he was 14.
"I just did it for recreation," he said.
He purchased a rifle in 2000 and he was hooked on the sport. He went to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and competed on the state's only collegiate shooting team. After the 2004 Olympic trials, McPhail joined the Army and the Fort Benning, Ga. Marksmanship Unit. He has honed his shooting ability and serves as a shooting instructor for the Army - he focuses on training and enhancing each solider for combat readiness.
McPhail bolstered his chances of medaling by joining the Army's Marksmanship Unit and taking advantage of the training, even though it kept him apart from his wife, Kari McPhail, and his 1-year-old daughter, Addison. Kari is in Florida getting her master's degree in nurse anesthesia and Addison is staying with her grandparents in Darlington. Both Kari and Addison will make the trip to London to watch McPhail compete.
McPhail said when he first joined the Army, he shot about seven hours a day and 60,000 rounds a year.
"I joined the Army because I wanted to see how good I could become at one thing," he said of his shooting. "I have made a career out of it."
Now, McPhail said he shoots about 20,000 rounds a year.
McPhail will compete Friday, Aug. 3 in London. The rifle prone event requires contestants to shoot 60 composition shots and the top eight will make a 10-shot final.
McPhail, as well as Emmons and Eric Uptagrafft, are all contenders to win the gold in London. Eric Uptagrafft along with his wife Sandra are believed to be the first couple to make the Olympic team.
McPhail remains humble and guarded when talking about his ultimate goal.
"Winning the Olympics is not my goal," he said. "It's part of it. It's not the end-all. I want to go out and have a perfect performance. Win, lose or draw, that will be OK."
McPhail said the challenge is being perfect every shot.
"You can't make a mistake," he said. "I'm graded on how I stand up against the rest of the world."
McPhail said the keys to reaching his potential at the Olympics are staying in the moment, taking it one shot at a time and remembering why he is there.
Rifle prone is scored to the nearest tenth of a point and a perfect score in the first round and final round is a 709.
"You will never see it," McPhail said. "It will never happen. A medal will probably come down to a couple tenths of a point."
That's the scene that will play out on millions of televisions around the world in just a few weeks when the 2012 Summer Olympics get underway. While the games will take place in London, they'll have a bit of a southern Wisconsin feel as Darlington native McPhail goes for a gold medal in the men's 50-meter rifle prone shooting event.
McPhail, 30, a 2000 Darlington alumnus, is ranked third in the world in the rifle prone and is looking forward to his first Olympic Games and opening ceremony on Friday, July 27.
McPhail's best score is 704.6, which is just 0.3 points away from setting a world record.
"If I go out and do my job the color (of the medal) and the score will take care of itself," McPhail said. "I would really like to get the world record."
McPhail has been on the verge of breaking out in the rifle prone for several years. He was just 0.4 points away from qualifying for the 2008 Olympics. He won the gold at last year's Pan American Games and took gold at the 2010 World Cup in Belgrade. In this year's Olympic trials in Fort Benning, Ga., McPhail won with 2,002.8 match points, which was 3.8 points ahead of two-time Olympic medalist Matt Emmons.
He's taking his Olympic berth in stride.
"It doesn't really feel any different," McPhail said of his Olympic qualification. "It's expected. After the match, it was a big relief, like step one was done. It's been a couple of years since he (Emmons) has beat me."
McPhail started shooting at the Darlington Rifle Club when he was 14.
"I just did it for recreation," he said.
He purchased a rifle in 2000 and he was hooked on the sport. He went to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and competed on the state's only collegiate shooting team. After the 2004 Olympic trials, McPhail joined the Army and the Fort Benning, Ga. Marksmanship Unit. He has honed his shooting ability and serves as a shooting instructor for the Army - he focuses on training and enhancing each solider for combat readiness.
McPhail bolstered his chances of medaling by joining the Army's Marksmanship Unit and taking advantage of the training, even though it kept him apart from his wife, Kari McPhail, and his 1-year-old daughter, Addison. Kari is in Florida getting her master's degree in nurse anesthesia and Addison is staying with her grandparents in Darlington. Both Kari and Addison will make the trip to London to watch McPhail compete.
McPhail said when he first joined the Army, he shot about seven hours a day and 60,000 rounds a year.
"I joined the Army because I wanted to see how good I could become at one thing," he said of his shooting. "I have made a career out of it."
Now, McPhail said he shoots about 20,000 rounds a year.
McPhail will compete Friday, Aug. 3 in London. The rifle prone event requires contestants to shoot 60 composition shots and the top eight will make a 10-shot final.
McPhail, as well as Emmons and Eric Uptagrafft, are all contenders to win the gold in London. Eric Uptagrafft along with his wife Sandra are believed to be the first couple to make the Olympic team.
McPhail remains humble and guarded when talking about his ultimate goal.
"Winning the Olympics is not my goal," he said. "It's part of it. It's not the end-all. I want to go out and have a perfect performance. Win, lose or draw, that will be OK."
McPhail said the challenge is being perfect every shot.
"You can't make a mistake," he said. "I'm graded on how I stand up against the rest of the world."
McPhail said the keys to reaching his potential at the Olympics are staying in the moment, taking it one shot at a time and remembering why he is there.
Rifle prone is scored to the nearest tenth of a point and a perfect score in the first round and final round is a 709.
"You will never see it," McPhail said. "It will never happen. A medal will probably come down to a couple tenths of a point."