Taylor Orton, Ally Parks, Nichole Gann and Jaime Vaughan proudly display the Missouri state flag during the opening ceremonies of the 2015 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships. Photo by Brad Mellema.
4-H GROWS
Missouri 4-H shooters win national championship
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issouri 4-H shooting sports teams won top honors at the 2015 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships in Grand Island, Neb. More than 500 of the nation’s most skilled 4-H members from 34 states competed. Building on a long tradition of excellence, University of Missouri Extension 4-H members represented their state well when they returned with the Tom Davison championship trophy for the top overall result by a state program. This is the second time in the event’s 13-year history that Missouri has unseated reigning champs Texas 4-H. “The team members and coaches were very excited to bring home the trophy. It’s something tangible that represents the hard work and long hours they spent preparing for this competition,” said Gerry Snapp, 4-H youth development specialist. Missouri took a full complement of teams — nine teams of four youths each and a volunteer
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coach for each team. “But they brought home much more than a championship trophy,” Snapp said. “Nearly every 4-H member speaks of the experience as a highlight of their 4-H career. They made new friends, set personal goals and developed life skills that will help prepare them for future challenges and opportunities.” Over the three days of competition, teams and individuals competed in three events within their shooting discipline, learning lessons in leadership, safety and self-discipline. Members were recognized in each daily event, as well as for their overall effort in all three events. Missouri teams placed in the top five in eight of the nine disciplines: air rifle, compound archery, recurve archery, hunting skills, muzzleloading, shotgun, smallbore pistol and smallbore rifle. Overall, Missouri teams took first place in hunting skills and recurve archery. The hunting skills team of Stewart McCollum, Sydney Orton, 2015 ANNUAL REPORT