History in the making -The Granbury HS MCJROTC Pirate Rifle Team has done it again - they have claimed their seventh consecutive National Championship title at the 2024 JROTC National Championships held at the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s Gary Anderson Competition Center in Camp Perry, Ohio. The Pirates have claimed this Dynasty and made their mark in history by being the only team in the Civilian Marksmanship Program to achieve this feat!
Months of practice and hard work paid off as the team battled it out with over 6,000 junior shooters from across the nation. The best shooters from each branch then qualified for each individual branch’s JROTC National Service Championship last month, with the top teams from each service competing in the national championship this past weekend. The match was intense, consisting of a 3×20 air rifle event fired twice in two days, featuring competitors firing 20 record shots from each of three positions (prone, standing, and kneeling) over the two-day contest.
Granbury Team 1, consisting of Viola Allen, Kameron Wells, Jula Czernik, and Kennedy Wells, fired an outstanding overall score of 4,700 -313x to claim team gold and be crowned National Champions in the precision category. The second team, consisting of Cadince McGrath, Ainsely Milligan, Caylynn Price, and Mataya Turner, fired an overall score of 4,599 -220x to claim 12th place in the precision team category.
The excitement did not end in the team category. After the final qualification scores were released, Allen and Kameron Wells qualified for the individual finals (top eight athletes). The final event was thrilling, and the crowd was on the edge of their seats as Wells placed 6th and Allen claimed 4th, missing 3rd place by only 0.1 of a point. Lastly, Czernik was recognized for her 10th place finish during the awards ceremony, with 30% of the top ten being Pirates.
The team's success is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and talent. Lt. Col. Scott Casey, the Senior Marine Instructor, and rifle team head coach, said, "This is one of the most talented groups of athletes in my 13 years of coaching - I knew we had a great group from top to bottom at the beginning of the year – and they proved that this weekend by bringing home the 7th consecutive National Championship." John Becker, rifle coach and Texas State CMP Director, added, "I firmly believe they won the match before arriving by putting in the work necessary all season during before-school and after-school practices starting the day after the last All Service Championship back in March!” The Granbury HS MCJROTC Pirate Rifle Team has once again made its mark in history!