Legion air rifle youth to compete in Colorado
The American Legion Department of New York hosts its Junior Shooting Sports air rifle competition at American Legion Post 787 in Cicero, N.Y. Photo by Mike Roy/The American Legion

Legion air rifle youth to compete in Colorado

The American Legion 3-Position Junior Air Rifle Championship will be held July 21-23 in Colorado Springs, Colo., where the top 15 youth marksmen in both the precision and sporter category will compete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. 

The competitors will shoot a .177 caliber air rifle in three positions: prone, standing and kneeling. The top eight shooters in both categories will be finalized July 22 and advance to the championship round the morning of July 23.

One competitor will win the championship title in each category, along with a $5,000 college scholarship provided by The American Legion and the Sons of The American Legion. A $1,000 scholarship, provided by the American Legion Auxiliary, will be awarded to the second-place finisher in each category.

The precision and sporter champions will be invited to attend the 103rd American Legion National Convention in Milwaukee in August to be honored alongside other American Legion youth program champions.

The following are the competitors in both the precision and sporter category, along with their team affiliation.

Top 15 precision

1. Elizabeth Probst of Texas Hill Country Shooting Team

2. Camryn Camp of Texas Hill Country Shooting Team

3. Emme Walrath of Wisconsin – Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club

4. Alison Sutherlin of Montana – Gallatin Valley Sharp Shooters

5. Vittoria Watts of California – Lincoln Rifle Club-Lead Heads

6. Mikole Hogan of Texas Houston Hotshots

7. Emily Buck of Alabama – Shelby County Shooting Sports Association

8. Gabriella Sprague of Pennsylvania – DuBois Junior Rifle Team

9. Brandon Evans of Virginia – Lafayette Gun Club

10. Braden Peiser of Texas – Texas Hill Country Shooting Club

11. Tanner Barth of Minnesota Centershots

12. Dylan Gregory of Central Illinois Precision Shooting

13. Ashton Arlington of Texas – Granbury Marine Corps JROTC

14. Rylie Passmore of Central Illinois Precision Shooting

15. Riley Dunn of Pennsylvania – Mason Dixon Junior Rifle Club

Top 15 sporter

1. Charles Bratton of South Carolina – Clover High School AFJROTC

2. Seth Carver of Virginia – Warrenton Rifles

3. Bianca Monteith of South Carolina – Walhalla High School JROTC

4. Elaine Saint of South Carolina – Walhalla High School JROTC

5. Samantha Zermeno of South Carolina – Nation Ford High School

6. Austin Rahmig of Nebraska – Western Nebraska Shooting Sports

7. Mya Dissing of South Dakota – Humboldt Sharpshooters

8. Sandra Rios Alba of New Mexico – Hot Springs High School JROTC

9. Julia Winstrom of Nebraska – Dead Eye Shooters

10. Taylar Crane of Minnesota – x-Men

11. Liam Hunter of South Carolina – Nation Ford High School

12. Saylet Hernandez of Illinois – Zion Benton High School

13. Jayme Hernandez of South Carolina – Walhalla High School JROTC

14. Gavin Carrizales of Nebraska – Western Nebraska Shooting Sports

15. Nikolas Jackson of Illinois – Zion Benton High School