Positive Hawaii High School Shooting Story, Honolulu Star Bu

[Barry Markowitz]

Riflery uses the mind
as much as the body
Competitive shooting requires
responsibility, discipline and respect
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By Ashley Richardson
Radford High School
Imagine a sport at Radford that does not deal with wrestling mats, pigskins, cheerleaders, hoops or volleying. Unlike most sports at Radford, this one is purely internal. There are no bumps or bruises.
The shooter, from 33 feet away, is competing against himself or herself, hoping to see self-improvement and to benefit the team's accumulative score.
Andrew Alejandro, an expert shooter in the military and Radford's air riflery team coach, is pleased with the assistance that the school has offered to the program.
"We could not have done it without the support of (Radford Athletic Director Eddie) Maruyama and Principal (Robert) Stevens. Without them, we wouldn't have our new firing range to hold practices," Alejandro said.
Radford principles such as discipline, respect and responsibility are values taught in air riflery.
"Like any other sport, air riflery takes determination and stamina and, above all, the student must maintain a GPA of 2.0 to participate," Alejandro said.

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STEPHANIE CHANG / RADFORD HIGH SCHOOL
Sophomore Nikki Patton aims and prepares to fire her rifle during after-school practice.



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Alejandro said that there is a big misunderstanding regarding who can participate in the program. Although the majority of members on the squad are from the school's JROTC program, any student who wishes to be on the squad may do so. However, JROTC members have an advantage because of their training.
"The benefit of a JROTC member who joins air riflery is that he or she not only will qualify for a JV or varsity letter but also has the opportunity to receive a ribbon," Alejandro said.
Air riflery takes discipline. Members compete with air rifles and pellet guns and shoot at targets from three positions: prone, standing and kneeling with their eye on their target. The shooter wishes to hit a bull's-eye each time, but there is a great amount of pressure because each shooter is timed.
"We, as a team, practice very hard, and just like everyone else, we like to win," said senior and team captain Josten Sumagit. "Although winning is not everything, all we can hope for is that we've done our best and have fun. That's what really counts."
The sport is about high precision, but it is unforgiving if an accident occurs. As part of his duty as range officer, Alejandro ensures that members of the squad undergo a safety briefing before, during and after every match.
"I'm hoping I have a successful season," Sumagit said. "I want to improve my breathing skills, my score, trigger control (and) the basic fundamentals of this sport. I want to make it to Individuals and from there, qualify for States and Placing.
"I have been in air riflery since I was a freshman, and I want to make my last season successful, fun and unforgettable."

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