Ooltewah bests Stony Point by 3.3 as new shooters open with tight finish in Week 1
The 2026 National Air Rifle New Shooter League launched its 10-week regular season with first-year competitors squadded in randomly assigned openers. Teams contest three-position air rifle matches—10 shots each in kneeling, prone and standing—with decimal scoring and the top four athletes comprising the team total. Standings are determined by a combination of seasonal average and bonus points for wins, and each team plays eight games during the regular season across three conferences: open age group, junior-only and collegiate.
Daniel Boone MCJROTC established the early benchmark with a 1083 in its debut, while Vista Grande MCJROTC, Walhalla AJROTC and Ramona NJROTC also opened with victories. North Port NJROTC and Mariner AJROTC are 1-0 after postponements. The Week 1 slate also produced a photo-finish: Ooltewah AJROTC held off Stony Point NJROTC by 3.3 points after a late rally in standing.
Most Exciting Games
In the week's closest result, Ooltewah AJROTC edged Stony Point NJROTC, 993–989.7. Ooltewah led by 9.9 after kneeling and 33.0 following prone before Stony Point closed the gap in standing. The final series tightened to a 3.3-point margin, but Ooltewah maintained the advantage at the line.
Perry AJROTC defeated Martin Luther King NJROTC, 1002.1–972.4, in a contest that stayed close early. Perry held a 0.9-point edge after kneeling and kept it a single-digit lead through prone at 8.0, then separated in standing to secure the 29.7-point decision.
Top-ranked Daniel Boone MCJROTC opened its season with a statement, topping Kelly Walsh MCJROTC 1083–915.8. Daniel Boone led at every stage—by 59.9 after kneeling, 82.1 at the prone mark and 167.2 at the finish.
Marksmen Standout Performances
- Gianni Velho, Ramona NJROTC — 278.3
- Isabella Holleran, Walhalla AJROTC — 282.2
- Chloe Buchanan, Vista Grande MCJROTC — 276.3
- Zoe Glazer, Kaiser High School — 275.3
- Mackenzie Toth, Camden County CGJROTC — 273.3
Looking ahead, several matchups highlight Week 2: Perry AJROTC faces North Port NJROTC in a meeting of 1-0 teams; Daniel Boone MCJROTC draws West Potomac AJROTC; and Chaparral NJROTC meets Stony Point NJROTC. Vista Grande MCJROTC also lines up against Central Talbotton AJROTC as the early standings take shape.
Top Ten Ranking
- Daniel Boone MCJROTC (Gray, TN) — 1-0
- North Port NJROTC (North Port, FL) — 1-0
- Vista Grande MCJROTC (Casa Grande, AZ) — 1-0
- Walhalla AJROTC (Walhalla, SC) — 1-0
- Mariner AJROTC (Cape Coral, FL) — 1-0
- Ramona NJROTC (Ramona, CA) — 1-0
- Battle Ground AFJROTC (Battle Ground, WA) — 1-0
- Chaparral NJROTC (Temecula, CA) — 1-0
- Perry AJROTC (Massillon, OH) — 1-0
- Denver North AJROTC (Denver, CO) — 1-0
Air Pistol League
Lafayette Gun Club opens on top as collegiate debut highlights Week 1 in National Air Pistol League
The first week of the 2026 National Air Pistol League launched a 10-week slate that places air pistol clubs from three conferences—Open Team, Junior Team and Collegiate Team—into head-to-head matches. Each contest mirrors the Olympic 10-meter format with 60 shots scored in integer values, and team totals drawn from the top four athletes. Teams are ranked through a blend of seasonal average and bonus points for wins. Week 1 pairings were randomly assigned.
Lafayette Gun Club set the early pace at 1-0 after posting a league-best 2,118, while Palmyra Sportsmen's Assoc and VMI Pistol Club also opened with victories. Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club rounded out a strong start among the front-runners. Capital Area Sportsmen's League came up just short in a top-10 matchup but produced solid scores across its lineup. The top five after Week 1: Lafayette Gun Club, Palmyra Sportsmen's Assoc, VMI Pistol Club, Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club and Capital Area Sportsmen's League.
Most Exciting Games
In a meeting of top-10 Open Team clubs, Palmyra Sportsmen's Assoc defeated Capital Area Sportsmen's League, 2,099–2,054. Palmyra led at every string and turned a steady single-digit edge into a 45-point final margin with a strong closing series.
The collegiate debut delivered a competitive finish as VMI Pistol Club topped Liberty University, 2,055–2,028. Both programs were competing in their first National Air Pistol League match, with VMI's aggregate holding up by 27 points.
Another top-10 clash went to Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club over Purple & Gold Pistoleers, 2,038–1,726. Grand Rapids controlled each stage, widening the gap from 72 points after the opening 10 shots to 312 by the finish.
Marksmen Standout Performances
- Mark Teixeira, Lafayette Gun Club — 538-6
- Gary Bowling, Lafayette Gun Club — 531-9
- Ben Waits, Lafayette Gun Club — 526-6
- Robert Riggleman, Seaford NJROTC — 500-9
- Camden Todd, Seaford NJROTC — 493-4
Week 2 features several notable pairings, including Lafayette Gun Club against Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club in a matchup of 1-0 Open Team programs. Palmyra Sportsmen's Assoc faces Hillsdale College in a cross-conference meeting, while VMI Pistol Club draws NoVA Sharpshooters. Liberty University meets Seaford NJROTC in another Collegiate vs. Junior Team contest.
Top Ten Ranking
- Lafayette Gun Club (Grafton, VA) — 1-0
- Palmyra Sportsmen's Assoc (Annville, PA) — 1-0
- VMI Pistol Club (Lexington, VA) — 1-0
- Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club (Wyoming, MI) — 1-0
- Capital Area Sportsmen's League (Lansing, MI) — 0-1
- Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) — 0-1
- Purple & Gold Pistoleers (Granbury, TX) — 0-1
- Seaford NJROTC (Seaford, DE) — 0-1
- Central Arkansas Hawkeyes (Conway, AR) — 0-0
- Cos Cob Revolver and Rifle Club (Greenwich, CT) — 0-0
This press release was in part generated by artificial intelligence maintained by Scopos LLC.
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