Photo and caption available

2012 Kansas participants and coaches were: Air Rifle Team Anna Taylor, Valley Center; Kavan Mark, Derby; Jacob Dietrich, Wamego; Scott Gardner, Olathe; Rick Taylor, Valley Center, coach. Air Pistol Team Jory Koon, Colby; Gaige Jacobus, Oakley; Olivia Taylor-Puckett, McLouth; Kevin Lansing, Leavenworth; Ken Stewart, McLouth, coach Compound Archery Team Nick Lawson, Sylvan Grove; Hunter Brown, Ensign; Conner Merck, Rose Hill; Shelbi McKenna, Norton; Tommie Berger, Sylvan Grove, coach Re-curve Archery Team Lane Ikerd, Emporia; Wynne Taylor, Meriden; Caleb Watts, Montezuma; Deb Ikerd, Emporia, coach. Hunting Skills Team Michael Purvis, Hays; Matthew Plummer, Wamego; Dakota Hoagland, Meriden; Daniel Dietrich, Wamego; Belinda Adams, Fredonia, coach Muzzle Loading Team Seth McCarter, Altoona; Austin Smith, Cimmaron; Wyatt Smith, Cimarron; Jayme Burger, Mayetta; Mike “Blue Hawk” Adams, Fredonia, coach The Shotgun Team Shot Sporting Clays, Skeet, and Trap Conner Kinkelaar, Dodge City; Bob Downey, Wright; Brian Seacat, Bucklin; Colten Ary, Lewis; Chris Kinkelaar, Dodge City, coach Small Bore Pistol Team Caleb Paterson, Kansas City; Aislin Reynolds, Kansas City: Lydia Paterson, Kansas City; Austin Becker, Manhattan; Ron Paterson, Kansas City, coach Small Bore Rifle Team Jacob Pemberton, Fort Scott; Wade Stroda, Manhattan; Hannah Reynolds, Kansas City; Jessie Pearson, Meriden; Dave Pearson, Meriden, coach; Sally Stroda, Manhattan, coach

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Thirty-five Kansas youth traveled to Grand Island, Neb., June 17-22 to participate in one of nine disciplines at the 13^th Annual National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational Match.

According to Rod Deeken, a Jefferson County 4-H volunteer serving as Kansas coordinator for the 2012 National 4-H Match, youth attending participated in three separate and different matches in their chosen discipline.

The choices include Air Rifle, Air Pistol, Compound Archery, Re-curve Archery, Muzzle Loading, Shotgun, Small Bore Pistol, Small Bore Rifle, and Hunting Skills.

The 4-H Match attracted 536 participants representing 33 states; Kansas earned third place in the overall sweepstakes, behind first place Texas and second place Missouri.

The sweepstakes combines all of the disciplines for an overall team score, said Deeken, who noted that 2012 is the first time Kansas 4-H Shooting Sports participants earned the third place award.

“Our success reflects the hard work of each of our 35 participants, and the leadership and training provided by their coaches,” said Deeken, who also credited Kansas youth for working to overcome challenging match conditions, including 100 degree heat and 30 to 40 mph winds.

Deeken said that he also was pleased to report that 2012 is the first year Kansas has sent a hunting skills team to the national match.  

Results for the Kansas team are posted at 2012 participant results.

Complete results are available at the Nebraska 4-H site. In 2013, the 4-H National Invitational will again be hosted by Nebraska at Grand Island, with tentative dates of June 23 to 28.

More information on 4-H Shooting Sports and more than 30 other educational projects and opportunities in Kansas 4-H is available online and K-State Research and Extension offices throughout the state.

                                                               
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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by: Nancy Peterson
nancyp@ksu.edu
K-State Research & Extension News

Rod Deeken at rod.deeken@gmail.com, and Sally Stroda at sstroda@ksu.edu (for result information)