
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 1, 1994                    TAG: 9405280184 
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN                     PAGE: 06    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Jody R. Snider 
DATELINE: 940601                                 LENGTH: ISLE OF WIGHT

PISTOL TEAM PLACES THIRD IN COMPETITION

{LEAD} First, a Smithfield Police Department officer is named top cop of the year for all of Hampton Roads.

Now, the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Department has four men who are top shots on the pistol range.

{REST} The four-man team recently took a third place in a competition against other sheriff's departments across the state at the first Virginia Sheriff's Association Pistol Match at Henrico County Pistol Range, Henrico County.

Shooters were: Capt. D.C. Cobb, Cpl. J.V. Polak and deputies L.N. Price and T.J. Worrell. The match was recently held in conjunction with the annual state sheriff's barbecue.

The York County Sheriff's Department took first place and the the Loudon County Sheriff's Department received second place.

Capt. Cobb said each man got 60 shots at a silhouetted, stationary target. After all the team members had shot, scores were added to see which team had the highest score.

Cobb said the point spread between the three teams was less than 250 points, with a possibility of 2,400 points per team.

Isle of Wight Sheriff C.W. Phelps said his team did well considering members shot with their everyday service revolvers. Many of the other competitors used competition pistols, which are fine-tuned for target practice.

Competition pistols also use ammunition specially made for competition.

Service revolvers are not fine-tuned for competition shooting, he said.

``I was pleased with the outcome,'' Cobb said, ``and very proud of the guys. We shot well for having no preparation. We didn't do too bad,'' Cobb said.

by CNB