DeKalb County 4-H Shooting Sports

08/25/2025

A Plea for Support: Help Our 4-H Air Rifle Program Find a Home

Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Our local 4-H Shooting Sports youth have a passion, a purpose, and a problem: we no longer have a place to practice and compete in air rifle. We are reaching out to our community in hopes of finding a safe, suitable facility to call home — a space where young people can grow their skills, build friendships, and develop life lessons that will carry them far beyond the range.
4-H is one of the nation’s most respected youth development programs, teaching leadership, responsibility, and citizenship through hands-on learning. In 4-H Shooting Sports, the emphasis is not on competition alone, but on safety, self-discipline, respect for others, and personal growth. Our certified volunteer instructors focus on:
 Safety First – Every participant is trained in firearm handling, range etiquette, and respect for equipment and fellow shooters.
 Life Skills – Youth learn patience, focus, problem-solving, and goal-setting — qualities that benefit them in school, future careers, and community involvement.
 Confidence & Responsibility – Hitting a target after weeks of practice teaches not just marksmanship, but the pride that comes from persistence and effort.
 Community & Friendship – 4-H fosters teamwork, sportsmanship, and positive peer relationships in a supportive environment.
Our air rifle program is open to youth of all backgrounds and abilities. We keep costs low to ensure every child has a chance to participate, but without a place to meet and shoot, our season is in jeopardy.
We are seeking:
 An indoor space at least 50 feet in length (such as a gym, warehouse, industrial space, armory, pole barn, or other large room).
 Permission to use the facility regularly for practices and events.
 Support from individuals, businesses, or organizations that value youth development and community involvement.
By helping us find a facility, you aren’t just providing a shooting range — you are investing in the next generation of responsible citizens, leaders, and neighbors.
If you know of a possible location or if you can help in any way, please contact us at [email protected] or 815-701-8052 or drop and comment below. Together, we can keep this incredible program alive and thriving for the youth in our community.
Thank you for your support and belief in our young people.
Sincerely,
Dale Swanson
4-H Air Rifle Shooting Sports Volunteer Leader

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08/20/2025

Congratulations to our 2025 reigning and defending 4-H DeKalb County Air Rifle State Champions. We had some great performances this past weekend. The shooters in red represented DeKalb County. The competition consisted of a 60-shot 3-position match and a 60-shot standing match. The combined scores dictated the overall rankings. A special thanks to Central Illinois Precision Shooters (CIPS) in Bloomington, Illinois, for graciously hosting the event. Nice shooting, everyone, your hard work and determination paid off.

07/04/2025

The 4-H state shoot is taking place earlier this year, so be sure to register and mark your calendars. If you are 12 by Sept 1st 2024, you can compete.

Our Illinois 4-H 2025 State Shoots registration is open!

Register anytime between July 1 – August 31, 2025 through your 4-H ZSuite account for upcoming State Shoots!

• Small Bore Pistol is a virtual (postal) contest and runs July 1 – Aug. 31, 2025
• Air Rifle is Saturday, August 16, 2025 at Central Illinois Precision Shooters, Bloomington, IL
• Archery is Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Pekin Archers, Pekin, IL
• Shotgun is Saturday, September 27, 2025 at Brittany Shooting Park, Bunker Hill, IL

Note: The pistol and air rifle shoots occur within this timeframe

Registration and state shoot rule are here: go.illinois.edu/StateShoots

05/14/2025

Edit: I forgot to include Adrianna Roesecrants scores, update below. In March we shot in the NRA National Junior Sectional Match at Central Illinois Precision Shooters (CIPS). We had some of our veteran shooters and a couple of first-timers. This match is unique because it provides national rankings by age class and an overall ranking for everyone 20 years old and younger. Congrats to all of the participants. Results below.

Precision Air Rifle 3 Position
Intermediate Junior (Age 15-17)
National Rank-Reese Harper 10th
Sub-Junior Class (Age 14 & Under)
National Rank-Lillie Harper & Adrianna Rosecrants tied for 5th
All competitors (Age 20 & Under)
National Rank-Reese Harper 19th, Lillie Harper & Adrianna Rosecrants tied for 24th.

Precision Air Rifle Standing
Intermediate Junior (Age 15-17)
National Rank-Reese Harper 9th, Carson Underwood 38th
Sub-Junior Class (Age 14 & Under)
National Rank-Lillie Harper 4th, Adrianna Rosecrants 8th, Morgan Davis 14th, Mark Pritchard 16th
All competitors (Age 20 & Under)
National Rank-Lillie Harper 14th, Reese Harper 19th, Adrianna Rosecrants 34, Carson Underwood 62nd, Morgan Davis 69th, Mark Pritchard 74th

Smallbore Rifle 3 Position
Intermediate Junior (Age 15-17)
National Rank-Reese Harper 36th
Sub-Junior Class (Age 14 & Under)
National Rank-Adrianna Rosecrants 5th, Lillie Harper 6th
All competitors (Age 20 & Under)
National Rank Adrianna Rosecrants 42nd, Lillie Harper 44th, Reese Harper 53rd

Sporter Air Rifle 3 Position
Sub-Junior Class (Age 14 & Under)
National Rank-Rebekah Bumgarner 7th, Tessa Frerichs 25th, Madilyn Castillo 29th, Clyde Bumgarner 34th, Holland Lundeen 35th
All competitors (Age 20 & Under)
National Rank- Rebekah Bumgarner 79th, Tessa Frerichs 130th, Madilyn Castillo 134th, Clyde Bumgarner 147th, Holland Lundeen 148th

