GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Oregon State University Extension 4-H’ers took home two top-20 team finishes and one top-10 individual honor at the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships.
Oregon 4-H sent a delegation of 11 competitors and five coaches to the national event, held June 23–28 at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, about two hours west of Omaha.
Strong team performances
As a team, Oregon competed in shotgun and compound archery. Oregon placed 14th out of 33 teams in shotgun and 18th in compound archery — the program’s best shotgun team finish since 2018.
Oregon’s consistency is notable:
- Compound archery teams have placed in the top 20 five times since 2016, including four top-10 finishes.
- Shotgun teams have earned four top-20 placements since 2016.
Top individual results
Riven Benson of Benton County was Oregon’s top scorer overall, finishing ninth in recurve archery.
In shotgun:
- Clayton Dill (Crook County) tied for 12th out of 129 competitors.
- Kutler Don (Linn County) placed 34th.
- Sawyer Rhodes (Jefferson County) placed 83rd.
- Carter Borton (Lincoln County) placed 92nd.
In compound archery:
- Jacob Tharp (Polk County) placed 58th.
- James Anderson (Curry County) placed 64th.
- Wyatt Lottis (Curry County) placed 66th.
- Owen Cross (Clatsop County) placed 78th.
Competing individually in small-bore rifle:
- J.R. Russell (Clatsop County) placed 63rd.
- Wade Ballini (Clackamas County) placed 64th, despite competing with a borrowed rifle after his equipment was misplaced by the airline.
About Oregon 4-H Shooting Sports
The focus of all 4-H programs is youth development through hands-on experiences that build life and leadership skills. In the Oregon 4-H Shooting Sports Program, youths:
- Explore personal interests and passions
- Build relationships with caring, trained adults
- Learn safe, responsible use of firearms and archery equipment
Previously titled Oregon 4-H achieves two top-20 finishes at shooting sports national championships
