A rifle team from the Granbury Marine Corps JROTC has been selected to compete in its first-ever national competition.

The Granbury High School precision team composed of Rebecca Anderson, Hunter Dowell, Stephen Schofield, and Tyler Morrissette will attend the JROTC Service Championships on February 14-16, 2014, in Anniston, Alabama.

“What is remarkable about this accomplishment is the cadets have only been shooting this discipline since September,” commented Lt. Col. Scott Casey, the senior instructor of the Granbury unit.  “This is the first time in the history of this program that the rifle team has made it to the national level to compete in the service championships.”

Currently, the team is ranked tenth in the nation and Dowell is ranked third individually for Precision Air Rifle, which is modeled after Olympic-style shooting and allows the use of specialized target rifles and equipment.  

“I’m very proud of these kids,” said Casey.   “Their dedication, shooting two hours a day since September, has paid off, and I can’t wait to see how they do at the national level in February.”