NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge
2003

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The 2003 International Youth Hunter Education Challenge occurred the week of
July 27 -August 1, 2003 at the Whittington Center, Raton, NM.

2003 Senior Individual International YHEC Top Gun
Devon Babcock

2003 Senior Team International YHEC Top Guns - 1st. Place
PA Senior Blue Team - Blair Babcock, Coach

Click Here to see a ton of photos from the 2003 International YHEC
Click on the NRA YHEC Folder when you get there !

Individual Event Awards

NRA's Youth Hunter Education Challenge Sees Record Attendance; Pennsylvania, Louisiana Teams Dominate Event

Record numbers of youngsters and their families attended NRA's 18th annual international Youth Education Challenge (YHEC) held this year from July 28-August 1, at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. Fifty teams and nearly 425 youths and coaches representing 20 states participated in this year's event. Among them was 15-year-old Sarah Roush, who was recently crowned as Miss New Mexico Junior Teen, and who competed in YHEC for the fifth time.

The YHEC program is designed to encourage young hunters to build upon the basic skills they learn in state-level hunter education courses. After completing a state course, and competing in a state or local YHEC, youngsters are eligible to compete in the annual international event. The international event concludes with four overall awards: individual junior (ages 14 and under) and senior (ages 15-19), and team junior and senior.

Over 50,000 youngsters each year participate in NRA's YHEC program; well over one million have taken part since its inception in 1985. Hunters face eight events in the challenge: .22 rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, archery, orienteering, hunter safety trail, wildlife identification, and a written hunter safety exam. All the shooting events are designed to simulate actual hunting situations as closely as possible.

Youths from the historically strong hunting state of Pennsylvania again captured top honors, this year walking away with first place finishes in both the senior individual and senior team events.

Devon Babcock, 15, of Rome, Pennsylvania, emerged as the top individual champion during his first year competing in the senior age category. This is Babcock's third first place individual win; he has placed in the top three for the past five years. "I practice a lot," said Devon, of his impressive winning streak. "From the beginning of May until this competition, I pretty much practice each and every night, just trying to get ready."

Top-finishing junior Jordan Blount, 15, from Artesia, New Mexico, said that the orienteering event was the hardest for him this year. "You're trying to find a stake placed somewhere in the middle of nowhere -- it sure keeps you on your toes," said Jordan. "It's the kind of real-life lessons that you learn while out here, and it's in preparing for YHEC that makes everyone here a better sportsman," added Jordan, still ecstatic from his win.

For the fourth time in as many years, Lousiana's DeSoto Youth Sportsman's Team Gold emerged at the head of the junior team pack. Team member Eric Beasley, 13, said that YHEC "teaches respect of nature, hunting ethics, and helps you to understand how to be a better hunter in the woods, while having a great time in the process."
 

2003 YHEC Top Finishers
(Top score in each individual event is 300 points; highest possible score for all eight events is 2,400.)

Junior Individual

1. Jordan Blount        1614
Artesia, NM
2. Andrew Forehand        1530
Carlsbad, NM
3. Philip Young        1523
Bossier, LA

 Senior Individual

1. Devon Babcock        1790
Rome, PA
2. Preston Hughes        1729
Yadkinville, NC
3. Frankie Clayton, Jr.        1726
Robertsville, MO

Junior Team

1. Louisiana -- DeSoto Youth Sportsman's Team Junior Gold        6949
(Coach: Melvin Young)
Eric Beasley
Jacob Carpenter
T.J. Hawthorne
Jonathan Lafitte
Philip Young

2. North Carolina -- Fall Creek Gray Eagles        6672
(Coach: Carson Hobson)
Nicholas Davis
Jessica Kite
Kayla Kite
Tyler McCormick
Alysha Wilkins

3. Louisiana -- LA Caldwell YHEC Team        6457
(Coach: Johnny Crain)
Nathan Basco
Joshua Briscoe
Curt Lane
Shane Verret
Justin Wallick

Senior Team

1. Pennsylvania -- PA Senior Blue        7836
(Coach: Blair Babcock)
Lynsey Arnold
Devon Babcock
James Bradley
Steven Hoelzle, Jr.
Chad Setzler

2. North Carolina: Forbush Red Seniors        7651
(Coach: David Moxley)
Cynthia Abell
Nathan Eddleman
Preston Hughes
Andrew Todd
Mason Tuttle

3. Louisiana: DeSoto Youth Sportsman's Team Gold        7610
(Coach: Alan Bounds)
Daniel Cobb
Charlie Edwards
Dusty Hasty
Nicholas Rains

Alex Troegel 

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