JROTC Drill and Rifle Teams Place in Kennewick
One hundred thirty high school JROTC shooters representing 21 rifle teams from Washington and Oregon met on Saturday, February 22, in Kennewick for the Cascade Mountain League JROTC Drill Meet Rifle Match. The high school marksmen filled 5 relays of matches at Kennewick High School to test their marksmanship skills in the 3rd of 4 contests that the Cascade Mountain League conference will hold this season. Shooters competed in 3 position rifle matches consisting of 20 record shots in the kneeling, prone, and standing positions.
In the sporter class team competition, senior Cadet Captain Spahira Rynaski, fired the Blue Devil’s highest score with a 529 out of 600, leading WaHi’s sporter team to a 2nd place finish behind the team from Lebanon High School in Oregon. Rynaski’s score was followed by Cadet First Sergeant Melissa Villegas at 516 and Cadet Staff Sergeant Wyatt Postlewait with a 511. The Blue Devil sporter team was rounded out by freshman shooter Cadet PFC Noah Hein who finished the match with a 504 for a total team score of 2060. Villegas’ score earned her bronze in the Sporter Expert category.
The Blue Devils swept the top three spots in the Sporter Open category, with Hein taking gold, Cadet Staff Sergeant Shaylee Jones taking silver, and Cadet PFC Asger Volsing taking the bronze medal.
In the Sporter Marksman category, freshman Cadet Corporal Marcus Goin claimed a silver medal behind a 486. In the Sporter Sharpshooter class another freshman, Cadet Corporal Jesse Vawter turned WaHi’s second-highest score, a 521 earning him silver in that category and setting a new personal record for him. Teammate Cadet Corporal Kahlynn Hutson also turned in a career-high score of 508 for a 4th-place finish.
“Vawter and Hein had great matches this weekend, especially for freshmen,” Said WaHi Rifle Coach Mark Mebes, on Saturday, after the match, “Both of them have been averaging over 500 their last 3 matches.”
In the Precision Class, Walla Walla cadets swept the top 4 places with Cadet Lieutenant Claire Calvert claiming gold with a 578. Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Hannah Goin earned silver with a 574, and Cadet Captain Sarah Nelson earned bronze with a 568. The Blue Devil team took first in the precision team match with 2282 over the team from Salem, Oregon at 2130.
“We shot a solid score today,” Said Rifle team captain Cadet Captain Evan Graham “We have come off an exhausting schedule this month, with 4 matches consecutively in Ohio, Utah, Spokane, and Kennewick.”
Precision Team members firing the match included Calvert, Goin, Nelson, and Cadet Lieutenant Noah Kaheaku who finished 4th with a 562.
Walla Walla’s Rifle Teams returned home to begin training for the JROTC League Championship match to be hosted at Walla Walla High School on Saturday, March 8th. The competition, which includes armed and unarmed drill, color guard, and fitness teams in addition to marksmanship is open to the public and free of charge.
WaHi students impressed in many classifications, with a detail of the Air Rifle Competition following the results below:
Team Results
1st place Precision Team
2nd place Sporter Team
3rd place Physical Fitness Team 1
3rd place Physical Fitness Team 2
2nd place Color Guard Teams 1 & 2
Individual Precision Air Rifle
1st place Claire Calvert
2nd place Hannah Goin
3rd place Sarah Nelson
Individual Air Rifle Open Sporter
1st place, Noah Hein
2nd place, Shaylee Jones
3rd place, Asger Volsing (exchange student)
Individual Air Rifle Marksman, Sporter
2nd place Marcus Goin
Individual Air Rifle Sharpshooter
2nd place Jesse Vawter
Individual Air Rifle Expert Sporter
3rd Mellissa Villegas
Unarmed Drill Down
1st place Jamie West
3rd place Emelia Frokic
Armed Drill Down
2nd place Taylor Gray
3rd place Jamie West
Individual female, physical fitness test
1st Place Isabel Dalan (3rd time this season)
Additional results
2nd Place Armed Team Commander, Noah Kaheaku
1st Place (tied) Armed Drill Team Exhibition
