GRAND ISLAND, NEB. -- The first trip by an Arkansas state team to the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships resulted in six top-10 placements -- including three first place finishes -- and some head-scratching from surprised competitors.
In years past, Arkansas sent teams from Lonoke and Sebastian counties, but had not previously fielded a statewide team for this event.
"It is a rare thing for a state to come into this level of competition, with seven teams in their first year of attendance, and bring home this kind of hardware," said Rex Roberg, Arkansas 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator. "The comment, 'Where in the world did this Arkansas bunch come from?' was heard many times during the week."
"I am so happy for and proud of these 4-H youth and their coaches," he said. " I can't say enough about the character, sportsmanship, and skill level of our youth and coaches. This is the finest bunch of youth and 4-H volunteer leaders I've ever been around."
Roberg also thanked "two National 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassadors, Graycen Perkins and Kyle Russell. They are the cream of the crop, and represented Arkansas 4-H with class. Hats off to both of them."
He said that both were heavily involved in the presentation of daily and overall awards, assisting the National 4-H Shooting Sports Committee with coordination of the week's events, and conducting activities at the Teen Social, which was the highlight of the week's extracurricular activities.
The members of the Arkansas 4-H team were among 635 registered competitors from 32 states -- a record number -- at the National Championships, held June 21-26 at Heartland Public Shooting Park at Grand Island, Neb. The teams competed in nine disciplines: Compound archery, recurve archery, air rifle, air pistol, .22 rifle, .22 pistol, shotgun, muzzleloading and hunting skills.
Arkansas' seven teams and 28 competitors scored high in air rifle and muzzleloader.
The air rifle team of Avery Hannah, of Lincoln; Asa Cox, James Kidd, and Mikaela Phillips won first place. Phillips won first overall individual and Cox took seventh place overall. The air rifle team was coached by Avery's mother, Joanie Hannah, of Lincoln, from the Washington County 4-H Shooting Sports Club.
Arkansas also won the muzzleloader competition with the team of Tristan Eike, Regan Puryear, Felecia Secrist and Matthew Harris. Puryear earned second place and Harris sixth place overall. They were coached by Doug Secrist and David Joyner, both of Benton County.
MARY HIGHTOWER WORKS FOR THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS SYSTEM DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE.
Sports on 07/29/2015