Arizona Youth Marksmen Shine at 2025 NRA Youth Air Rifle 3-P State Championship

2025-2026 Arizona NRA Youth Air Rifle 3-Position State Championship
USFT-Youth Shooting Sports Program
Ben Avery Shooting Facility
Phoenix, Arizona
November 11
51 competitors
Submitted by Dan Palmer

On November 11, 2025, the 2025–2026 AZ NRA Youth Air Rifle 3-Position State Championship was held at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility’s indoor air gun range.

The event welcomed 51 cadets, including 23 woman competitors, representing AFJROTC, MCJROTC, NJROTC and USAJROTC programs. A total of 11 teams and eight individual competitors participated. Represented programs included Casa Grande High School MCJROTC (Casa Grande, Arizona), Deer Valley High School AFJROTC (Glendale, Arizona), Fontana High School MCJROTC (Fontana, California), Marcos de Niza High School USAJROTC (Tempe, Arizona), Rio Rico High School USAJROTC (Rio Rico, Arizona), Sandra Day O’Connor High School AFJROTC (Phoenix, Arizona) and Sahuarita High School NJROTC (Sahuarita, Arizona).

Bryant Fletcher of Sahuarita H.S. NJROTC topped the Sporter Air Rifle leaderboard, while Isabella Bercerril of Marcos de Niza H.S. USAJROTC earned the top individual honor in Precision Air Rifle. (Photos courtesy Up in Smoke Firearms Training)

In the Sporter Air Rifle individual competition, Bryant Fletcher of Sahuarita High School NJROTC captured first place with a final score of 620-30 (qualification 530-28), earning an NRA Master qualification card. Stephanie Mendoza of Fontana High School MCJROTC Team 1 secured second place with a final score of 620-14 (qualification 535-11), also qualifying for an NRA Master card. Hector Guzman of Rio Rico High School USAJROTC Team 1 placed third with a final score of 615-10 (qualification 529-9), qualifying for an NRA Master card as well.

In the Precision Air Rifle individual category, Isabella Bercerril of Marcos de Niza High School USAJROTC Team 1 earned first place with a qualification score of 549-18. Anna Johnson, also of Marcos de Niza High School USAJROTC Team 1, finished second with 542-17, followed by teammate Hailey Santa Cruz in third place with 539-15.

Team honors were equally competitive. In the Sporter Air Rifle team category, Fontana High School MCJROTC Team 1—comprised of Javier Campos, Stephanie Mendoza, Angel Posada and Rosario Negrete—won first place with a score of 2100-43, qualifying the team for the NRA Expert classification. Fontana High School MCJROTC Team 2, consisting of Aleen Castro, Ashia Segura, Isabella Segura and Julyssa Gutierrez, placed second with 2014-39. Rio Rico High School USAJROTC Team 1—Hector Guzman, Gonzalo Guzman-Pacheco, Diego Figueroa and Sonny Soto—finished third with 1982-30.

Fontana H.S. MCJROTC Team 1 won the Sporter Air Rifle team title. (Photo courtesy Up in Smoke Firearms Training)

In the Precision Air Rifle team category, Marcos de Niza High School USAJROTC Team 1—Avalon Haptonstall, Isabella Bercerril, Anna Johnson and Hailey Santa Cruz—claimed first place with an impressive score of 2161-63. The Sandra Day O’Connor High School AFJROTC Team 1, made up of Shannon Allred, Collin Erelius, Terry Braydon and Alexander Sjogren, earned second place with 1984-32.

Event organizers extended special thanks to David Halbrook of NRA Days for his continued support and for providing t-shirts, shirts, pins, safety cards and NRA Marksmanship Qualification Books for competitors and spectators. Appreciation was also given to the Mesa Hohokam Foundation for awarding a financial grant that helped sustain Arizona youth air rifle competitions this season.

The championship was supported by dedicated volunteers serving as staff and range safety officers, including Leonard Rheaume (Chief Range Safety Officer), Michael Schoenle (Range Safety Officer), Greg McDiffett (Chief Range Safety Officer/Assistant Match Director/Juror), Ariana Cherry (Range Safety Officer/Juror), Gracelynn Kastler (Range Safety Officer/Juror), James Cook IV (Range Safety Officer/Juror/Statistical/Administration) and William “Dusty” Baker (Range Safety Officer/Juror). Their commitment was instrumental to the event’s success.

Looking ahead, the Arizona NRA Youth Air Rifle 3-Position and Youth 40-Standing National Sectionals Match will be held January 9-10, 2026, at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in north Phoenix. Teams and individual competitors are encouraged to register to ensure strong southwest regional representation. For program announcements and registration forms, interested parties may contact Dan Palmer at [email protected].