Jefferson County 4H Patriot Shooters Win High Overall 3 Years Straight

The Jefferson County 4-H Patriot Shooter are on their way to National Competition this month, following an impressive win at State competition. Coach Wayne Rich and a talented team of shooters just brought home the prestigious High Overall Combined High School State Competition Award, a best all around acknowledgement of the depth of the field in the Shooter’s team. This is the third year in a row that Jefferson County has brought home this title and Rich sees it as a testament to a tradition of excellence. For nine years, since their inception in 2005, the Shooters have been accumulating awards.

Coach Rich estimates that there over 100 awards that have cumulated over the time span, so many, in fact, that the team has run out of places to display all of their trophies. Thirty four team members shot in State competition and all 34 will be traveling to Nationals. Jefferson County is defending National Champions in Trap and High All Around, making them the team to beat in 2013. Rich isn’t concerned about the performance of the team in the upcoming competition. He stated that it isn’t his coaching that makes the team successful, it is the kids and their commitment and talent. They also have great parental support and he expects them to do well in Nationals.

Since 2006, the Patriot Shooters have had at least one group in the top six in the Nation. More than 200 Shooters have been through the program in its nine year run and, as a school board approved sport, it is a source of Patriot Pride. Not only is the team heavily awarded, its members are also scholarshipped, with more than 20 scholarships being awarded.

The tradition of excellence is a point of pride to the members of the Patriot Shooters and Coach Rich sees it as a propelling factor for the upcoming Nationals and beyond. He is impressed with his young shooters, some only in the 4^th and 5^th grades, and sees them reaching to attain the same level of accomplishment as their older counterparts.

The Patriot Shooters will loose 4 Seniors, however there are several accomplished sportsmen and sportswomen waiting in the wings to fill their openings and keep the bar high. Coach Rich said that this team has what it needs to do well in Nationals and, while the competition is tight at this level, Jefferson County is positioned to bring back another National title. In the meantime, the Coach and his team will be eyeing a place for another National trophy in an already crowded room.