GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — The 2026 National 4‑H Shooting Sports Championships, held June 21–26 in Grand Island, Nebraska, marked the largest event in its 26‑year history, bringing together 767 4‑H members from 42 states for one of the program’s premier national competitions.
Illinois was represented in the shotgun discipline by Chase Garey (Woodford County), Brady McLaughlin (Mason County), Erin Federle (Macoupin County), and Madalynn O’Connell (LaSalle County). Shotgun competitors completed 100 scoring shots each in sporting clays, skeet, and trap shooting.
The shotgun contest featured 134 of the nation’s top teenage shooters, forming 31 teams of four along with 10 individual competitors. The Illinois 4‑H team earned 22nd place among the 31 teams. Illinois’ top individual finisher was Chase Garey, who hit 94 of 100 clays in trap, securing 12th place in that event.
Participation in the National 4‑H Shooting Sports Championships is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity, as youth may compete only once in any single discipline. In addition to shotgun, the Championships include compound archery, recurve archery, air rifle, air pistol, small bore .22 rifle, small bore .22 pistol, muzzleloader, and hunting/outdoor skills.
The National 4‑H Shooting Sports Championships will return to Grand Island, Nebraska, during the last full week of June 2027.
About Illinois 4-H:
Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois Extension, administered through the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Through hands-on learning and life-changing experiences, Illinois 4-H prepares youth to be Beyond Ready — ready for college, career, military service, entrepreneurship, and more. Young people build confidence, leadership, and resilience as they explore interests from agriculture to computer science. Independent research and national surveys confirm the powerful outcomes of 4-H: participants are 40% more likely to pursue a college degree, twice as likely to obtain technical training, and two times more likely to serve in the military. With a legacy of cultivating leaders, Illinois 4-H continues to grow the next generation who are equipped to thrive in life and work today and beyond.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.