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Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 23 May 2017 23 May 2017

The Grant County 4-H shooting sports county contest was held April 12-15 which determined the teams for the state competition. Several 4-H members competed for coveted spots on the shooting sports teams competing at state. All 4-H members did exceptionally well during the grueling county competition and at the State 4-H Shooting Sports Championships at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, NM.

Archery is the most popular shooting sports discipline in Grant County. Numerous members competed at the county contest. Taylor Brown, Tanna Goar, Parker McMillan, Cooper Miller, Ian Valenzuela, Julian and Javiel Garcia, Bristan and Jacobi Lockett, Morgan Bighley and Riley Brabson all competed in the archery contest at the county level. At the end of the day, Riley Brabson, Julian Garcia, Jacobi Lockett and Morgan Bighley qualified to move on to state for team one. Qualifying on team two was Javiel Garcia, Ian Valenzuela, Cooper Miller and Bristan Lockett.

At the state competition both teams did excellent and represented Grant County very well. Team one placed second in the state level archery competition. Riley Brabson was the high point individual of team one. Riley also placed second in the state as an individual. Julian Garcia was fifth high individual and Jacobi Lockett was ninth high individual in the state.

In the county shotgun contest several 4-Hers participated. Qualifying for team one were Chris Morgan, Levi Dalton, Riley Brabson and Ryan (RJ) Orrantia. On team two were Jacobi Lockett, Ty Holman, Connor McDaniel and Cooper Miller. At the state competition both shotgun teams did well. Ryan Orrantia was the high scorer of team one and Jacobi Lockett was the leader of team two.

In .22 Rifle Seth Neal, Jadaniah Tarpley, Parker McMillan and Ty Holman qualified to represent team one at the state competition. Seth Neal was the leader of the pack during the state competition in Raton.

Air Rifle was very intense for the two teams that qualified at the county contest. State qualifiers for team one were Nathaniel Lucero, Jadaniah Tarpley, Cole Rogers and Seth Neal. Team two qualifiers were Haley Jacquez, Xzavian Chavez and Autumn Laws. Nathaniel Lucero was the high point individual for team one and was fourth high individual in the state. Seth Neal was also eighth high individual in the state competition.

Two teams consisting of qualified 4-H members competed in the state hunting contest. Bristan Lockett, Chris Morgan, Levi Dalton and Connor McDaniel were on team one and Parker McMillan, Cole Rogers and Julian and Javiel Garcia were on team two. Both teams did exceptionally well in the contest. The members of team one placed third in the state with Chris Morgan as the high point individual. Team two won the state title with Cole Rogers as the high point individual. Cole Rogers was also third in the state followed by Chris Morgan in seventh, Julian and Javiel Garcia in eighth and ninth and Bristan Lockett in tenth. Team two has qualified to compete at the National Shooting Sports Championships in Grand Island, NE June 25-30, 2017. The national hunting team is raising funds to attend the state competition. If you would like to donate, please contact the Grant County Cooperative Extension Office at 575-388-1559. New Mexico State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educator. NMSU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. We are extremely proud of all of our 4-H members that competed at the county and state level and wish the hunting team the best of luck at Nationals!