JROTC rifle team qualifies for Nationals

Published 10:57 pm Monday, February 13, 2006

MOULTRIE — Colquitt County High’s experienced and talented precision air rifle team finished second in the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s Marine Corps JROTC Eastern Championships last week and has qualified for the National JROTC Championships.

The Colquitt County team placed eighth at Nationals last year with a team that included Shontae Robinson, Miranda Dampier, Victoria Dampier and Yohann Brinson.

With Brinson, Robinson and Victoria Dampier back from that team and joined by veteran Jessica Corona, the Colquitt County team may be looking at an even better finish this year.

This year’s National championships will be held March 23-26 at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning.

Army, Navy and Marine Corps JROTC teams competed at Fort Benning last week in the Eastern Championships. The Western Championships will be contested next week at Colorado Springs, Colo., and the Eastern and Western winners and runners-up will go to Fort Benning next month.

In last week’s Marine Corps competition, the squad from Shelby County (Ky.) High School was first with a 2,314.

Colquitt County was second with a 2,293.

“Shelby’s good, but we could have reeled them in,” said Colquitt County coach Gunnery Sgt. Emmett Bryant, adding that his team did not shoot well in the standing, or off-hand position. None of the four shot over 189 in the two rounds in the standing position.

Dampier led Colquitt County with a 575, and led in the prone position with a 199 out of a possible 200.

Brinson just a point back at 574. He and Robinson had the top kneeling score, a 195. Robinson, the only underclassman in the foursome, and Corona each had a 572. Corona turned in the best standing score, a 189.

In the individual competition, Dampier placed fourth overall. Brinson was fifth, less than a point behind his Colquitt County High classmate. Robinson was eighth and Corona was ninth.

Although the Newton County High team did not advance, it did have the top individual Marine Corps shooter in Whitney Daggs.

Three other Georgia JROTC teams also advanced. The Army competition was won by Wuerzberg High from Germany. The Fitzgerald High team was second.

In the Navy competition, Luella High was first, followed by the Henry County team.

Following the team competition, the top eight individuals competed in a shootoff the next day.

“It’s an endurance match,” Colquitt County JROTC’s Lt. Col. Paul Nagy said. “Those who are not physically fit, do not do well.”

Brinson had the team’s highest score in the finals with a 98, giving him an aggregate score of 672. Dampier had a 97.7 for an 672,7 aggregate for fourth place.