Oregon 4-H achieves two top-20 finishes at shooting sports national championships

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Oregon State University Extension 4-H’ers took home two top-20 team finishes and one top-10 individual finish in the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships.

Oregon 4-H sent a delegation of 11 competitors and five coaches to Nebraska, which hosted the championships June 23-28 at the Heartland Public Shooting Park, about a two-hour drive from Omaha.

As a team, Oregon competed in shotgun and compound archery. In the team standings, Oregon finished 14^th – out of 33 teams – in shotgun and 18^th in compound archery. It was the best shotgun team finish for Oregon 4-H since 2018.

Oregon consistently has been in the upper half of the standings in compound archery and shotgun over the last decade. Compound archery teams placed in the top 20 five times since 2016, including four times in the top 10. The same is true for shotgun, with four top-20 finishes since 2016.

Riven Benson of Benton County was Oregon’s highest-scoring competitor in the individual standings, finishing ninth in recurve archery.

In shotgun, Clayton Dill (Crook County) finished tied for 12^th out of 129 competitors. Kutler Don (Linn County) was 34^th, Sawyer Rhodes (Jefferson County) was 83^rd and Carter Borton (Lincoln County) was 92^nd.

In compound archery, Jacob Tharp (Polk County) was 58^th, James Anderson (Curry County) was 64^th, Wyatt Lottis (Curry County) was 66^th and Owen Cross (Clatsop County) was 78^th.

Competing as individuals in the small-bore rifle competition, J.R. Russell of Clatsop County was 63^rd and Wade Ballini (Clackamas County) was 64^th despite competing with a borrowed rifle as his rifle was misplaced by the airline and never arrived in Nebraska.

The focus of all 4-H programs is the development of youths as individuals through hands-on experiences that build life and leadership skills. In the Oregon 4-H Shooting Sports Program, youths explore interests and passions; develop positive relationships with caring, trained adults; learn to safely and responsibly use firearms and archery equipment, and more.