After a second record-breaking weekend in a row, the Haughton Air Force JROTC cadets crushed the competition with personal best after best, posting big wins and extending their sporter air rifle season.
The HHS Varsity team had been building momentum over the past few weeks heading into the Louisiana Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) State Championships held February 21 in Shreveport and Zachary, LA. The cadet Buccaneer team not only finished first out of 44 teams with a school record of 2,128 points for 20 record shots in three positions, but the JV also finished first out of all other JV teams and 11th overall.
Individually, the Varsity marksmen earned: first place by Chris Fick, who shot a personal best 557 out of 600; second place by Emily Wood, with a 534; sixth by Ethan Evans with a 520 and personal best; and eighth by Erin Rigsby, with a 518 out of over 150 competitors. This is only the second time they have triumphed at the state CMP competition in their 12-year history. The last time was in 2021, when they earned a virtual state championship.
The previous week, the cadets competed at the Air Force JROTC Marksmanship National Championships in Anniston, Alabama, for sporter air rifle, marking their 10th invite in a row. While at that competition, they achieved a Haughton High School record performance, where Fick finished in third place nationally with a school record 552 out of 600 points, and the team finished in seventh place with a school record 4,135 points.
Cadet Fick earned one of the top eight slots to compete in the finals, which proved to be an exciting match. Fick moved into first place early on and led until the final two shots. The record-breaking team consisted of commander Emily Wood, deputy commander Erin Rigsby, Chris Fick, Ethan Evans, and Taylor McCord. Adding to their record performance, the team earned an invitation to the JROTC All Service National Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio, in late March. This is the first time in team history they have earned invites in back-to-back years.
Bucs in Blue Coach, Colonel Tony Zucco, noted “We thought last year was a big year, but this year is turning out to be incredible. I’m proud of how they held up after all the pressure last week and the grind to prepare for this week. Our team continues to fight through injuries and hold momentum.”
Making it to All Service Nationals, earning the American Legion State Championship and now the CMP State Championship are just a few of their team goals achieved so far this season. Each time the competition gets bigger, they get stronger. Next up, besides heading to Ohio to compete against the top 7 Army, Navy, Marine, Space Force and other Air Force teams, the team’s achievements at the State Championship have earned them an automatic berth to the CMP Regional Championships in April in Anniston, Alabama.
As Colonel Zucco looks towards the even bigger competitions for his team, he noted “Most nationally ranked teams shoot four to five times a week. However, with our cadets’ busy schedule of citizenship, community service, character development and leadership, they only get to practice two to three times a week. Parental support has been crucial with all the juggling and pressure. I feel our Bucs in Blue have not reached their full potential for the season yet and that is what is most exciting of all. In fact, teammates, parents, friends and sponsors of their team can watch the matches live online!”
Bossier Schools applauds the Bucs in Blue for their big wins and will be cheering them on as the team sets its sights on the Regional and National Championships.