Rachael Schoenrock (Cortland, Neb.) sure picked the right day to shoot well. Participating in the trio of three-position air rifle (3PAR) events taking place at the CMP Marksmanship Center South in Anniston, Ala., Schoenrock earned USA Shooting distinction after winning the 3PAR National Junior Olympic Championships.
Rachael Schoenrock on the line, far left in blue. Photo courtesy of USA Shooting
Six separate championships were contested July 11-14 for USA Shooting, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) featuring events in Sporter and Precision Air Rifle. Only one title, however, earned Junior Team distinction for 2013-14 and shooting her best score of the week allowed Schoenrock to claim it.
In the CMP portion, Schoenrock finished seventh with a score of 589. In the NRA-sponsored championship, she finished 22nd with a score of 585. Behind the strength of a 596 qualifying score and a high finals score of 102.9, the 18-year-old Schoenrock would defeat fellow National Junior Team member Elizabeth Marsh (Cleburne County, Ark.) by 4.1 points overall to claim the USA Shooting National Junior Olympic Title. Schoenrock showcased her continued progression in the sport after finishing 26th and 28th at the 2013 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC) in the Air and Three-Position Rifle events this past April. Schoenrock is a member of the Homestead 4H Shooting Club.
Marsh’s second-place result wouldn’t dissuade an otherwise brilliant performance during the week. The 15-year-old Marsh had already claimed her spot on the National Junior Team after winning the Junior Air Rifle title at the recent USA Shooting National Championships. She backed that up by winning two of the three precision titles up for grabs in Anniston along with the second-place finish behind Schoenrock in the third.
Michael Steinel (Lowell, Ohio) also put together a noteworthy performance as the only other competitor to finish in the top-8 of all three championship events placing fourth in NRA, sixth in CMP and eighth in USA Shooting.
More than 170 precision 3PAR competitors competed in the trio of championship events with a total of 35 precision 3PAR teams.
In the team competition, Walla Walla (Wash.) HS JROTC was the team winner during the USA Shooting portion of the precision rifle championship. They finished fifth in NRA and 10th in CMP. Frazier Simplex Center Shots out of Pennsylvania was the best team based on cumulative results that saw them place on each step of the podium including first (CMP), second (NRA) and third (USA Shooting). They also shot an event-high aggregate score of 2339 to win the CMP Team title. Led by Steinel, the Great Trail Musketeers Jr. Rifle Team in Orpa, Ohio, was the other event winner securing an NRA title.
Three-Position Air Rifle Shooting is the most popular and fastest growing form of shooting sports competition for youth of high school age or younger with two different events available. Precision is modeled after Olympic-style shooting and allows the use of specialized target rifles and equipment. Sporter is designed for new competitors or those who desire to compete with a minimum of equipment and expense. The CMP actively promotes Three-Position Air Rifle shooting as a premier youth marksmanship competition by providing low-cost equipment and pellets as well as training curriculum materials and competition activities.
Three-position air rifle shooting is promoted and governed by the National Three-Position Air Rifle Council whose members include The American Legion, Army Cadet Command (JROTC), Boy Scouts of America Venturing, Civilian Marksmanship Program, Daisy/U. S. Jaycee Shooter Education Program, Marine Corps Training and Education Command (MCJROTC), National 4-H Shooting Sports, National Guard Marksmanship Training Center, Naval Education and Training Command (NJROTC) and USA Shooting. The NRA also independently promotes three-position air rifle competitions.
For complete results of the 3PAR Championships, click here:http://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=edit&match=10175#ui-tabs-10
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
