Left: Grace Oliver, of Jackson Parish, represents Louisiana in sighted recurve archery at the 2019 4-H Shooting
Sports National Championship. Right: Justin Schexnaydre, of Ascension Parish, competes in shotgun.

In 2019, for the first time, Team Louisiana took home the highest award at the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championship, the championship sweepstakes.

More than 100 youth, parents, coaches and volunteers from 21 Louisiana parishes traveled to Grand Island, Nebraska, to compete with over 600 other 4-H'ers from 36 states.

Team Louisiana also placed first in the air pistol, air rifle, archery recurve and smallbore rifle disciplines. Also, three Louisiana 4-H members placed first in their individual events: A.J. Ward, of Lincoln Parish, in archery recurve; Kal Wilson, of Terrebonne Parish, in shotgun; and Erin Wilkinson, of LaSalle Parish, in smallbore rifle.

LSU AgCenter 4-H Shooting Sports coach David Boldt said the team trains for months to prepare for the fierce contest.

“It’s a mental grind because the event is four days long,” he said. “It takes a lot of discipline and determination to compete and be successful at this level. Our competitors put in a lot of effort before they got to Nebraska. Everything clicked this year.”

Team Louisiana has been competing at the national level for 20 years Shooting sports includes nine disciplines — compound archery, recurve archery, air rifle, air pistol, .22-caliber rifle, .22-caliber pistol, shotgun, muzzle-loading guns and hunting skills.

These 4-H shooting sports competitors advanced to nationals after placing well at the regional and state levels.

Left: Reed Bearden, of Bossier Parish, competes in compound archery. Right: Carter Royston, of Lafayette Parish,
competes in shotgun.

Team Louisiana, 2019 National 4-H Shooting Sports champions.

Clockwise, from top let: From left, Noah Edmonds, Coralie Deloach, Anna Claire Nadler, and Erin Wilkinson;
Team Louisiana first place overall in smallbore rifle. Louisiana shooting sports ambassadors Katheryn
Buffington and Alexis Bearden. Jessica Domangue, Calvin Domange, Dustin Martin, Yumi Domangue
and Samuel Parker; Team Louisiana first place overall in air rifle. Justin Schexnaydre, Kal Wilson,
Carter Royston, Thomas Singleton; Team Louisiana third place overall in shotgun.