The Hudson Fish and Game Club is proud to sponsor the Hudson Fish and Game Junior Rifle Team. The Team competes in both smallbore rifle and air rifle all year. They participate in NRA matches indoors and outdoors and compete in USA Shooting matches as well. The team has won 6 NRA National Team Class Championships in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, four individual members won Junior Olympic Gold, Silver or Bronze State Championship medals. Three earned invitations to the Junior Olympic National Championships at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to compete for spots on the National Development Team. Watch for upcomming events in 2009 and help support our Junior Rifle Team!
Shooters Earn Spots At
Junior Olympic National Championship
The Hudson Fish and Game Club is proud to announce that four of its top young rifle competitors have earned invitations to the Junior Olympic National Rifle Championship. Brad Driscoll, a senior at Alvirne and Brian Jylkka, a Junior at Alvirne received invitations by firing top scores during the NH Junior Olympic State Championship event held in January. Jessica Levine of Hollis and Megan Polonsky of Wilton earned invitations for the women’s national rifle events.
In the NH State Championship, Brad earned a Junior Olympic Gold Medal in Precision Air Rifle and a Silver Medal in 3 Position Small-bore rifle (.22 cal.). In those same events, Brian Jylkka earned the Bronze Medal for Precision Air and the Gold Medal for Small-bore Rifle. Both shooters fired outstanding scores that far exceeded the minimum required for an invitation to Colorado Springs.
The JO National Championship event will be held at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The women compete during the first week of April, the men during the 2nd week. They will live on the Olympic Campus and compete for national honors and awards. In the Men’s division, approximately 45 from across the nation will compete for the small bore rifle championship and approximately 80 will compete for the air rifle championship. The top 2 competitors in each discipline will automatically earn spots on the US Olympic National Development Team. Category medals are awarded for top shooters in three age bracket groups as well.
Junior Rifle Team Director Keith Jylkka explains the significance: “Looking at the Junior Olympic National competitor list from the past few years, you only see a couple instances where FOUR competitors qualify for the Nationals from the same Club or Team. I think that really says something about the quality of our program here at the Hudson Fish and Game. The kids are outstanding, but the coaching staff and the support of the Club and its membership is what elevate our Team’s program apart from everyone else in the country.”
Brad, Brian, Jessica and Megan and 12 other young shooters train several days each week at Hudson Fish and Game Club’s indoor range. The Club has long supported the development of competitive young shooters and has an excellent facility boasting great range conditions for the junior athletes to train in. By far, the most important training asset for the Team is the support of the Club Members. The membership goes out of its way to accommodate the unending hours of practice and training the Team goes through. Without the support of the Club’s Members, the Junior Rifle Team would be just another Team. But with the Club’s support, the Hudson F&G Club Junior Rifle Team has earned many honors and awards including 7 NRA Team National Championships in the last two years and many other state and national awards.
