Kootenai Valley Rifle Club places third
In the spring of 2022, members of the Kootenai Valley Rifle Club shot in the NRA Sectional rifle match at their home range.
They compete with .22 caliber rifles, single shot, at a distance of 50 feet indoor. A sectional match is one in which a shooter obtains their national ranking. Matches are held across the United States, the scores are sent into the NRA then combined with others to see how everyone did. After months of waiting the results are in.
The first match, a four-position team match, shooting 10 shots in each of the prone, sitting, kneeling and standing positions, the team of Bill Leach, Greg Mead, Don Jordan and Tom Daniel would combine their scores to place third in the nation with a final of 1,565, just 18 points behind the first place team from Pittsburgh, Pa. The Sandpoint Rifle Club would place seventh with a score of 1,451.
As individuals, shooting 20 shots in each position, Bill Leach was senior champion (over 60 years old) for the second year in a row and fifth in the master class with a score of 791 out of 800 possible. His teammates, also shooting in the master class, would all place in the top 20. Some of the junior shooters (under 21 years old) participated in the marksman class. Ellie Rutherford, Megg Kahanek, Salix Harris and Paige Sartell also would stay in the top 20 shooters.
The second match was a three-position match. Shooting 40 shots in each of the prone, kneeling and standing positions. The target used in this match is challenging, to score a 10, the shooter must take out a dot not much larger than the period at the end of this sentence. The senior team would again place third in the nation with a final score of 4317, which set a new senior national record.
As individuals, Leach would place ninth overall in the master class. Mead, Daniel and Jordan, shooting in the expert class would again be in the top 20 along with Ron Shadel of the Sandpoint club. Junior shooter Kahanek would break the top 10, placing 9th in the Marksman class.The third match was for junior shooters only. They would shoot 20 shots in each of the prone, kneeling and standing positions. The team of Rutherford, Kahanek, Harris and Sartell would place 14th out of 27 teams in their class.
As individuals, Rutherford would place 25th out of 69 shooters in the Junior class (over 16 years old). Shooting in the Intermediate class (15-17 years old) there were 136 participants. Kahanek would place 49th and Sartell would tie for 66th. The Sub-Junior class (14 and under years old) had 52 members across the nation. Harris would place 9th, Ilena Wenzel 17th, AJ Giallanza 18th, Kyalynn Comer and Seth Sandborn would tie for 22nd with another shooter from Maine.
The last match was also for junior shooters. They would shoot a four-position match only putting 10 shots in each position down range. Again, in the junior class, Rutherford placed 22nd out of 88. In the Intermediate class Kahanek was 33rd out of 124 and in the sub-junior class with 78 shooters, Harris placed 12th, Wenzel 18th and Sanborn 45th.
If you are interested in learning more, or returning to, the sport of smallbore shooting, please stop by the indoor range on Highway 2. Senior shooters (over 20 years old) meet on Wednesday nights and the junior shooters (under 21 years old) meet on Thursdays. Both at 6:30 p.m. Hope to see you there!