WASHINGTON—When contestants take aim again this month (August) in a History Channel sharpshooting contest, a handful of veterans will once more compete for the title of Top Shot.
The History Channel series Top Shot, where contestants compete in various shooting competitions, is back for a third season. Beginning Aug. 9, 16 more people will compete for a $100,000 cash prize and the honor of being the best shooter in the gun-slinging bunch.
As in the first two seasons, nearly half of the contestants have a military background.. Six of the 16 shooters from Season One were former military and seven from Season Two had served. The third season follows suit, with seven more veterans aiming for the Top Shot title.
Last season, the final four contestants on Top Shot were all veterans of the armed services. The winner, Chris Reed, was a retired Marine. Military Times had a Q&A with Reed in April. In Season One, former British Army commander Iain Harrison won Top Shot.
One of the potential standouts for Season Three is former Navy SEAL Jake Zweig.
“I out-work people, out-hustle people and figure out a competitive edge to win,” Zweig said in a statement. “It basically comes down to the fact that I have the innate ability to do the impossible consistently.”
Zweig, 10 years removed from his service in SEALS, is now defensive line coach for the University of New Hampshire football team.
Sara Ahrens aims to be Season Three Top Shot winner (Photo Credit: History Channel)
Another competitor on Top Shot Season Three, Sara Ahrens, has an Army Achievement Medal for exemplary service. She also was in the “Army of One“ ad campaign and, after retiring as a sergeant in 2003, became the first female supervisor for the SWAT team in her police department in northern Illinois. She’s also a married mother.
“I would be lying to you if I didn’t say I want to be my kids’ hero,” Ahrens said in a statement. “Winning on Top Shot could get me there.”
Other contestants with military backgrounds: Jarrett Grimes, an Air Force veteran who served for 20 years; Gary Quesenberry, a retired infantryman who assisted in the Kuwaiti liberation; Mark Schneider, a retired airman who spent a year in the Army National Guard; Alex Charvat, who served in the Army ROTC; and Chris Collins, a retired Marine who worked in counterterrorism.
Contestants on Top Shot compete in a series of events to demonstrate proficiency in shooting skills from all eras, starting with aiming primitive rocks to pinpointing shots with state-of-the-art artillery. It’s a sort of Survivor for marksmanship. Former Survivor contestant Colby Donaldson hosts the series, which begins Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. Eastern time on the History Channel.