Article by Jay Vergenz
13 junior air rifle and air pistol shooters and 3 team coaches from across the state made the more than 1000-mile journey to represent Illinois at the 2003 NRA National Junior Air Gun Team Championship and Training Summit this July 10 –13 in Wilmington, NC.
The ISRA fielded junior teams in all classes (3-position precision air rifle, 3-position sporter air rifle, and air pistol), with selections determined by individual performances at the 2003 ISRA Grassroots Air Gun League (GAGL) Championship held in Streator, IL, this past April.
The junior shooters selected for the ISRA teams were: Andrew Dove (River Valley Sharpshooters – Kankakee), Greg Fleischman (Quincy High School Rifle Team), Mike Schoch (Quincy High School Rifle Team), Diana Vollmer (Pekin High School JROTC), and alternate Alex Senn (Wheaton Rifle Club) in the 3-position (3P) precision air rifle class. Matthew Kou (AIAC Juniors – Arlington Heights), Grace McHugh (AIAC Juniors – Arlington Heights), Hannah McHugh (AIAC Juniors – Arlington Heights), Brittany Conger (Pekin High School JROTC), and alternate Cole Smith (Pekin High School JROTC) in the 3P sporter air rifle class. The junior air pistol team consisted of Josh Holtman (Quincy High School), Lyle Blundell (Sandy Ford Junior Shooters – Streator), and Tim Danner (Sandy Ford Junior Shooters – Streator).
Coaches for the championship included Major Lee Redmon from Pekin High School JROTC for the 3P precision team, Peter Dorn from the Arlington International Airgun Club (AIAC) of Arlington Heights for the 3P sporter team, and Robert Distlehorst of Quincy High School for the air pistol team.
The rifle matches were held at the Coastline Convention Center in Wilmington, NC, on a temporary 48-point 10-meter air rifle range. In addition to its 150-foot-long convention hall, the former train station also housed a railroad museum that included a restored steam-engine and vintage railcars on display. The pistol portion of the championship was held at a local indoor high school range, with the ISRA’s Jim Kinkade overseeing scoring and match statistics. Also working at the pistol range with Coach Kinkade were Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) pistol coach Will Hart and Citadel pistol coach Dr. Joel Sexton
For many of the Illinois shooters this match would be their first nation-level competition, yet all were calm, confident, and eager to compete. The atmosphere on the firing-line was “all business” for the junior competitors, with every shooter focusing on firing his or her next “personal-best” score. The competition on the firing-line was fierce, but always with respect shown to the other competitors. Dedication to the shooting sports requires a high level of discipline, which becomes evident in the actions and attitudes of the young competitors. Thousands of dollars of rifles and equipment are often left unguarded without concern of theft, and equipment is frequently loaned to competitors in-need.
With almost 200 junior competitors in attendance from as far away as California, the competition promised to be tough. Top individual scores in most categories were near record level, with very high team scores as well. The ISRA 3P precision team of Dove, Fleischman, Schoch, and Vollmer fired a 2-day team grand aggregate score of 4479 out of a possible 4800 points, with Diana Vollmer firing a team-leading individual grand aggregate score of 1133 out of a possible 1200 points. In the final standings the ISRA 3P precision team would finish 15th out of the 21 precision teams competing.
The ISRA 3P sporter team of Kou, G. McHugh, H. McHugh, and Conger fired a team grand aggregate score of 4083 out of a possible 4800 points, placing them 8th in the field of 15 sporter teams. The 3P sporter class is designed as the entry-level to position air rifle competition, and is restricted to approved “sporter” air rifles that are significantly less expensive than “precision” air rifles. Rifle adjustments are not permitted after the start of the match, and special shooting clothing used to aid stability is not allowed. Sisters Grace and Hannah McHugh both fired precision-level prone scores with their sporter equipment, with Hannah’s 98 out of 100 just besting her sister’s 97 during the prone stage of the match. ISRA sporter team captain Matt Kou fired an outstanding personal-best score of 527 out of 600 on the second day of competition, with teammate Hannah McHugh not far behind with a score of 520 – a new personal-best as well. Hannah’s individual grand aggregate score of 1038 out of a possible 1200 points made her the ISRA’s top-scoring sporter shooter and placed her 24th out of the 69 sporter shooters entered – this in just her first year of air rifle shooting.
The air pistol team of Holtman, Blundell, and Danner fired a grand aggregate score of 1882 out of a possible 2400 points, placing them 6th in the field of 9 air pistol teams. Top individual scorer for the team was Lyle Blundell with an individual grand aggregate score of 679 out of a possible 800 points, which placed him 7th overall individually out of 30 air pistol competitors.
Another interesting part of this event for the junior shooters, as well as the coaches, was the “Training Summit”. The Training Summit featured informative lectures from national NRA staff, top coaches, and well-known speakers from across the nation. The lectures, held on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, were within walking distance of the dorm facilities used by the teams while attending the championship. Subjects covered during the Training Summit included how to use a shooting diary, developing training plans, match tactics, NCAA Shooting Programs, the history of airguns, as well as a historical lecture covering the accomplishments of U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee (1888-1945). Vice Admiral Lee, a highly decorated war hero and naval commander, is the only American to have won both the U.S. National High Power Rifle and Pistol Championships in the same year (1907), and went on to win 5 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medal as a member of the U.S. Olympic rifle team in the 1920 Olympic games in Belgium. Lee’s remarkable career all began with basic marksmanship training.
The team members and coaches would like to thank the ISRA and its members for sponsoring their trip to the 2003 NRA National Junior Air Gun Team Championship. The trip provided valuable experience for all of the junior shooters, and afforded them an excellent opportunity to meet new people and visit new places through their involvement in the shooting sports.