Simpson shooters hit mark
Three cadets make national round of marksmanship competition in Edmonton, team finishes third
Andrew Livingstone
Northern News Services
Thursday, April 23, 2015
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Fort Simpson Cadets were on target at the regional marksmanship competition in Edmonton on April 11 and 12, so much that three shooters made it to the national stage.
Fort Simpson shooters participated in the Alberta & Western Territories Cadet Marksmanship Stage III and IV Competitions. Chief Warrant Officer Robert Herald, front, prepares to take a shot during the competition, while Michael Gast, third person in, prepares to shoot. - photo courtesy of Capt. Grant Cree
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And for Warrant Officer Michael Gast, the opportunity to shoot in the national competition fulfilled a personal goal he set.
"I was just happy I made it," he said after qualifying through the regional portion of the Alberta & Western Territories Cadet Marksmanship competition. "I wanted to see how well I could do and I am happy with my accomplishment."
The biggest performance of the weekend came from Master Cpl. Brent Villeneuve who placed third in both the standing and prone - laying down - shooting competitions, allowing him to compete at the national level.
The team, overall, finished third in the regional competition, a big accomplishment for the always competitive squad, said Capt. Steve Nicoll.
"They've been shooting since October and I felt they were ready to go," he said. "I was pleased they got a medal as a team, but I was also happy with some of the individual bests because I like to see that personal development."
The 18-year-old Gast said competing in that environment, with more than 100 other cadets in the room, can be challenging, especially when a shot isn't as good as hoped.
"When you make a mistake and it's not the score you wanted, and you have to keep shooting, you have to really stay focused," he said, adding it's the time leading up to shooting that can also be difficult. "You have to wait a long time. I try to waste my energy so that I'm more relaxed when I shoot, almost tired."
Master Cpl. Sky Lennie, 15, admitted she was nervous prior to shooting and felt it played a factor in how she performed.
"I tried to stay calm but I didn't shoot as well as I usually do," she said. "I wasn't doing all the steps I was supposed to do."
There is a routine that shooters need to follow if they want to stay focused, said Nicoll: naturally align the rifle, calm the breath, aim at the target, squeeze the trigger softly and following through after the shot.
While this may seem easy, Nicoll said when you're doing it repetitively for a long period of time, it can be tiring.
"Standing is harder because you're like a tree waving in the wind," he said, compared to prone shooting where you have the support of the ground.
Nicoll said the fact the team had three shooters compete at the national level exemplifies the quality of talent and dedication from the cadets.
"Having three shooters at nationals shows we can compete with anyone in the south," he said, adding that since he got involved in cadets in 2007 they've had national shooters every year.
While learning to shoot is an important tool that all Northerners should have, Nicoll said it goes beyond the actual skill of shooting the rifle into learning life-long skills.
"I feel the ability to concentrate translates to the rest of their life," he said. "Being a Northerner, knowing how to safely handle a rifle is important for everyone."
