RAPID CITY, S.D. — Randi Rogers and Gordon Carrell carried Ruger Harrier rifles into the 2026 NRA Faces of Freedom America’s Rifle Challenge Regional Championship on Aug. 1-2, and Rogers walked away with a runner-up finish in Open division on a score of 525.30. Carrell topped the Grand Senior leaderboard.
Presented by 360 Precision, the match ran at the Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex just outside Rapid City and packed two formats into one weekend. Eight full stages of fire blended the Level 1 Skills Challenge with Level 2 Action Stages, which meant competitors had to keep switching gears—paper at 10 yards on one stage, steel past 300 yards on another. AR shooters who could clean a close-range array still had to sort out holdovers and South Dakota wind before the day was over.
For Rogers, better known for her decorated career in action pistol and cowboy action shooting, the weekend doubled as a reintroduction to the rifle.
“It had been more than 10 years since I last competed in a rifle shooting event, but the NRA America’s Rifle Challenge Regional reminded me just how much I enjoy the sport and has reignited my passion for rifle competition,” she said. “Throughout it all, my rifle performed flawlessly, giving me complete confidence on every stage.”
Carrell shot both levels alongside her and came away with a list of things to work on.
“Lots for me to learn shooting long range and excited for the challenge,” he said. “Highly recommend getting your AR out your safe and try this great sport.”
Both shooters also ran a free AR-15 Introduction to ARC clinic for newcomers during the weekend.
Match Director Michael Kuzara and Assistant Match Director Bruce Schmidt led the championship with support from the Prairie Thunder Action Shooting Club. Saturday’s shooting wrapped with “Beers with Bane,” an informal session in the Pete Lien & Sons banquet hall where Michael Bane fielded questions from competitors over free beer.
Rapid City is one stop in the NRA ARC Across America National Challenge, a nationwide push tied to America’s 250th anniversary that runs through Labor Day. Four Level 1 stages from this regional count toward that national tally, so scores fired in South Dakota carry beyond the weekend.
See the full results at Practiscore.
