WETASKIWIN, ALTA.
Three hundred air rifle pellets later, five members of the 2860 Royal Canadian Cadet Corps have proven they are a marksmanship force to be reckoned with.

The Fort Simpson 2860 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps took on stage three marksmanship competition in Wetaskiwin, Alta. on April 5. The team included cadets Sgt. Michael Gast, top left, Warrant Officer Robert Harold and Cpl. Brent Villeneuve. In the bottom row, from left, are Cpl. Sky Lennie, and Warrant Officer Janelle Bruneau. The team finished in third place and Bruneau earned an additional medal for having the second highest score in the prone position. - photo courtesy of Therisa Sayer

Warrant Officers Janelle Bruneau and Robert Harold, Sgt. Michael Gast and Cpls. Sky Lennie and Brent Villeneuve represented the Fort Simpson corps at the stage three marksmanship competition where they competed against six other teams from across the three territories. The team finished in third place April 5 in Wetaskiwin, Alta. and Bruneau earned the second highest score, 378 out of a possible 400, in the prone position.

Because of their scores in the team competition, 517 and 475 respectively out of 600, Bruneau and Harold advanced to the national match competition the following day.

Their rank at the national level won't be known until after each region across Canada holds their competition.

This was the first time Gast, Lennie and Villeneuve had shot at the stage three competition.

"It was different," Lennie said.

The cadets shot at electronic targets from a distance of 10 metres. Screens placed beside them showed them where each of their shots went.

The cadets did two relays of 20 pellets each in the prone position and one relay in the standing position. Lennie, 14, who said she shot better than she expected, prefers lying prone while shooting.

"I'm much better at that one than at the standing," she said.

Harold, 16, who was at the competition for the third time and the nationals for the second, likes standing better.

"It's more of a challenge," he said.

Shooting at the nationals the day after the stage three competition felt rushed, said Harold. The different levels of competition are normally about a month apart.

For the nationals, Harold and Bruneau shot three rounds in the prone position and a round and a half standing. Competitors were only given a five minute break between most of the rounds.

"It was pretty tiring," Harold said.

He scored 180, 181 and 180 out of 200 in the prone rounds and 116 out of 200 and 66 out of 100 in the standing. When all of the scores are in, Harold is hoping to place higher than 100th, his score last year.

"A lot of practice," is what it takes to be good at marksmanship, said Lennie.

The corps has practices on the range once a week starting in October. After being picked in January, the team practiced twice a week.

"They all had a great time traveling together," said Therisa Sayer, a civilian instructor with the corps and a range safety officer who accompanied the cadets to Alberta.

For the three new members of the team, it was an opportunity to see what the competition is like and to find out about the pressures that participants face, she said.