Arkansas 4-H shooters perform well at nationals, compete for 2017 slots

By The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Aug. 25, 2016

Fast Facts:

Arkansas 4-H shooting teams place within top 5 in four categories at nationals
Arkansas takes 8^th national competition overall
Individuals place within top 10 in multiple categories
Benton County junior team excels 4-H Range Events State Competition

(756 words)

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas 4-H shooting sports teams and individuals repeatedly placed among the best of competitors during the National 4-H Shooting Sports Championship in Grand Island, Neb.

The competition took place from June 26-July 1, and included team and individual competitions in nine events, including compound and recurve archery, small bore pistol and riffle, air pistol and rifle, muzzle loader, shotgun and hunting skills. Arkansas shooters were among 679 competitors from 36 states throughout the country, making it the largest single 4-H national gathering of any kind.

Rex Roberg, a 4-H Youth Development program associate, said the team performed very well, which came as no surprise.

“It’s a unique competition, but our coaches had the kids well-prepared” Roberg said. “They’re not surprised by anything. I was very proud of them — this is the first year taking teams to all of the events, and only the second year we’ve tried to take a large contingent of kids.”

Nine teams of four Arkansas 4-H members traveled to the competition. Roberg said that an unusual aspect of the Arkansas shooters’ success was the composition of the state’s teams.

“We do things differently here in Arkansas,” Roberg said. “Most states will send an all-star team in every event. Their best four shotgun shooters, for example, go to nationals.

“We send county club teams that win our state competition,” Roberg said. “In virtually all the other states, kids choose a shooting event or discipline as a senior, and that’s all they’ll practice in. Our kids all shoot everything. They’re well-versed in all the shooting disciplines, and when they come to a competition like this, where they’re facing all-star teams of individuals, who’ve shot nothing but that thing they’re shooting for the last 4-5 years, to do so well against that kind of competition from other states is just amazing. It speaks really well of how our volunteer instructors do with those kids here.”

This was also the first year in about two decades for Arkansas 4-H to enter the hunting skills team competition, which tests knowledge and skills in wildlife identification, orienteering, and other areas, as well as archery, shotgun and rifle shooting.

Some of the state’s top team accomplishments include:

3^rd place, air pistol
4^th place, hunting skills
5^th place, muzzle loading

Some of the Arkansas 4-H members’ top individual accomplishments include:

Natosha Hammonds, 5^th place, air pistol
Garrett Gaylean, 10^th place, air pistol
Blake Parsley, 10^th place, muzzle loader

Two weeks later, a new crop of Arkansas 4-H shooters competed for slots in the 2017 national championship competition at the 4-H Range Events State Competition at the C.A. Vines Center in Little Rock. Top individual finishers include:

First Place, senior .22 rifle: Asa Cox of Washington County
First Place, senior archery: Willis Morehead of Izard County
First Place, senior muzzleloader: Blake Parsley of Benton County
First Place, senior shotgun: Tommy Newsom of Faulkner County
First Place, senior air rifle: Asa Cox of Washington County
First Place, senior air pistol: Natosha Hammonds of Logan County
First Place, senior .22 pistol: Natosha Hammonds of Logan County
First Place, senior overall: Landon Casey of Faulkner County
First Place, junior .22 rifle: Jayson McGaugh of Sebastian County
First Place, junior archery: Julie Newsom of Faulkner County
First Place, junior muzzleloader: Randy Smith of Lonoke County
First Place, junior shotgun: Zach Price of Ashley County
First Place, junior air rifle: Jayson McGaugh of Sebastian County
First Place, junior air pistol: Olivia Branum of Sebastian County
First Place, junior overall: Randy Smith of Lonoke County

Top team finishers include:

First Place, senior .22 rifle: Ozark Youth Shooting Team 1 of Benton County
First Place, senior archery: Izard County
First Place, senior muzzleloader: Poinsett County
First Place, senior shotgun: Pulaski County
First Place, senior air rifle: Washington County
First Place, senior air pistol: Greene County
First Place, senior .22 pistol: Greene County
First Place, senior overall: Greene County
First Place, junior .22 rifle: Ozark Youth Shooting Team 1 of Benton County
First Place, junior archery: Ozark Youth Shooting Team 1 of Benton County
First Place, junior muzzleloader: Ozark Youth Shooting Team 1 of Benton County
First Place, junior shotgun: Ozark Youth Shooting Team 1 of Benton County
First Place, junior air rifle: Ozark Youth Shooting Team 1 of Benton County
First Place, junior air pistol: Team 2 of Sebastian County
First Place, junior overall: Ozark Youth Shooting Team 1 of Benton County

To learn more about Arkansas 4-H, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu

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