The Bismarck/Mandan Rifle and Pistol club hosted two smallbore rifle and one air rifle match at their indoor range on Saturday, January 14, 2023. Five of our Lake Region Shooting Sports Association athletes competed. The first match of the day was the North Dakota State Junior 3-position Smallbore Rifle Championship match first, and Casia Steinhaus was the only one of our club to fire this match. She is our 2023 North Dakota State Junior 3-position Smallbore Rifle Champion with a score of 563-15x.
The 3-position smallbore rifle matches are fired with .22 rimfire match rifles with the targets 50 feet away. The first 20 shots are fired from the prone position, the second 20 from the standing position and the final 20 shots are fired from the kneeling positon. Open aperture sights are used.
The second match was the North Dakota State Junior Sectional 3-Position Smallbore Rifle match. This is a National Championship fired in states across the nation. The scores from these state matches are compiled to determine the national championship winners. Those national results will not be compiled for a few months, as the matches can be fired through April. Rachel Vaagen finished 5th with a score of 526-7x, her sister Hannah finished 3rd with her score of 541-12x, and Casia Steinhaus is our State Champion with her score of 559-15x to earn the Gold medal.
The third match was the Open Air Rifle Sectional which consists of 60 record shots all fired from the standing position at a target 10 meters away. Isaac Vaagen finished in 12th place with a score of 535-16 center shots. His sister, Rachel, finished in 8th place with her score of 549-15 centers. Hannah Vaagen finished 6th with a score of 557-20 centers. Jacob Vaagen finished in second place with a score of 568-23 centers for the Silver medal and Casia Steinhaus fired an outstanding score of 585-29 centers to win the Gold medal.
Rachel, Hannah, Jacob and Casia fired as the team of Girl Power…& Jacob to win the team Gold medal with a combined score of 2259-87 centers. The results of all of these matches can be viewed at: https://www.orionresults.com/bismarckmandanrpa
There has never been a family that has fielded four athletes in this match or for that matter any rifle match in North Dakota. I doubt that there has been a match anywhere where a family of four has fired a match together like the Vaagen family did this past weekend.
These young people will compete in the North Dakota State Junior Olympic Rifle Championship matches this weekend of Jan. 21 and 22 held in the Minot Rifle and Pistol club range. This is a selection match where these young athletes can earn an invitation to compete in the Junior Olympic National Championships to be held at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, CO in April.
