Locals compete in North Idaho Junior Olympic Rifle State Championships

BONNERS FERRY — The Kootenai Valley Rifle Club in Bonners Ferry hosted the Junior Olympic Rifle State Championships for North Idaho this past Saturday.

A handful of shooters from the Sandpoint and Kootenai Valley teams competed in the event and grabbed top honors.

Competitors shot a single shot .22-caliber rifle, with iron sights, at a target 50 feet away. To score a 10, juniors must take out a dot the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Competitors shot 20 shots in each of the prone, standing, and kneeling positions.

Ellie Rutherford, a member of the Kootenai Valley team, was the top shooter with a score of 533 out of a possible 600 in the U18 age group. Gretchen Weig from Sandpoint was right behind Rutherford with a 527 and teammate Ethnee White placed third with a 522. Meggie Kahanek, Kootenai Valley, and Gabriel Lester, Sandpoint, rounded out the U18 category at the event.

The Kootenai Valley rifle team swept the top three spots in the U15 age group. Salix Harris grabbed first with a score of 502, Paige Sartell earned second with a 463 and Ilena Wenzel secured third with a 401. Alora Rasor and Baylor White from Sandpoint, along with Seth Sanborn from Kootenai Valley, filled out the U15 roster.

The scores shot at this match were combined with those from a match held at the rifle range in Twin Falls. Elijah Spencer from Boise with a score of 574 had the highest score in the state, making them the overall champion in Idaho. By winning, Spencer earned an invitation to shoot at the national match held at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.

At the state level, Harris captured first overall in the U15 age group and Sartell placed second. In U18, Rutherford finished third overall.

If you are interested in learning more about the sport or returning to it, as a junior or senior shooter, please contact your local rifle range.