Four local area teens won the State Junior Olympic team title for the Sporter Class three position air rifle competition April 20.

The Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club (GRRC) Junior team also sponsored by American Legion Post 225 (Forest Lake) won the honor of representing Minnesota at the USA National Junior Olympics in Bowling Green, Kentucky this July.

The team members are Ross Chester, 17, Scandia, Thomas Keefe, 17, Pine City, Dan Keefe, 15, Pine City and Jason Showalter, 16 of Isanti.

They won the Sporter Class with a team score of 2,000 out of a possible 2,400 surpassing the second place Minneapolis Junior Rifle Club team that had a score of 1,709.

The competition involves air rifle marksmanship with 20 shots in each of the three standard positions: prone, kneeling and standing at 10 meters. The competitors fire at a scoring ring about the size of a quarter. A perfect individual score of 600 points requires each shot to hit a dot the size of a pinhead in the center of the target.

Three of the shooters won individual Olympic medals. Ross Chester won the individual gold medal with a score of 512. Thomas Keefe won the silver medal with a score of 503. Dan Keefe won the bronze medal with a score of 494. Chester and Thomas Keefe qualified to compete individually at the National Junior Olympics by scoring over 500 points in the event.

The team also won the American Legion State Team Championship for the same class two weeks before in Grand Rapids.

The group practices air rifle on Thursday evenings at the Forest Lake American Legion Post 225 during the winter months. They practice small-bore (.22) outdoors at the Gopher Rifle and Revolver and Revolver Club (GRRC) range in Harris over the summer. They have 19 kids shooting from all over the area.

Girls and boys compete equally with one another. Itís also a safe Olympic sport that they can compete in and enjoy for the rest of their lives. The sport combines the enjoyment of shooting safely and learning the mental discipline necessary to perfect individual performance. Sometimes junior shooters earn scholarships from colleges and continue to compete for many years.

The team has participated in the National Small-bore Championships held at Camp Perry, Ohio for several years where they have a real opportunity to polish their shooting skills by attending the NRA Small-bore Rifle Camp. The fact that all four team members have attended that camp two or more years is a testament to the quality of instruction they receive there.

These four shooters have been shooting with our club for about five years. They are an exceptional group. They serve as good examples for other shooters.

Serious young shooters who are interested in this program are encouraged to contact: m@usfamily.net or call Mike at (651) 433-5800.