After 3½ months of safety training and practice, the 4H air rifle competition season started Jan. 19 with a match in Wichita at the Sedgwick County Extension Office.
During a match, each competitor shoots 20 scored shots in each of the following positions, prone, standing, and kneeling, for a total possible score of 600. There is a time period for each position in which to shoot and the range is 10 meters from the shooters to the targets. To qualify for the State 4H match that is held in April, a competitor must score 375 or higher in at least one match during the spring.
At the Sedgwick County match there were 43 air rifle competitors from all over the state. They were split into groups based on age.
The Barton County kids finished like this. In the 9 to 12 year old age group, Will Clark from Great Bend finished 5th with a score of 375. Parker Smith, from Great Bend, finished in a tie for 2nd with a score of 448 but ended up 3rd after the tie breaker. Katelyn Reh, from Ellinwood, finished 1st with a score of 482.
In the 14 and 15 year old age group, Lake Lyman, from Ellinwood, finished 6th with a score of 426. Ryan Kohman, from Great Bend, finished 5th with a score of 443.
The Barton County team was made up of Ryan Kohman, Lake Lyman, Parker Smith and Katelyn Reh finished 3rd out of 7 teams.
The next match Barton County kids will travel to is in Edwards County on Feb. 9 followed by the Barton County Winter Classic at the Expo grounds in Great Bend on Feb. 16th.