SEDRO-WOOLLEY - The U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), the leading action pistol organization and national governing body for the sport of practical shooting, announced the 2011 dates of all eight of their popular regional handgun championships.

The 2011 USPSA Area championship schedule is as follows:

- April 15-17 - Area 6 Championship, Universal Shooting Academy, Frostproof. Fla.
- June 16-19 - Area 5 Championship, PASA Park, Barry, Ill.
- June 22-26 - Area 1 Championship, Albany Rifle and Pistol Club, Albany, Ore.
- August 11-14 - Area 3 Championship, Heartland Public Shooting Park, Grand Island Neb.
- September 1-4 - Area 4 Championship, Double Tap Ranch, Wichita Falls, Texas
- September 1-4 - Area 8 Championship, Fredericksburg Rod & Gun Club, Fredericksburg, Va.
- September 9-11 - Area 7 Championship, Harvard Sportsman Club, Harvard, Mass.
- November 9-13 - Area 2 Championship, Rio Salado Sportsman's Club, Mesa, Ariz.

"The USPSA regional structure is one of the most exciting and demanding competitive series in the shooting sports," said Michael Voigt, president of USPSA. "Not only do the matches determine the best of the best in a region, but because of the outstanding level of competition across the country, winning all eight is one of the most difficult challenges in our sport, and has only been done once."

In 2010 Max Michel of Team Sig Sauer, competing in the Open division, became the first shooter in USPSA history to win the same division title in all eight regions.

With over 19,000 members and 375 affiliated clubs, USPSA is the largest of the action pistol shooting sports. The run-and-gun sport of practical shooting was formally established in 1976 but traces its roots back to the 1950's and the quick draw "leather slap" competitions that grew out of America's love affair with the TV westerns of that era.

Today the sport represents the upper echelon of the shooting sports with many of its top shooters actively training law enforcement and military units on shooting techniques and equipment developed in competition.

To learn more about USPSA, or to become a member, visit USPSA.org, follow @USPSA_Shooting on Twitter, like USPSA on Facebook or read the Practical Shooting blog.