A8 The SpokeSman • TueSday, november 1, 2022
Sports+Outdoors
Redmond JROTC sets sights on nationals
BY NICK ROSENBERGER •
Redmond Spokesman
T
he Junior Reserve
Officer Corps stu-
dents focused Oct.
28 as a projector whirred
above their heads in a small
building at Redmond High
School. Clicks filled the
room as students loaded
their rifles.
“One minute remaining,”
said Lt. Col. Doug Seal.
The students peered
through their scopes, check-
ing last minute details before
they started the competition
against Franklin Parish, a
high school in Louisiana.
The range went hot and stu-
dents began firing their air
rifles in a burst of clacks,
small metal pellets striking
the paper targets downrange.
“Take your time. Focus.
Relax,” said Seal.
Eye closed. Breath in.
Breath out. Look through
nick rosenberger/Spokesman
sights. Breath in. Breath out.
Chase Gottfried looks through his rifle scope during a JROTC marksmanship competition on Oct. 28 at Redmond High School against Franklin Parish High School in Louisiana.
Hold. Aim. Click.
This scene plays out every
week for the Redmond High
School Marine Corps JROTC
marksmanship team as they
compete against other schools
across the country, all chasing
the national championship in
the Orion National Air Rifle
League.
RHS is currently ranked in
sixth place in the Elite Division
and first place in the Marine
Corps JROTC Conference.
The league is based off
Olympic rifle competitions and
nick rosenberger/Spokesman
has students compete in three
Lt. Col. Doug Seal examines targets during a JROTC marksmanship
positions: prone, standing and
competition on Oct. 28 at Redmond High School against Franklin Parish
kneeling. Sheets downrange are
High School in Louisiana.
set up with 12 targets of nine
concentric circles. The students
earn more points the closer a
shot lands to the center.
nick rosenberger/Spokesman
Sheets from each position
Lt. Col. Doug Seal debriefs with his students after a JROTC marksmanship competition on Oct. 28 in Redmond
are collected and input into
against Franklin Parish High School in Louisiana.
the computer system by An-
dres Saldana, a junior at RHS
and the team’s statistical offi-
“You can always be better,”
cer. The competing school any-
said Simeon Lovric, the top
where else in the United States
shooter in Friday’s competi-
tion.
follows the same process.
— Lt. Col. Doug Seal, Redmond High School Marine Corps JROTC
“What happens, happens,”
The scores of the top four
marksmanship team
said Alana Hatch, a freshman
shooters from each school are
who competed for the first
combined for the final score.
time on Friday. “Honestly at
The top four at Friday’s com-
petition were Simeon Lovric
the end of the day it’s all feed- rectly, it is entirely in the hands done your best and you see the
back, more so than not doing of the marksman, no matter result.”
(265.6), Aidan Waterman
well. It’s knowing how to do their gender, height or build.
(264.6), Dolores “Deedee” Lo-
To qualify for nationals, the
pez (263.1) and Callan McNee
better next time.”
Once students learn this ac- team has to hit a score of 1050
countability, Seal said their
(246.9).
According to Gavvin Mc-
for the top four shooters. RHS
Laren, a sophomore at RHS
performance goes up.
“It’s a concentration sport,”
crushed Franklin Parish’s 775.7
who started marksmanship last “It’s immediate feedback,” score, but was just shy from
Saldana said. “How you win is
nick rosenberger/Spokesman year, it can be difficult to pre- Seal said. “It’s all you.”
by the decimal.”
qualifying for nationals with a
Additionally, Seal empha- final score of 1040.2.
Lt. Col. Doug Seal, a JRTOC Deedee Lopez takes aim Oct. 28 at Redmond High School during a pare for competition. He said
JROTC marksmanship competition against Franklin Parish High School much of the sport is training sized the importance of nutri-
instructor and coach of the
All students have to pass a
your mental foundation to just tion. Drinking caffeine before firearm safety test with 100
marksmanship team, said the in Louisiana.
a competition, for instance, can percent and get parent signoffs
focus on what you’re doing.
sport is a great way for students
lead to jittery hands and an un- before they can even touch a ri-
them, they have to examine
“The smallest sound can
to learn how to relax and focus, of discipline,” said Seal.
fle, Seal said.
completely mess you up,” he stable shot.
block out distractions and con- Each competitor has a jour- the little things themselves.
“All we want you to do is get Their next competition
trol their minds. The slightest nal where they write down
Through journaling, they’re said. “The smallest air change
shift or break in concentration what they did well and what able to examine the small
can make you completely think what you’re capable of and do is Nov. 5 in Lebanon, for an
your best,” Seal told the team in-person event.
can sway a pellet’s trajectory off they need to work on, Seal
tweaks and errors — maybe
differently.”
after the competition. “Nothing Reporter: nrosenberger@
course.
said. The journal is how they their breathing was off or their The rifle is an equalizing
“(It) really develops a sense get better. While he can coach concentration broke.
force, Seal said. Prepped cor- beats that feeling when you’ve redmondspokesman.com
“All we want you to do is get what
you’re capable of and do your best.
Nothing beats that feeling when you’ve
done your best and you see the result.”
█
Central Oregon needs Redmond teen
basketball officials
awarded Eagle
The Central Oregon Bas-
ketball Officials Association
is scheduled to hold its first
on-court training Saturday at
10 a.m. at the Central Christian
School gym on Airport Way
in Redmond. No experience is
needed to attend.
There is an urgent need for
high school basketball officials
in Central Oregon, according to
the COBOA.
Nationwide, there has been
a steady decline of high school
sports officials over the years.
Since the COVID-19 pan-
demic, the decline of officials
has been unprecedented, both
across the nation and in Cen-
tral Oregon.
The Central Oregon Basket-
ball Association is still signifi-
cantly below the 2018-19 num-
ber of officials. The COBOA
services 17 high schools and
17 middle schools throughout
Central Oregon.
For more information on
how to become an official, visit
www.osaa.org/new-officials/in-
dex.html.
For more information on the
COBOA, contact Mike Smith
at 541-389-5204 or mikesmith-
coboa@gmail.com, or Daryl
Rothenbucher at 541-416-0880
or daryl@wildwestpm.net.
—Spokesman staff report
Scout rank
BY TIM TRAINOR
Redmond Spokesman
Matthew Mathis, a senior
at Ridgeview, was honored
during Friday night’s football
game for earning the highest
rank in Boy Scouts of America:
Eagle Scout.
Mathis is also a varsity ath-
lete on the Ridgeview football
team, playing running back
and linebacker. He is also a
varsity wrestler and baseball
player.
For his recognition, Mathis
carried the American flag onto
the field during the pregame
Pledge of Allegiance and was
honored for earning Eagle
Scout.
█
Reporter: ttrainor@
redmondspokesman.com
Matthew Mathis and his father Shane, left, prepare for Matthew
to be awarded the Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting.
Courtesy photo