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 Illinois entered the 4-H Shooting Sports program in
the fall of 2009, said Dan Dawson, state coordinator of the Illinois
4-H Shooting Sports program. “Illinois was the last state in the
nation to offer the shooting sports program through its state 4-H
program,” Dawson said.
“The growth has been fast,” Dawson said, with 96 of the 102 counties
in Illinois having certified volunteers to offer the shooting sports
discipline. “It is the state’s fastest growing 4-H project,” Dawson
said.
Illinois will send a team of four youth in the compound archery
division as well as the shotgun division, and will send a single
participant in the air rifle division. Participants were selected
during the Illinois State 4-H Shoot held in October 2014.
The Illinois 4-H archery team will include Rhett Bullard of Marion
County, Kyle Lex of Sangamon County, Hannah Primm of Menard County,
and Aaron Fishburn of Sangamon County. Bill Mohn of Sangamon County
will serve as the archery coach.
The Illinois 4-H shotgun team will include Darrin Hawkins of Grundy
County, Ethan Mathias of Rock Island, Brice Switzer of Edgar County,
and Brandon Goldhammer of Logan County. William Peterson of Rock
Island County will judge the team at the national contest.
Greg Bolhaus of Ogle County will compete individually in the air
rifle competition. Cheryl Price of Ogle County will serve as coach
for this division.
“The national 4-H contest has been very popular since its beginning
in 1989,” Dawson said. Nationally, nearly 600 4-H teens representing
37 states will be competing in the national contest.
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 “Shooting sports is one of the top three project areas
nationally in 4-H,” Dawson said. “Every local club is led by
adult volunteers who have been certified through extensive
training.”
Illinois currently offers curriculum in compound and recurve
archery, air and smallbore rifle, shotgun, and hunting and
outdoor skills. Future curriculum may include muzzleloading and
the air and smallbore pistol shooting disciplines. The
Illinois 4-H Foundation financially supports the Illinois 4-H
shooting sports team. To learn more about 4-H in the community, one
may contact the Logan County U of I Extension office at 217-732—8289
or website at
http://web. extension illinois.edu/lms/
[Amy Hyde, Logan County 4-H]
About 4-H: Illinois 4-H helps
youth learn skills for living. University of Illinois Extension
provides 4-H programs in every county in Illinois. Illinois 4-H
impacts the lives of 200,000 youth each year through sustained
learning clubs and groups and short-term programming.
For Further Information Contact:
Source: Dan Dawson, Extension State Educator, Shooting Sports, 217
726 9224
News Writer: Judy Mae Bingman, Extension Media Communications
Specialist, 217-300-2113
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