Hernando youth have strong showing at 4-H rifle competition
The Hernando Sportsman’s Club in Brooksville hosted the annual Florida 4-H State Rifle Competition on Saturday, where more than 40 youth came from throughout the state to test their marksmanship skill and precision.
Spring Hill resident, Victor Hili, 13, and a seventh-grader at John D. Floyd K-8 School of Environmental Science, won his first rifle competition, taking four first place awards in four different rifle competition categories.
Hili won first place in the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Rimfire Sporter Rifle-Intermediate division competition, the NRA Three-position-Intermediate division rifle competition, and was the overall first place winner of the Individual Small Bore-Intermediate division competition.
Hili was also part of the winning first place team in the Small Bore Team-Intermediate division competition. The team included Max Thurek, 14, and Dominic Tocco, 12.
“I love the experience,” Hili said. “It is very enjoyable and fun to do.”
“I was very proud of all who participated,” said Frank Zimmer, vice president of the Hernando Sportsman’s Club. “They all did very well.”
Hernando Sportsman’s 4-H team members, Marie Aguele, 15, Miguel Reyes, 15, Kyle Curabba, 16, and Alyssa Bahrs, 17, won first place in the Small Bore Team-Senior division rifle competition.
Reyes, also won first place in the overall Individual Small Bore-Senior division competition. Aguele won fourth place in the overall Individual Small Bore-Senior division competition.
“I am so proud of our senior division team for excelling for a third year in a row, and for our intermediate division team winning a second year in a row,” said Bob Bacon, Hernando Sportsman’s 4-H Club rifle instructor and coach.
The competition coincided with Bacon’s birthday, making the winning day all that more special.
“It’s my birthday present,” he said. “I wanted all the children to excel. I was real happy to see all the young people participate. They all went home with smiles on their faces. They are our future of the shooting sports.”
Email Hernando Today correspondent Heather Francis at [email protected].
