Indiana’s junior shooting athletes will once again be well represented on the national stage as numerous competitors from across the state have qualified for the USA Shooting Junior Olympic National Championships in rifle and pistol.
The Junior Olympic program is one of the most important developmental pipelines for Olympic-style shooting in the United States. The program traces its origins to 1983 when legendary Olympic rifle shooter Lones Wigger—a two-time Olympic gold medalist and widely regarded as one of the greatest shooters in history—created the National Junior Olympic Shooting Program. Wigger’s vision was to build a structured pathway for young shooters to gain high-level competitive experience beginning at the state level and progressing to national competition.
Since the formation of USA Shooting as the National Governing Body for Olympic shooting sports in 1995, the Junior Olympic program has continued to serve as the primary development system for young athletes competing in rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines. Many of today’s national team members and Olympic competitors began their careers through Junior Olympic competitions.
The National Junior Olympic Championships represent the culmination of this process, bringing together the top junior athletes from across the country to compete for national titles and potential selection to future national development teams.
The 2026 Rifle Junior Olympic Championships will be held at the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s CMP South facility in Anniston, Alabama, while the Pistol Junior Olympic Championships will take place at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Indiana athletes earned their spots through strong performances during the state qualifier held in January at the Indiana Marksmanship Education Center, formerly The X Count. This match was a one-day performance. Athletes had to be at the top of their game and perform on demand. Athletes represent a variety of clubs, high schools, and junior programs across the state.
The following Indiana athletes have qualified for the National Junior Olympic Championships:
Women’s Air Pistol
Elayne Altman – The X Count
Men’s Air Pistol
David Headlee – The X Count
Women’s Air Rifle
Alivia Perkins – Nebraska Rifle; Alumni of The X Count
Lillian Blackman – The X Count
Ysabelle Martinez – Southern Indiana Rifle and Pistol Club (Floyd Central)
Lacy Scholmiller – Southern Indiana Rifle and Pistol Club (Floyd Central)
Piper Wentland – UAB Rifle; Alumni of The X Count and Concordia Lutheran High School
Ashlynn Parmley – The X Count and Bishop Dwenger Rifle Team
Emma Velten – Southern Indiana Rifle and Pistol Club (Floyd Central)
Bianca Fey – The X Count
Hazel Fink – The X Count and Bishop Dwenger Rifle Team
Gwen Hamilton – Marion High School JROTC
Men’s Air Rifle
Jack Bushong – The X Count
Logan Hall – Southern Indiana Rifle and Pistol Club (Floyd Central)
Rogan Curry – Bellmont High School
Giacomo Casini – The X Count
Women’s Smallbore Rifle
Alivia Perkins – Nebraska Rifle; Alumni of The X Count
Piper Wentland – UAB Rifle; Alumni of The X Count and Concordia Lutheran High School
Lillian Blackman – The X Count
Megan Fondy – Southern Indiana Rifle and Pistol Club (Floyd Central)
Ashlynn Parmley – The X Count and Bishop Dwenger Rifle Team
Bianca Fey – The X Count
Men’s Smallbore Rifle
Logan Hall – Southern Indiana Rifle and Pistol Club (Floyd Central)
Nikodemus Druley – The X Count and Bishop Dwenger Rifle Team
Giacomo Casini – The X Count
Indiana has long been a strong contributor to the national junior shooting community, with athletes emerging from programs such as scholastic teams, JROTC units, 4-H clubs, and independent junior clubs. These programs continue to develop athletes who progress to collegiate rifle programs and, in some cases, the international stage.
The Indiana State Rifle & Pistol Association congratulates all of these athletes for their dedication and accomplishments and wishes them the best of luck as they represent the Hoosier State at the 2026 USA Shooting Junior Olympic National Championships.
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