GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Ready. Aim. Gold!
Daryl Szarenski, a three-time Olympian and member of the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program, set a pair of Pan American Games records Sunday and won the gold medal in the 10-meter air pistol.
"It's always fun to win," said Szarenski, who already holds the Pan Am record in the upcoming 50-meter pistol. "You can't beat that."
Szarenski's gold, his second overall at the Pan Am Games after first winning in 2003, started off another stellar day for the Americans in Guadalajara.
In the morning, Elizabeth Pelton won her 100-meter backstroke heat in 1 minute, 1.57 seconds to set a Pan Am record, the fourth for the United States in the pool. Americans then won equestrian's team dressage and earned two bronze medals in taekwondo.
"To be a part of that team and add to that effort to be winners, that's just awesome," said Szarenski, a sergeant first class on active duty in the Army.
Szarenski competed at the last three Olympics, but has never won a medal. His victory Sunday, however, earned the United States a second quota spot for the 2012 London Olympics, making the native of Saginaw, Mich., a good bet to participate in a fourth.
"I'm pretty confident to make it," said Szarenski, who will compete in the free pistol Wednesday. "It's not going to be easy and I'm going to have to shoot for it, but I think I'm on top and I got a really good chance.
"I'm not counting on it, but I think I'm going to be there."
And after moving up the final placings each time he has competed, Szarenski likes his chances for the London Games.
"I guess I'm a slow learner because every time I keep getting better and better," Szarenski said. "It'll be nice to go a fourth time and take another shot at it."
At the Pan American Games, Szarenski has fared much better. He won gold in the free pistol at the games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, eight years ago, and added a silver in the same event in Rio de Janeiro in 2007.
Sandra Uptagrafft also won a medal in shooting, taking the bronze in the women's 10-meter air pistol.
"Very proud to be able to add to that total," Uptagrafft said of the rapidly rising overall medal tally for the United States.
Uptagrafft, who is a petty officer first class in the Navy reserve from Phenix City, Ala., only returned from a tour in Afghanistan in March. She was stationed at Kandahar Air Field, where she said she worked with the Seabees in IT warfare.
And she still has a chance for gold in Guadalajara. Uptagrafft is the two-time defending Pan Am Games champion in the 25-meter pistol event, and she'll be going for a third gold later this week.
"I'm hoping to do my best and see," said Uptagrafft, who finished behind gold medalist Dorothy Ludwing of Canada and second-place Maribel Pineda of Venezuela on Sunday.
The team dressage quartet of Cesar Parra, Steffen Peters, Heather Blitz and Marisa Festerling earned gold before Terrence Jennings and Nicole Palma each won bronze in taekwondo. Jennings earned his medal in the under-68-kilogram category, while Palma competed in the women's under-57.