Mississippi is home to many talented young sportsmen and women who love to fish, hunt and participate in all types of outdoors activities. Four of those talented youngsters are representing our state in the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships next week in Nebraska.

Audrey Pugh, Nathan Lewis, Reagan Thornton and Shelby D. Sparks will participate in the air pistol competition. All four members of the team competed in rigorous competitions through local, district and finally the state competition where the four highest scores determine who goes to the National Championships.

Each competitor who advances to nationals may only compete one time at the nationals in that particular competition, but they can qualify through another discipline such as air rifle, .22 handgun, .22 rifle, shotgun, etc.

Lewis, from Sebastopol, and Pugh, from Newton, engaged in a spirited competition at the state meet with Pugh beating Lewis by a point or two the first day and Lewis winning on day two. Lewis won the state championship by edging out the talented young lady from Newton by the slimmest of margins.

Thornton, of Philadelphia, is the third member of the team from the East Mississippi area, and she’s a talented competitor as well. She finished third in the state competition and this will be her first time to compete at the nationals while following in the footsteps of her brother Austin Thornton who went three times.

The fourth member of the team, Sparks, is from Yalobusha County.