LaFayette shooters qualify for CMP Regionals

The LaFayette High School JROTC rifle team will head to Anniston, Ala. on Feb. 9-11 to compete in the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) region competition for the first time in the program’s history.

LaFayette qualified after shooting a score of 1,107 in a postal event at the beginning of the season. They will compete in the Army service division.

The top teams in the regionals will advance to nationals later this year. Last year, over 1,400 youth shooters competed in the CMP Postal Competition, culminating in the National Championship in Ohio this past June.

“We’re very excited,” LaFayette coach Perry Fouts said. “It’s going to be an eyeopener for our kids with it being their first time in a major match. I hear the (firing) ranges in Anniston are phenomenal, nothing like we’ve ever seen in this area.”

The CMP event is a 3x20 air rifle event, meaning competitors fire 20 record shots from three positions: prone, standing and kneeling. Scholarship checks are available for the top three highestscoring senior athletes in both the sporter and precision classes at nationals.

According to their website, the CMP is a national organization dedicated to training and educating U.S. citizens in responsible uses of firearms and airguns through gun safety training, marksmanship training and competitions.

The CMP is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) corporation that places its highest priority on serving youth through gun safety and marksmanship activities that encourage personal growth and build life skills.

Its goals are to instruct citizens of the United States in marksmanship, to promote practice and safety in the use of firearms, to conduct competitions in the use of firearms and to award trophies, prizes, badges, and other insignia to competitors.

Ridgeland falls to Dalton

The Ridgeland High School rifle team faced off with Dalton in an area match at LaFayette this past Tuesday with the Catamounts prevailing by a score of 1,084-971.

Martin Camlic was the top shooter for the Panthers with a score of 262, followed by Tyler Atchison (248), Lee Crabtree (244) and Savannah Carroll (217) to round out the team score.

Also shooting for Ridgeland was Daniel Barrett (166), Jordan Reynolds (163), Tristan Duff (153) and Herbert Bradley (123).