The Marion High School JROTC Air Rifle Marksmanship Team started their season off with a strong showing. Competing in a virtual match the Giants defeated J.L. Mann Academy of Greenville, S.C. by nearly 200 points (821.4 to 624.0).
Each team competed on their home range in the match hosted by the Orion Scoring System. The Giants are now 1-0 in the Distinguished Division of the National Sporter Air Rifle League.
MHS was led by Cadet Adelia Santiago-Stricler, a sophomore, who earned first place in the match with a score of 217. Cadet Samantha Torres, a sophomore, earned second place with 213.6. Also scoring for the team were sophomores Cadet Zariah Phillippe and Cadet Damian Evans.
The Orion league matches are modeled after Olympic rifle competitions but adapted to high school athletes. Cadets fire precision air rifles from three different positions: kneeling, prone (lying flat on the ground), and standing. Each athlete takes 10 shots in each position, and each shot is worth a maximum of 10 points. The sum of points scored in the 30 shots is the athlete's total. The team score comprises the top four scores.
The Giant’s marksmanship team has a history of excellence in the past few years, earning state championship titles and multiple qualifications to national matches, as well as sending two cadets to compete in the Junior Olympics.
Next up, the Giants will face Natchitoches Central from Louisiana. The regular season runs for eight weeks, followed by post-season play.
The National Air Rifle League is sponsored by Scopos of Manassas, Va., the maker of the Orion Scoring System, the Athena Electronic Scoring Target System, and Rezults, the world’s first mobile-friendly result website for shooting.
Marion High School’s JROTC program is open to all Grant County high school students. Students must arrange their own transportation to and from MHS, but there is no cost to the student to enroll in the program. Anyone interested in becoming a cadet in the JROTC program should speak with their school counselor. For more information, you can also contact Lt. Col. David Farlow, JROTC senior Army instructor, at 664-9051, ext. 2455, or [email protected].