American Legion Jr Air Rifle National Championship

A scene from the firing line at the 2003 American Legion Junior Air Rifle National Championship.

Colorado Springs, Colorado -- One record was tied as junior air rifle competitors met at the Olympic Training Center here for the 13th annual American Legion National Junior Air Rifle championships held August 6-9.

Tarl Kempley of Reno, Nevada, became the 2003 Junior Shooting Sports Champion in the Precision Category firing a 2,463.8 out of a possible 2,509 to claim the victory.  Kempley was shooting for the Jedi Olympic Shooting Team USA sponsored by Duby Reid Post 30.

Rounding out the top five in the Precision category were second place Levi Geurts of Buffalo, North Dakota, Buffalo Sharpshooters sponsored by Dokken & Schroeder Post 223; third, Amanda Boespflug of Turner, Oregon, The Oregon Trail 4-H Jr. Rifle Team sponsored by Post 58; fourth, Lee Lemenager of Sutter, California, Sutter Union High School sponsored by Yuba Sutter Post 42; and fifth, Brandon Green of Poplarville, Mississippi, Bogalusa, Louisiana High School JROTC sponsored by Magic City Post 24. 

Green, the tournament’s 2001 Sporter National Champion, tied the precision prone record firing a perfect 800 score.

National Championship Cody Cleland (left) and Tarl Kempley (right). Cody won the Sporter Catergory with a score of 2245.0 and Tarl won the Precision Category with a score of 2463.8.

The 2003 Sporter Category top spot went to Cody Cleleand of Bogalusa, Louisiana with a score of 2,245 of a possible 2,509. Cleland is a member of the Bogalusa High School JROTC sponsored by Magic City Post 24. Second spot in Sporter competition was captured by 13 year-old Keely Stankey of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Post 435 CMP, sponsored by Post 435; Daniel Pearce of Olney, Maryland, Damascus Air Rifle Club, sponsored by Post 171, was third; Krystle Sze of Honolulu, Hawaii, St. Louis Crusader Rifle & Pistol Club, sponsored by Waikiki Post 35, finished fourth and Blake Phillips of Bogalusa High School JROTC sponsored by Magic City Post 24, took fifth place.

These athletes were among 30 of the top American Legion Junior Shooting Sports finalists who made it through beginning mail-in rounds involving more than 1,450 competitors to get to the U.S. Olympic Training Center here for the championship round.  Almost junior clubs are affiliated in The American Legion’s Junior Shooting Sports Program.

The tournament provides young competitive shooters an opportunity to test their marksmanship ability in Olympic-style competition with other junior shooters throughout the nation. It is the fastest-growing youth program sponsored by The American Legion, the nation’s largest wartime veterans organization.

POC:   Mike Buss 317/630-1249

Precision Results

Sporter Results

Precision Category National Finalists

Amanda Boespflug – Turner, Oregon; The Oregon Trail 4-H Jr. Rifle; Post 58

Kimberly Chrostowski – Portsmouth, Rhode Island; Newport Junior Rifle Team; Portsmouth Post 18

Levi Geurts – Buffalo, North Dakota; Buffalo Sharpshooters; Dokken & Schroeder Post 223

Rachel Glenn – Billings, Montana; Yellowstone Post 4 Rifle Team; Yellowstone Post 4

Brandon Green – Poplarville, Mississippi; Bogalusa High School JROTC; Magic City Post 24

Katherine Harrington – Jacksonville, FL; Gateway Gold 4-H Shooting Sports; Lakeshore Post 137

Tarl Kempley – Reno, Nevada; Jedi Olympic Shooting USA; Duby Reid Post 30

Lee Lemenager – Sutter, California; Sutter Union High School; Yuba Sutter Post 42

Shannon Li – Honolulu, Hawaii; St. Louis Crusader Rifle & Pistol Club; Waikiki Post 35

Sarah Quinn – Somerset, New Jersey; Somerset Junior Rifle Club; Post 339

Kristi Smith – Colbert, Georgia; Wolf Creek Young Shooters; Post 160

David Sprecher – Tarpon Springs, Florida; Wyoming Antelope Club; Augustus Ruser Post 273

Michael Tanoue – Honolulu, Hawaii; St. Louis Crusader Rifle & Pistol Club; Waikiki Post 35

Lance Williams – Humble, Texas; Lake Houston 4-H Outdoor Explorers; Post 132

Jennifer Wolf – Krebs, Oklahoma; McAlester Jr. Air Rifle Club; Harrison Powers Post 79

Sporter Category National Finalists

Vincent Barone – Middletown, New York; Middletown H.S. NJROTC "Middies"; Post 151

Cody Cleland – Bogalusa, Louisiana; Bogalusa High School JROTC; Magic City Post 24

William Crooks – Cayce, South Carolina; BC High School JROTC; Post 130

Kirk Evans – Henderson, Kentucky; Henderson County JROTC Colonels; Post 40

Brian Hansen – San Francisco, California Lowell High School JROTC; Parkside Post 505

Chris Kirby – Albuquerque, New Mexico; LaCueva High School MCJROTC; Post 49

Rhea Mastroianni – Ozark, Missouri; Ozark High School JROTC; Post 639

Axel Ortiz – Elizabeth, New Jersey; Elizabeth H.S. MCJROTC; Post 328

Daniel Pearce – Olney, Maryland; Damascus Air Rifle Club; Post 171

Blake Phillips – Bogalusa, Louisiana; Bogalusa High School JROTC; Magic City Post 24

Brandon Smoak – Pelion, South Carolina; Pelion H.S. Army JROTC; Post 7

Keely Stankey – Minneapolis, Minnesota; Post 435 CMP; Post 435

Krystle Sze – Honolulu, Hawaii; St. Louis Crusader Rifle & Pistol Club; Waikiki Post 35

Judson Talbot – Gilbert, Louisiana; Winnsboro High School JROTC; Diamond Hawthorne Post 84

Alaina Wallace – Winnsboro, Louisiana; Winnsboro High School JROTC; Diamond Hawthorne Post 84