Team Ruger's Lauryl Akenhead started the year off strong! She recently secured High Lady in both the 2026 Clay's Cartridge Company Classic and the NRL Woodsviking Hunter Challenge.
First, Akenhead competed at the 2026 Clay's Cartridge Company Classic. This match required competitors to rely on serious planning and attention to detail through its diverse twenty stages. Akenhead had an impressive final score of 151, earning High Lady! Her achievement demonstrated the competition-readiness of the Ruger Precision® Rifle (RPR), which was designed for competitive shooters. Out of the box, this rifle features an in-line recoil path, which directs recoil directly from the rear to the buttstock, providing maximum accuracy potential. The rifle's heavy-contour barrel features an RPR muzzle brake that even further reduces recoil and minimizes noise and blast to the sides of the shooter. The buttstock also provides secure, easy adjustments for length of pull, cheek rest height and horizontal position to conform to the shooter's needs and style.
"I was running a Custom Shop Ruger RPR in 6mm GT and it performed flawlessly throughout the match," stated Akenhead. "It was a great weekend of competition, challenging stages and solid shooting all around. Grateful for the support and proud to bring home another win!"
Next in Woodbury, TN, Akenhead competed in the Woodsviking NRL Hunter Challenge. These NRL Hunter courses offer participants the opportunity to compete in educational and exciting courses with unknown hunting conditions. She delivered another outstanding performance, earning a final score of 103 and the High Lady title in the Open Heavy division.
"The Woodsviking NRL Hunter Challenge was a great match with a fun mix of terrain and challenging stages that tested ranging, target finding and building solid positions," said Akenhead. "I ran a Ruger American® Rifle Gen II in 6.5 Creedmoor, keeping the setup lightweight and simple. It was a great weekend on the range and a solid test of practical hunting skills."
The Ruger American Rifle Gen II is a strong choice for hunters, competitive shooters and firearm enthusiasts. It features a splatter-finished stock, providing excellent grip. The stock also allows shooters to easily customize their length of pull and comb height. This rifle platform offers a variety of features and is available in many calibers and styles.
Congratulations, Lauryl Akenhead, on these outstanding accomplishments!
About Ruger Firearms: Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. is one of the nation's leading manufacturers of rugged, reliable firearms for the commercial sporting market. With products made in America, Ruger offers consumers almost 800 variations of more than 40 product lines, across the Ruger, Marlin and Glenfield brands. For more than 75 years, Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. has been a model of corporate and community responsibility. Our motto, "Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens®," echoes our commitment to these principles as we work hard to deliver quality and innovative firearms.