Periodically the ASRA Executive may wish to recognize certain ASRA members for their contributions to the Association and sport of smallbore target rifle shooting.
During the 2012 AGM, the ASRA Executive recognized the longtime contributions of Wayne Sorensen and Ralph Pentelski and inaugurated both as Lifetime Members.
Ralph Pentelski
Since the fall of 1989, Ralph Pentelski was one of the founding members of ASRA which was then incorporated 1 Jan 1990. He has remained active in ASRA in many functions ever since. Officiating ASRA matches began in 1990, before that with Alberta Provincial Rifle Association (APRA) and Calgary Rifle and Pistol Club (CRPC). He has been Smallbore Range Match Director since1999 and Air Rifle Match Director since 2001.
As senior match official, Ralph recruits and trains match officials for ASRA which continues to be a very important and appreciated contribution.
The ASRA Executive named Ralph Pentelski Provincial Coach March 2006. He was Zone 3 Coach for the 2006 Alberta Winter Games, and the Alberta Rifle Coach for the Canada Winter Games in 2007. Currently, he is both air rifle and smallbore rifle coach at CRPC and the Steve Johnson Range.
Wayne Sorensen
The first organizational meeting of ASRA was on January 13, 1990 at the Calgary Rifle & Pistol Club, where Wayne Sorenson was nominated and elected as President. In January 1993 Wayne Sorenson was elected as Treasurer for ASRA and has remained in that position until January 2012.
Up until 2000 Wayne juggled full-time employment with Investors Group, ASRA Treasurer duties and participated in numerous World Cups, 2 Pan Am Games, 2 Commonwealth Games and the Sydney 2000 Olympics. For a number of years Wayne was also was Match Chairman, mostly after the Sydney Olympics when he retired from active high performance participation.
Wayne, with both Air Rifle and 3-position smallbore match rifle, is an International medallist: 2 time Canadian Olympic Team member 1992 and 2000 Summer Games, 2 time Pan Am Games and Commonwealth Games team member.
Russ Whitford
During the 2013 AGM, the ASRA Executive recognized the longtime contributions of past President Russ Whitford. Russ held the position of ASRA President for many years and was tireless in his efforts promoting Air and Smallbore Rifle in the province of Alberta.