Winners of the 2019 Daisy Nationals were the Pierre Junior Shooters from Pierre, S.D.. They took home the Gold Medal and traveling trophy.
Sixty-four teams converged on Rogers, Ark., for the 54th year of the Daisy National BB Gun Championship. They travelled from as far away as Oregon, Montana, Georgia and Texas. Each team consists of five shooters and two alternates ages 8-15.
All team members have completed the Daisy Curriculum and other training provided by the 4H Shooting Sports, Royal Rangers, the American Legion, or other community and youth based clubs. In addition, teams must also place first, second or third in their state’s NRA-sanctioned contest to be invited to the Championship.
“The Daisy Nationals is a celebration of youth competitive shooting,” said Daisy Public Relations Director Lawrence Taylor. “Competitive BB gun shooting is your gateway to the shooting sports. We’ve had youth compete in the Daisy Nationals who went on to compete – and win – in Olympic shooting events.”
Youth competitors shoot 10 shots from each of four positions – Standing, Kneeling, Sitting and Prone – at the target placed at 5 meters. All competitors shoot Daisy Model 499B Champion BB guns. Each year multiple shooters place all 10 shots in the bullseye.
There’s also a safety aspect to this match. On the first day, every competitor takes a 50-question written test that covers gun safety, match rules and shooting knowledge. The results of the test make up 20 percent of each competitor’s final score. That can be the difference between the Gold and Silver medals.
An award is given to the team that scores highest on the test, and this year for the first time, three teams from South Dakota tied to win this award: the Humboldt Sharpshooters, Marshall County and the Pierre Junior Shooters.
Eric Bird from Wyandotte County, Kan., shot a 488 with 21 bullseyes to win the Individual National Championship at the 2019 Daisy Nationals. He also had a perfect score on the written test!
In the Team Division, winning the Silver Medal was Walton County 4H from Georgia. Walton County scored 2382 with 87 bullseyes – two more than the Pierre Junior Shooters, who won the event with 2385.
Daisy stresses that competitive shooting teaches mental focus, patience, coordination and the bigger lessons of practicing to improve a skill. The program improves the lives of those with attention disorders or issues, says the company.
“The Daisy Nationals is a celebration of youth shooting, and it’s all about the kids,” Taylor said. “Boys and girls compete against each other on an equal footing. And here’s something – if you look down the hall where everyone gathers, you’ll not see a single head buried in a phone. They’re playing cards and games and actually talking to each other. Daisy is very proud to be associated with these kids.”
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