The Development Team for Shotgun and their Coaches

Virginia is readying two teams to compete in the 2019 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships, scheduled June 23-28 in Grand Island, Nebraska. Youngsters from across the country will test skills in compound archery, recurve archery, air rifle, air pistol, .22 rifle, .22 pistol, shotgun, muzzleloading and hunting competitions.

Two King George County girls, Anna Ackerman and Alexis Loughner, will compete alongside Ethan Avery and Hunter Campbell, both from Augusta County, on Virginia’s compound archery team. The teammates are all 15 years old.

Alan Campbell is the coach with Bob Ackerman serving as assistant. Campbell said the 10 top-scoring senior archers, ages 14-18, from last year’s state 4-H archery competition were invited to compete for slots on the team representing Virginia in the nationals. They shot two competitions that replicated events at the nationals with combined scores determining the advancing four archers.

A Virginia 4-H team also was formed for the shotgun competition. Selected from an 11-member developmental team was Mattison Russell from Mecklenburg County, Walker Coleman from Nottoway County, Grayson Melton from Powhatan County and Charlie Maddox from Appomattox County. The first alternate is Jordan Stevens from King George. Second alternate is Sam Capps from Brunswick County. Stevens, along with fellow King George residents John Parker and Justin Perez, qualified for the Development Team.

That team shot couple qualification rounds that included 100 trap and 100 skeet targets. Team coach is Jinx Baney of Brodnax, a retired Brunswick County extension agent.