By Brittany Nelson, USAS Public Relations & Communications Manager 

COLO SPRGS, CO (Nov. 14, 2023) – Ten Paralympic shooting athletes are headed to Santiago, Chile, to compete in the 2023 Parapan American Games Nov. 18-21 in the hopes of medaling for Team USA.

The 2023 team consists of seven rifle athletes and three pistol athletes. Four of the team members are Tokyo 2020 Paralympians and seven are returning for their second time at the Parapan American Games.

Among the returning athletes is Kevin Nguyen, 2019 Parapan American Games champion in R6 mixed 50m rifle prone SH1. Nguyen is also a Tokyo Paralympian and a Staff Sgt. in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU).

Taylor Farmer is also returning as the reigning champion in R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 alongside Stetson Bardfield, 2019 champion in R5 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2, and Mike Tagliapietra, 2019 champion in P1 Mixed 25m Sport Pistol SH1.

Of the 2023 athletes on the roster, four have ties to the military. Nguyen and John Joss serve with the USAMU, and Marco De La Rosa and Robert “Nick” Beach served in the Marine Corps.

See below for the full roster:

Kevin Nguyen

R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1

R6 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1 

John Joss

R6 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1    

Landon Ruggera

R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1

R6 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1

Taylor Farmer

R2 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1

R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1

Madison Champion

R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2

R5 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2

Stetson Bardfield

R5 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2

Robert “Nick” Beach

R1 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1

YanXiao Gong

P1 Mixed 10m Air Pistol SH1

P3 Mixed 25m Sport Pistol SH1

P4 Mixed 50m Free Pistol SH1

Marco De La Rosa

P1 Mixed 10m Air Pistol SH1

P3 Mixed 25m Sport Pistol SH1

Mika Tagliapietra

P1 Mixed 10m Air Pistol SH1

P3 Mixed 25m Sport Pistol SH1

View the schedule and results here: https://para.results-santiago2023.org/#/discipline/SHO/schedule/daily/2023-11-18

Follow @USAShooting on social media for competition updates and results.