USA Shooting: Gavin Barnick Wins 2023 Junior Olympic Men’s Smallbore Rifle Championship

Gavin Barnick, of Menasha, Wisconsin, earned the title of 2023 Junior Olympic Champion for Men’s Smallbore Rifle at the USA Shooting Rifle Junior Olympic National Championships on April 19.

“It felt really good to win,” Barnick, a student-athlete at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, said. “I figured out of all the years I have been competing I had to win it one time.”

Barnick competed with more than 300 athletes in the 2023 USA Shooting Rifle Junior Olympic Championships, held at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Going into the Men’s Smallbore Rifle final, Barnick had a score of 1170-59X. He was one of the eight competitors who qualified to shoot for medal spots in the final. Braden Peiser, of San Angelo, Texas, earned silver, and Tyler Wee, of Wake Forest, North Carolina, was the bronze medalist. 

Spanning two weeks, the competition included men’s and women’s air rifle, smallbore rifle and Paralympic air and smallbore rifle. Athletes from more than 40 states competed in the annual USA Shooting championship. 

“My favorite part about competing in this match would have to be the camaraderie,” Barnick said. “All of the juniors are here, and it is a nice atmosphere.” 

Barnick started shooting when he was 10 years old with a local 4-H club. He has since earned five international medals and, last month, he helped his college team earn the 2023 NCAA rifle championship title during the competition at the University of Akron.

The 2023 USA Shooting Rifle Junior Olympic Championships also determined the Men’s Smallbore team for the 2023 International Shooting Sports Federation Junior World Championships in Changwon, Korea, July 14-18. The following athletes qualified: Gavin Barnick, Braden Peiser, Matthew Sanchez, Tyler Wee and Griffin Lake. 

Additionally, medals were awarded in the Men’s Smallbore Rifle categories.

Men’s U18

1. Griffin Lake, gold
2. Dylan Gregory, silver
3. Samuel Adkins, bronze 

Men’s U15

1. Grayson Muller, gold
2. Logan Sanchez, silver
3. Camden Koert, bronze

The following Paralympic medals were awarded at the 2023 Rifle Junior Olympic Championships.

Air Rifle

• R1: Landon Ruggera, gold
• R3: Landon Ruggera, gold
• R4: Benjamin Hays, gold; Jadon Nafziger, silver; Sidney Knight, bronze 
• R5: Benjamin Hays, gold; Jadon Nafziger, silver; Sidney Knight, bronze

Smallbore Rifle

• R6: Landon Ruggera, gold
• R9: Ben Hays, gold; Jadon Nafziger, silver

See the full results of the match here.

Learn more about USA Shooting at usashooting.org.