FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA- The rolling hills of northern Pennsylvania served as the backdrop for the NRA's 25th Annual Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) at the Mill Cove Environmental Area outside Mansfield, Pennsylvania. From July 26-30, nearly 400 of the country's most skilled young hunters competed against one another, putting their marksmanship and outdoor skills to the test, and celebrating the program's 25th anniversary.

"YHEC is a program that teaches many skills other than hunting," said Bill Poole, Director of NRA's Education & Training Division. "Teamwork, leadership, perseverance, and good sportsmanship are just a few of the life skills that young hunters take away from the YHEC program."

Often referred to as NRA's "graduate" program in hunter education, YHEC is comprised of eight events that test hunting knowledge and marksmanship skills. Four of the eight events are shooting-related, with participants competing in shotgun, muzzleloader, rifle, and archery challenges.

The remaining four events, known as responsibility events, put the participants' hunting knowledge to the ultimate test. These events include orienteering, a written test called the Hunter Responsibility Exam, a wildlife identification course, and the Hunter Safety Trail where the young hunters must use their judgment during simulated hunting scenarios.

The awards system for the International YHEC are divided into to two categories: individual and team, and then into two classifications: senior (age 15-18) and junior (age 14 and under). For each event, a maximum score of 300 points is possible for an individual and 1,500 points for a five-person team. When the scores for all eight events are combined, an individual can score a maximum of 2,400 points overall and a team can score 12,000 points overall.

The North Carolina Park Ridge Sharpshooters took top honors in the Junior Team category, a title they were out to capture after finishing in third place in 2009. "These kids set their sights on this after last year and they've been training for months," said coach Eric Efird.

Team member Hunter Efird secured a first place finish in the Junior Individual category, with teammate and cousin Lea Efrid placing third. "It was fun, and I'm proud of the team," said 14 year-old Hunter from Albemarle, North Carolina. "We've practiced for months, 24/7 and getting up at 6:00 a.m. all week to compete."

Taking second place was Bryce Bason from Pennsylvania who helped his team, Pennsylvania Junior Blue, take second place in the Junior Team Category. The Oregon Junior team rounded out the category in third place.

Continuing the winning streak for North Carolina in the individual standings, 17 year-old Levi Epps from Troy, North Carolina, was named the Senior Individual winner. An elated Epps was almost speechless as his win continued to sink in. "It's so great, it feels awesome," said Epps, beaming.

Jason LeVan from Pennsylvania took second place in the Senior Individual category for the third year in a row, helping his Pennsylvania Senior Gold team to take first place, while sister team Pennsylvania Senior Blue took came in second. Last year's champions, North Carolina's Forbush High School Senior Red team placed third, with team member Billy Janos placing third individually.

Each year, approximately 50,000 youth take part in YHEC events at a local, state, or provincial level throughout the United States and Canada. The International event is open to all young hunters who have successfully completed a North American hunter education course and participated in their local, state, or provincial YHEC program. Since its inception in 1985, YHEC has helped more than 1.3 million young sportsmen and women become safe, ethical and skilled hunters.

Next year YHEC returns to the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico, which last hosted the International YHEC in 2009. For more information on the YHEC program, contact NRA's Hunter Services Department at (703) 267-1524 or visit http://www.nrahq.org/hunting/yhec/index.asp.

2010 YHEC Overall Aggregate Winners

Junior Individual Overall Winners

1. Hunter Efird, North Carolina; score: 1945
2. Bryce Bason, Pennsylvania: score; 1770
3. Lea Efrid, North Carolina; score: 1767

Senior Individual Overall Winners

1. Levi Epps, North Carolina; score: 2015
2. Jason LeVan, Pennsylvania; score: 1929
3. Billy Janos, Oregon; score: 1899

Junior Team Overall Winners

1. North Carolina Park Ridge Sharpshooters; score: 8479

Coaches: Heath Efird, Eric Efird
Hunter Efird, Lea Efrid, Shannon Efrid, David Singletary, Dalton Huneycutt

2. Pennsylvania Junior Blue; score: 7629

Coach: Beth Bason
Bryce Bason, Jacob Dinger, Ryan Haller, Nicholas Paroda, Clint Reichert

3. Oregon Junior Team; score: 7528

Coach: Terry Leavitt
Dustin Harrold, Reed Koozer, David Leavitt, Kayla Pieren, Brian Staebler-Siewell

Senior Team Overall Winners

1. Pennsylvania Senior Gold; score: 8637

Coach: Jeff Castle
Samuel Antes, Zachary Bixby, Jason LeVan, Garrett Rathbun, Cody Wolfe

2. Pennsylvania Senior Blue; score: 8605

Coach: James DiSante
Austin Barnhart, Vincent DiSante, Travis Forrest, Bradley Huber, Timothy Unverdorben

3. North Carolina Forbush High School Senior Red; score: 8581

Coach: Dink Reavis
Nicholas Doub, Anthony McClelland, Billy Janos, Nick Kiter, Caleb Reavis