SD team ties for 2nd at 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships

Three girls wearing shirts with National Shooting Sports insignia smile for the camera

BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota’s team tied for second place for the sweepstakes award at the 2024 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships.

Thirty-five youth representing SDSU Extension 4-H competed at the national championships from June 24-28 in Grand Island, Nebraska. The annual competition drew 708 youth from 40 states to demonstrate their abilities in archery and shooting across multiple disciplines.

South Dakota tied with Missouri for the second-place sweepstakes award. Louisiana won first place. For team events, SDSU Extension 4-H won 3-P air rifle and second place in overall air rifle. South Dakota also won second place as a team in overall air pistol.

Landon Tieszen from Turner County scored the highest individually, winning first place in 3-D compound archery and third place overall in archery.

“South Dakota’s 4-H Shooting Sports program continues to reach new heights in the overall placing at nationals. The success of the youth participating there starts with the county-level volunteers,” said John Keimig, SDSU Extension Youth Safety Field Specialist. “Those local volunteers help to lay a tremendous foundation for these young competitors to build upon. Our success is a reflection of those efforts.”

Senior 4-H members must qualify at one of three competitions to make it to the national contest. They can only compete in a division once but can return in other divisions.

South Dakota also had three members participate in the 4-H Shooting Sports National Ambassador program, which included additional responsibilities during the national championships such as announcing and handing out awards.

An adult male and three youth stand in front of a brick wall and smile for the camera

Complete results:

Air Pistol

Team (18 teams):

Rapid Fire – 3rd
Slow Fire – 3rd
Overall – 2nd

Individual (75 total contestants):

Silhouettes – Elijah Kari, 7th
Slow Fire – Elijah Kari, 4th
Slow Fire – Luke Dangel, 10th
Overall – Elijah Kari, 9th

An adult male and four youth stand in front of a brick wall and smile for the camera

Air Rifle

Team (21 teams):

3-P – 1st
Standing – 2nd
Silhouettes – 3rd
Overall – 2nd

Individual (93 contestants):

3-P – Clay Crawford, 2nd
3-P – Austin Crawford, 5th
3-P – Zoe Dissing, 9th
Standing – Clay Crawford, 4th
Standing – Zoe Dissing, 5th
Overall – Clay Crawford, 4th
Overall – Zoe Dissing, 5th
Overall – Austin Crawford, 10th

Five males stand in front of a brick wall and smile for the camera

Compound Archery

Team (22 teams):

FITA – 4th
Field Archery – 3rd
3-D – 2nd
Overall – 3rd

Individual (92 contestants):

FITA – Josiah Hays, 5th
FITA – Landon Tieszen, 9th
Field Archery – Landon Tieszen, 3rd
Field Archery – Josiah Hays, 7th
3-D – Landon Tieszen, 1st Place
3-D – Jaxen Dockter, 10th
Overall – Landon Tieszen, 3rd
Overall – Josiah Hays, 5th