Lewis County, KY: On
September 18, 2021, the Lewis County JROTC rifle team traveled to Camp Perry in
Port Clinton, Ohio to attend the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Monthly
air rifle match. Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Kaylee Lott, Cadet Major Nadilee
Buckler, Cadet Major Kendra Ashcraft, Cadet Command Sergeant Major Alexa
Arnold, and Cadet Private Kaitlynn Arnold all made the long five-hour trip
there. This competition marks the second precision air rifle competition that
they have ever attended; they are planning to return next month for another
3x20 match. An individual 3x20 precision match includes three positions: prone,
kneeling, and standing. For each position cadets shoot twenty shots in twenty
to twenty-five minutes, in between those positions is a five-minute changeover
period and a sighting and preparation period. Each shooting position is worth
200 points equaling out to 600 points possible. The range contains eighty
ten-meter firing lines using electronic targets to track their scores. These
ranges are the same as those used by some of the most accomplished shooters.
The Camp
Perry Air Rifle Competition is a national competition that's not only open to
JROTC cadets, but anyone who is willing to put in the time and dedication to
shoot. Competitors participating in the Camp Perry Air Rifle Competition range
from novice first year shooters all the way up to extremely competitive
advanced shooters of whom have committed to university shooting in their
futures. Camp Perry hosts national air rifle competitions that attract
competitive shooters from around the US to compete against top level shooters.
JROTC instructor Master Sergeant James Stone said, “These cadets were competing against anyone who walks through those doors with an air rifle, making the competition extremely difficult.” Master Sergeant Stone also explained, “Typically when our rifle team participates in a shooting event, it is strictly other JROTC programs involved. However, this event was opened to any high school aged competitive shooter from around the United States.”
The
shooting team has been practicing for weeks to reach an individual goal of a
590 out of 600. On the day of competition, the team loaded up the school
suburban with rifles and rifle bags and left a little before 4:30 in the
morning. The cadets had five hours on the road to think about how they were
going to shoot that day and what issues may arise. Upon arrival, the nerves
really set in and it was difficult to relax and be mentally prepared to shoot.
The team persevered through the pressure and accumulated outstanding scores.
Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Kaylee Lott shot a 572, Cadet Major Nadilee Buckler
shot a 551, Cadet Major Kendra Ashcraft shot a 584, Cadet Command Sergeant
Major Alexa Arnold shot a 538, and Cadet Private Kaitlynn Arnold shot a 520.
The Lewis
County JROTC rifle team made a name for themselves and let their presence be
known to the 75 other competitors. The highest score on the team, made by Cadet
Major Kendra Ashcraft, was high enough to put her in the finals. This is the first
time a Lewis County student has ever made it into the finals. The finals
consisted of 10 shots in the standing position with only 50 seconds to do each
shot. With the team and the bleachers full of people rooting them on while they
shot, she managed to shoot third place in the finals out of the eight
competitors shooting beside her. The final score was added to the main score
and winners were announced based on the accumulated score.
Cadet Major Kendra Ashcraft finished the overall competition ranked 7th out of 80 contestants, this is the highest any Lewis County student has ever ranked. Lewis County’s JROTC Rifle team shot extremely well at this event.
Major Nadilee Buckler, a competitor on the JROTC rifle team, said,” It was a big competition, and I’m very proud of everyone for how we all did.”
They have
been practicing 3 days a week since school started along with a rifle camp over
the summer. Based on the overall performance of the team, this hard work and
dedication is paying off, and will pay off in future events. The JROTC Rifle
Team should perform well at competitions throughout the year as each event they
seem to be getting better and better.
