NJROTC Area 12 Air Rifle Championships
By: Danielle Reynolds
On the first day back from winter break, 10 NJROTC cadets were already packed and rearing to compete in the NJROTC Area 12 Air Rifle Championships in Anniston, Alabama against 18 other schools and 81 total shooters. Nease’s very own Gunnery Sergeant Hanson and a few supportive parent chaperones took Nease Sporter A team and Nease Sporter B team to the championships in hope of winning first, qualifying for Nationals. Cadet Lieutenant Amber Fields previously qualified for Nationals with a stellar score of 268 points in a previous competition.
Nease Sporter A team consisted of cadets Chloe Westerlind, Grace Westerlind, Gabriel Mitchell, and Hailey Pitches. Nease Sporter B team consisted of cadets Danielle Reynolds, Ella Klaase, Amber Fields, Emily Chang, and additional shooter, Ruhi Shanbhag.
With South Effingham High School in 1st place and McDonough High School in 2nd, they are the Area 12 teams going to NJROTC Air Rifle Nationals in Utah in July. Nease’s teams placed 3rd and 4th with Cadet Ensign Chloe Westerlind, Junior, placing 3rd highest individual sporter (524 points), and Cadet Chief Petty Officer Grace Westerlind, Senior, placing 6th highest individual sporter (513 points) out of 81 other shooters in the division. As both Westerlinds were in the top 8 highest scores, they qualified to compete in the Championship Finals– and were given the opportunity to shoot 10 additional shots. Chloe gained an additional 88 points and Grace gained an additional 64, bringing their scores to 612 points and 577 points.
Because of Cadet Ensign Westerlind’s 612 points and Cadet Lieutenant Field’s 268 points, they both qualify as individuals for Nationals, the only cadets to do so from either sporter team.
The teams may not have placed for Nationals but from last year’s participation at Area 12 Championships, great improvement is evident from every cadet that participated. The comradery the Nease Air Rifle team shares between its teams and individuals is truly a thing to behold, from competition between teammates to showing the loudest and proudest support for each other, it is safe to say while Nationals is the goal, Nease Air Rifle has already earned to the title of the proudest team in Area 12 and all others.
We wish Chloe Westerlind and Amber Fields good luck and true aim as they prepare for the NJROTC National Air Rifle Competition.
The cadets’ scores and places are as followed:
Chloe Westerlind: (2nd place) 612 points 15 bullseyes
Grace Westerlind: (8th place) 577 points 15 bullseyes
Danielle Reynolds: (12th place) 506 points 11 bullseyes
Ella Klaase: (19th place) 500 points 4 bullseyes
Amber Fields: (20th place) 500 points 4 bullseyes
Gabriel Mitchell: (22nd place) 497 points 13 bullseyes
Hailey Pitches: (26th place) 492 points 13 bullseyes
Emily Chang: (28th place) 492 points 7 bullseyes
Matthew Hamm: (36th place) 486 points 6 bullseyes
Ruhi Shanbhag: (6th place) 444 points 4 bullseyes
