Qualifying May 15 for the 2021 National Junior Olympic Championships for trapshooting were, from left, Michaela Fredrick, who travelled from Nebraska to compete, Sarah Randall, Chantry Stermer, Hallie Vigil, Alyssa Vigil and Isabelle Robles. Photo by Lisa Randall

Qualifying May 15 for the 2021 National Junior Olympic Championships were, from left, Jack Betti of Capitan, Eleck Cook of Capitan, Tristan Duff of Albuquerque, Justin Warren of Albuquerque and Gavin Robles of Truchas. Photo by Lisa Randall

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Six members of the Los Alamos Young Guns team have qualified for the 2021 National Junior Olympic Championship for trap shooting. The competition will be held June 29 through July 7 at Hillsdale College’s John A. Halter Shooting Sports Education Center in Hillsdale, Mich.

The Los Alamos Young Guns team members were among 11 athletes who competed May 15 at the Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club, shooting five rounds of bunker trap each to qualify.

In the women’s competition, Chantry Stermer of Cebolla took first place, Hallie Vigil of Cundiyo took second and Sarah Randall of Taos took third following a shoot-off for second place. Alyssa Vigil of Ojo Sarco took fourth place and Isabelle Robles of Truchas took fifth.

In the men’s competition, Gavin Robles of Truchas took fourth place. 

Despite living in other Northern New Mexico communities, the athletes travel at least once a week to the Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club to practice with head coach Mike O’Neill and Assistant Coaches Alan Bond and Mike Bush.

Chantry Stermer, who graduated last week from Escalante High School in Tierra Amarilla, was on the 2020 U.S. National Team. She has been shooting with the Young Guns for three years. She will begin shooting for Jacksonville University in Florida this fall.

Hallie Vigil, a graduate of Pojoaque Valley High School, is on the West Texas A&M Trap and Skeet Team. She began competing with the Young Guns in 2019.