Menu
Bourbon County 4-H Sharp Shooters attend State
Several members of the Bourbon County 4-H Sharp Shooters Club recently represented the organization at the Kansas State 4-H Shooting Sports Match. The state match was held April 17 in Alma, Kan.
Bourbon County 4-H Sharp Shooter Katie Brown, 12, tied for first place in the Air Rifle Competition, Overall category, Junior Division, with an overall score of 511 out of a possible 600.
Brown, who started at age 7, lost the tie breaker, but received the silver medal for that event. The tie breaker consisted of comparing the number of bulls eyes the shooters had. Brown had 12, the winner had 13. The top three positions of each category receive medals. Along with the silver, Brown took home fifth place in the Prone (laying), first in the kneeling, and fourth in the standing position.
"I didn't have much time to practice before the state match," Brown said. "I had just got a new air rifle and it takes a while to get used to it. I spent as much time with it as I could, just shooting and shooting, trying to get ready."
Other members who competed at the state match include Jacob Pemberton, 12, and Morgan Manley, 13. A total of 84 competed in the junior level at the state match in Alma.
"State was a great opportunity," Brown said. "You get to meet a lot of new people, from all other counties, and you get to practice and spend a lot of time shooting."
The members of the Bourbon County 4-H Sharp Shooters that competed were only allowed to compete as individuals, as they lacked a fourth person to be able to compete as a team. Pemberton took seventh in air rifle. Manely had one of her best matches, raising her personal best score, by obtaining 160 out of 200 possible in the prone.
"Shooting is just really fun," Manley said. "I get really nervous at first, but then I get out there and start shooting and it relaxes me." Manley is in her fourth year.
Brown and Pemberton also competed at the Regionals Match held in Bonner Springs. Brown placed sixth and Pemberton placed seventh.
Gary Buntain, Instructor for the Bourbon County 4-H Sharp Shooters, hopes that teaching shooting sports to young kids like Brown, Pemberton and Manley, will pay off not just now, but in the future for them as well.
"It teaches them all about guns," Buntain said. "They learn all about the basics and about gun safety and discipline."
Buntain believes Brown exhibits discipline, which he hopes others will pick up on.
"Katie practiced a lot," Buntain said. "I hope they see that it takes practice to become good at something. Maybe after seeing her practice so much and doing so well, other kids will see that practice gets results."
Both Brown and Manley both agree that shooting sports do more than just provide them with a fun activity.
"It's taught me about patience," Brown said. "It has shown me that hard work really does pay off in the long run. Sometimes you get out there and your shot is off and it's hard to not get frustrated and let it effect your shooting. But you just keep working at it."
"A lot of girls don't understand anything about guns," Manley said. "I know all about something that most girls don't understand. And maybe shooting teaches you lessons for later in life."
Other reasons the girls enjoy shooting sports: The fun they have, and being able to spend more time with their parents.
"The best thing about shooting sports is that they're fun," Manley said. "It's just a lot of fun to do."
Brown agreed. "It teaches you, you learn so much from it," she said. "But it's also lots of fun. You get to spend lots of time with your parents, practicing and going to competitions. It gives me a chance to spend time with my parents and I get to share a passion with my dad."
Brown hopes that as more people learn about 4-H and shooting sports, more will become involved.
"It offers so many great opportunities," she said. "I wish more people would join 4-H and learn about shooting sports."
For those interested, 4-H shooting sports include BB gun, Air Rifle or Archery. Those interested in participating in the shooting sports must first be a member of 4-H. To join, contact Bourbon County 4-H.
Thanks to many local businesses, the club has been able to recently purchase another air rifle, more shooting mats, targets and other supplies necessary for practice and competing in shooting events.