Junior Shooting Sports gets under way Aug. 1

Junior Shooting Sports gets under way Aug. 1

On Friday, 30 of the nation's best amateur shooters will descend on Colorado Springs, Colo., for the 24th annual American Legion Junior 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship. Hailing from air rifle clubs from across the nation, the group of high-school aged participants will compete for a pair of $2,500 scholarships, funded by the Sons of The American Legion.

Shooters are separated into two separate categories - sporter and precision - and will fire two rounds of 20 shots each in three different positions: standing, kneeling and prone. Each competitor in both categories will fire a .177 caliber air rifle.

The 30 finalists advanced from a pool of 1,500 participants in The American Legion's 2014 Junior Shooting Sports preliminary and qualification round to this weekend's championship final, held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The top eight shooters in each category from Friday's first round will advance to the championship's final round on Saturday.
A champion will be crowned in each category, and a $2,500 scholarship will be given to both.
The following is a list of the top 15 individuals who will be competing in both the precision and sporter category.

Precision:
1. Alec Patajo of Vashon, Wash.
2. Sierra Czap of Rocky Mount, Va.
3. Michael Steinel of New Philadelphia, Ohio
4. Brantley Santrock of Rocky Mount, Va.
5. Jonathan Gove of Rocky Mount, Va.
6. Cassandra Suter of Albuquerque, N.M.
7. Cathryn Papasodora of Anchorage, Alaska
8. Morgan Tritt of Dahlonega, Ga.
9. Kayla Gadeken of Seward, Neb.
10. Samantha Peterson of Buffalo, Minn.
11. Maneva Gill of Fortuna, Calif.
12. Luke Johnson of Palmyra, Penn.
13. Joshua Black of Hampton, Va.
14. Malgorzata Mical of Clearwater, Fla.
15. Cody Sanchez of Albuquerque, N.M.

Sporter:
1. Sergio Napoletano of Montgomery, N.Y.
2. David Trumbull of Frederick, Md.
3. Vanessa Brady of Laveen, Ariz.
4. John Williams of Lithia, Fla.
5. Madie Snyder of Kimball, Neb.
6. Andre Gross of Hilton, N.Y.
7. Matthew Velazquez of Buckeye, Ariz.
8. Ryan Lowe of Clearfied, Utah
9. Kamau Omawahleh of Selma, Calif.
10. Jessica Ebersole of Des Moines, Iowa
11. Jasmine Wiles of Lebanon, Ore.
12. Isela Velazquez of Fort Worth, Texas
13. Angel Reyes of Montgomery, N.Y.
14. Cassandra Rodriguez of Parlier, Calif.
15. Carrie Richbourg of King George, Va.