FEATURE
HIGHLANDERS ON TARGET
Focus is of utmost importance for Floyd Central’ s championship rifle team
by Patrick Murphy
photos provided Lyn Akermon Floyd Central Master Gunnery Sergeant
However, in rifle shooting those attributes are of the utmost importance.
“ There’ s a lot more to shooting then getting up there,” said Lyn Akermon, who is Floyd Central High School’ s Navy Junior ROTC head coach.“ It’ s all about position, bone structure, muscle memory, focus and there’ s a whole lot that goes into it.”
In February, the Highlanders won their first title in the Navy JROTC National Precision Rifle Championship in Anniston, Ala.
Floyd Central had two of the 15 squads at the national championship.
Floyd’ s first team consisted of Logan Hall, Ysabelle Martinez, Lacy Schilmiller and Megan Fondy. Its second squad included Emma Velten, Avigayle McKim, Luke Johnson and Benjamin Lake.
Each competitor uses. 177 caliber air rifles, which are Olympic-style rifles. They aim at a target 33 feet away that is about the size of a quarter. The target goes from 10 points in the middle to one point outward.
“ One of our teammates said the target is about the size of a period in a newspaper and that’ s what we’ re aiming at and that’ s the best way to describe it,” Schilmiller, a sophomore, said.“ I constantly think too much about it and that’ s my problem. I need to figure out how to stop it and the best way for me to do it is by listening to music that’ s being played in the range. It keeps my mind off it and I’ m able to do what I need to do.”
Competitors shot from the three positions – prone( lying down), kneeling with one knee and standing. They use black sliders on their riffles to sight the target and they get around 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the match, with the goal to hit the middle.
“ Standing is the hardest position as you’ re not supported and you have to really get focused and have control,” Akermon said.
On the first day of the national tournament, the teams’ equipment was inspected to make sure it was up to the standards and regulations. The next day the Highlanders shot a 3-by-20 match, which roughly lasts around an hour-and-a-half or an hour-
PAGE NO. 24 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE MAY / JUNE 2025