Sporter Air Rifle Standing
Sub-Junior Class (Age 14 & Under)
National Rank- Rebekah Bumgarner 3rd, Tessa Frerichs 7th, Clyde Bumgarner 11th
All competitors (Age 20 & Under)
National Rank- Rebekah Bumgarner 45th, Tessa Frerichs 71st, Clyde Bumgarner 87th

04/29/2025

DeKalb County 4-H Shooting Sports is proud of one of our members, Reese Harper, who has been with the program since she was 8. Reese Harper will be going to Atlanta, GA where she will be presented with the NRA's Outstanding Youth Award. This award exemplifies her hard work, civic community engagement, and her passion for shooting sports. She credits her coaches, Dale Swanson and Kevin Harper, and DeKalb County Shooting Sports, who have supported her on her journey.

https://www.nrafamily.org/content/congratulations-to-nra-s-2024-outstanding-achievement-youth-award-winner/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ-AM1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFGU3V5RUVmM25PdFdlcnNvAR7qFtjwWusea67SNgiAL9gIpOfYEiHZPLy4qXfIgRDGF1IeoYJksMAlGpZjhA_aem_u-ze1NqGd6WD27kS4d9UOA

03/07/2025

Carson Underwood has been awarded his Distinguished Expert Certification from the NRA Marksmanship program for his participation in air rifle through 4-H Shooting Sports.

Carson has been shooting with the DeKalb County 4-H Shooting Sports program since he was 8. He is the longest-running member in our shooting program. While this post is meant to celebrate his accomplishments, it is also to bid farewell to Carson. As this shooting season and school year wind down, Carson will be heading off to college next year to tackle some new challenges. I’m confident the hard work and determination he has shown through his shooting career will pay dividends for him in college. Learning how to do hard things and not giving up are great life skills.

Carson has had some impressive accomplishments during his time with the DeKalb County 4-H Shooting Sports program. Carson was the 2023 4-H Illinois State Champion in air rifle, a member of the 1st place DeKalb County 4-H air rifle team in 2023, and was invited to compete at the 4-H National Matches in Nebraska. For his final accomplishment, he has achieved the prestigious NRA Distinguished Expert Certification in air rifle, marking a significant milestone in his shooting sports career. This honor represents the culmination of his commitment to safety, skill, and precision in the sport.

The NRA Distinguished Expert Certification is the highest award in the NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program, requiring shooters to demonstrate consistent excellence and mastery of shooting fundamentals. Carson has shown exceptional discipline, achieving the high scores necessary to meet the rigorous standards set by the National Rifle Association. Congratulations!

03/06/2025

A special achievement deserves a post all to itself. Mark Pritchard is our ninth shooter to achieve the Expert level certification in our NRA Marksmanship Program. He started this journey back in December 2022. He is now moving on to precision air rifle where he will work on obtaining his Distinguished Expert certification. This is the highest award given out by the NRA. The NRA Marksmanship Program provides challenging goals to strive for each week. It takes patience, discipline, determination, and lots of hours at the range to accomplish this feat. Great job Mark!

02/19/2025

A special achievement deserves a post all to itself. Morgan Davis is our eighth shooter to achieve the Expert level certification in our NRA Marksmanship Program. She started this journey back in January 2022. She is now moving on to precision air rifle where she will work on obtaining her Distinguished Expert certification. This is the highest award given out by the NRA. The NRA Marksmanship Program provides challenging goals to strive for each week. It takes patience, discipline, determination, and lots of hours at the range to accomplish this feat. Great job Morgan!

02/01/2025

A special achievement deserves a post all to itself. Aubrey Szymanski is our seventh shooter to achieve the Expert level certification in our NRA Marksmanship Program. The NRA Marksmanship Program provides challenging goals to strive for each week. It takes patience, discipline, determination, and lots of hours at the range to accomplish this feat. Great job Aubrey!

02/01/2025

Congratulations to our most recent NRA Marksmanship Award winners. Sharpshooter Awards- Rebekah Bumgarner, & Connor Hoste. Pro-Marksman & Marksman Awards- Lucas McMurtrie, The NRA Marksmanship Program is giving these kids challenging goals to strive for each week. Great job everyone!

01/10/2025

A few more perfect 100-point targets shot in competition got stapled to the ceiling tonight. Adrianna Rosecrants had back-to-back perfect 100s, wow! Lillie Harper had her first perfect 100 point target in prone. Congrats and let's see some more targets up on that ceiling.

01/10/2025

Air Rifle 3rd session signup is now live. Classes start on 1/16. No experience or equipment is needed. We'll teach you proper gun safety, marksmanship, and provide all the equipment for you. Additional details can be found in the signup link below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4BAEAA22A5FCC61-50977818-2024?fbclid=IwY2xjawHtdc5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHU4b_87xCAbpsO_SUU91duDzeaJ6jsPeG_ouUjWVN-MZjNdSEYtkmBdSbg_aem_uNAzETDmWZPKfAQTR9admQ #/

Who Open to kids 8-18 years old. You don’t need shooting experience to join. We will teach you proper gun safety and how to shoot. When 11/14 - 11/21 - 12/5 - 12/12- 12/19 We will run sessions in 5-week blocks October through April. You only have to sign up for 5 weeks at a time. This allows you t...