From the Cresswell Chronicle comes an article on the top shooter from this year's Oregon Youth Hunter Education Challenge who will attend his first YHEC nationals this July 25-29 in Raton, New Mexico.

Young shooter named state's ‘Top Gun'

Austin Rolfe, 14, of Creswell has qualified for the Oregon Junior National team and will travel to New Mexico later this summer to compete against young shooters from other states after placing second overall during the Oregon Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) state competition, held in Redmond on June 11 and 12.

For Rolfe, who began target shooting with his father, Mike Rolfe, at about age five, completed a hunter's safety course at age 10 and began shooting competitively at age 12, it will be his first trip to the YHEC national competition.

"I was one [place finish] away from qualifying last year," reported Austin, who will enter Creswell High School as a freshman in the fall.

While competing in the Junior Division at state against 20 other young shooters from around Oregon, Rolfe captured first place in the archery, shotgun and muzzle loader categories, which earned him the Top Gun award for best shooting percentage.

Youth Hunter Education Challenge is a sport that "not too many people are aware is even out there," noted Austin's mother, Dina Rolfe, adding that the sport's acronym, YHEC, is pronounced "Why-heck, for short."

Continue reading the article at the Cresswell Chronicle here.