ANNISTON, ALABAMA – For Junior ROTC air rifle competitors, the annual National Championship held at the CMP South Marksmanship Center is the culmination of an entire school year of commitment to their sport. The JROTC National Championship is their Super Bowl, World Series, Stanley Cup, Finals or Masters.
The championship road began 10 October, 2011 when Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force JROTC cadets began their quest for participation in the tournament via postal competitions, shooting at targets at their home ranges and submitting them to the Civilian Marksmanship Program for scoring via postal and private carriers.
In addition to postal competition, many individuals and teams participated in local, state and regional precision and sporter class air rifle events. Some even participated in the USA Shooting Trials for Airgun – the selection process for the U.S. Olympic airgun teams. For JROTC cadets, the events away from home helped them prepare for competitions which require long distance bus or van rides, hotel stays and no home cooking.
Postal competition by brigade, region and area qualifiers closed in mid-December, which set the next stage - service championships - at Camp Perry, Ohio and Anniston in February. It’s the service championships that determine which individuals and teams earn their entry to the Nationals.
It’s a long road from the high school gym in early October to the championship range in March, but along the way, these high-schoolers learn a great deal about their sport and themselves while having some fun along the way.
The following are some images of those 2012 National Championship participants, friends, families and coaches at the CMP Marksmanship Center in Anniston.
|
|
Tolerating media attention comes with the turf when shooters leave their home ranges at state, regional and national competitions. Cameras, video recorders and strangers all become part of the mix, challenging shooters’ ability to focus.
|
|
|
Concentration, attention to detail and following a shot plan are all part of the championship process.
|
|
|
Sharing knowledge with other coaches only enhances the development of shooters. The spirit of competition and camaraderie are important components of national events.
|
|
|
Having a sense of humor helps.
|
|
|
Overcoming the odds. Kelsey Moral, 17, who finished her senior year at East Coweta High School Marine Corps JROTC, is winning her battle with a mild case of spastic cerebral palsy. Moral has fought through leg pain to get into a good kneeling position and has become all-state and nationally-ranked air rifle competitor. She has earned a scholarship at Columbus State University where she will continue her air rifle career.
|
|
|
Members of Allison Ginger’s family from both Illinois and Alabama took the opportunity to reunite to support her during the national championships. Ginger, 18, represented Pekin High School Army JROTC, Illinois, in the precision air rifle class.
|
|
|
The JROTC Nationals bring shooters together from across the country and sometimes from across the ocean. Meredith Romih, 18, of Patch High School Army JROTC in Stuttgart, Germany, represented her American school’s cadet team.
|
|
| Chief Range Officer, Larry
Pendergrass, combines his many years of match direction
with a passion for making the young shooters’ experience
a valuable one. |
For complete results of the 2012 National JROTC Championships, log onto
http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=8422. To view, download, print or purchase CMP photos from the event, log onto
http://cmp1.zenfolio.com/.
NEXT ARTICLE
|
