Sacramento, CA – USA Shooting, the national governing body for Olympic shooting sports, selected Michael J. Flores to the 2011 National Junior Olympic Shotgun Team.

Flores said he is grateful to have been chosen for the National Team for a second year in a row. "My skills improved by training with the country's top junior shooters under the direction of the National Team Coach, Bret Erickson. I'm looking forward to another year of growth and success," he said.

Flores captured the 2009 California State Championship, as the youngest ever to win the title at the age of 14. He went on to win the 2009 Canadian National Junior Open Championships in Vancouver, Canada. In November, Flores won the junior title at the California State International Trap Championships. And, along with two other Californians, Flores brought home a gold medal by winning the national team title for the Junior Olympic Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) Championships in July.

The Junior Olympic team is selected annually by the USA Shooting National Shotgun Coach based on an individual shooter's performance in the previous year's shooting events, including the National Junior Olympics and National Championships. Other considerations for selection include a candidate's volunteer activities, academic performance and the National Coach's judgment on the shooter's potential for future success.

Next on the schedule, Flores will travel to Tucson, Arizona to compete in the Spring Selection Match where the top three shooters will win spots to represent the USA in World Cup competition in Sydney, Australia or Santiago, Chile. Flores' ultimate goal is participating in the 2016 Olympics. For more information on Flores' and his progress, visit www.mjfshooting.com

Flores has been shooting Olympic (International) trap for the past four years, earning recognition with successful competitive seasons. The recognition, along with Flores' character, has caught the attention of the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) – an advocacy organization promoting wildlife conservation and our outdoor heritage.

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