Oklahoma 4-H members showcased their skills on the national stage during the 2026 National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships, earning multiple team and individual top-10 finishes against some of the nation’s best competitors.
A delegation of 43 Oklahomans, including 34 club members and nine volunteers, traveled to Grand Island, Nebraska, for the annual event. The competition drew 775 youth ages 14 to 18 from 42 states.
Oklahoma finished eighth overall and qualified for the sweepstakes award, said Ruth Pratt, Oklahoma State University Extension specialist and statewide coordinator for the Oklahoma 4-H Shooting Sports Program.
“This is the major shooting sports competition in the nation,” Pratt said. “Our 4-H members work hard and set goals year after year to be a part of the National 4-H Shooting Sports team. We send the top four participants from our qualifying contests to the national competition, where they compete against the best youth from around the country.”
The Oklahoma shotgun team led the state’s team performances, placing third on Day 2, second on Day 3 and second overall. The hunting skills team placed fifth on Day 2, while recurve archery and air rifle each earned fifthplace finishes on Day 3.
Several Oklahoma 4-H members also posted strong individual performances.
In shotgun competition, Garrett Schoonover of Logan County placed third on Day 1 and third overall. Clay Culver of Craig County placed first on Day 2 and finished fourth overall, while Kooper Pryor of Jackson County placed 10th on Day 3 and ninth overall.
Eli Bensch of Garfield County placed second on Day 2 in .22 rifle. In recurve archery, Blake Duncan of Pawnee County placed first on Day 3 and finished ninth overall. Paige Kelly of Creek County placed ninth on Day 3 in air rifle.
Micheal Murphy, Silo 4-H Club and Bryan County 4-H served on the Oklahoma 4-H Recurve Archery team. Micheal and his Oklahoma team placed: Recurve Archery 3-D 26th place, 3-D Team 4th place Field tied at 24th, Team 8th FITA 22nd, Team 8th Overall 24th, Team 8th “Our delegates had a full schedule while in Nebraska competing, and they learned so much and had a chance to make new friends,” Pratt said. “I’m so proud of each of them and their hard work to make it to this national competition.”
Like other Oklahoma 4-H programs, shooting sports emphasizes personal growth and development. Participants build life skills that can be used in all areas of life.
“All of our shooting sports coaches are certified and go through extensive training to prepare them for introducing safe and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment to Oklahoma youth,” Pratt said. “These leaders also help instill self-discipline, sportsmanship, ethical behavior and an appreciation for the outdoors.”
Pratt said the program’s focus extends beyond scores and competition.
“It’s all about education, positive youth development, working with caring adult volunteers and having fun,” she said.
For more information about Oklahoma 4‑H Shooting Sports, contact Pratt at 405-744-8886 or ruth.pratt@okstate.edu.
