Grand Island Nebraska

Grand Island has been selected to host the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational in 2012 and 2013. The event location was announced yesterday during ceremonies at the 2011 National Shoot currently underway in San Antonio, Texas.

Grand Island hosted the National Shoot in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, 627 competitors and coaches – along with  500+ family members – from 30 states were in Grand Island for the 5 day competition. 

“The last time this competition was in Grand Island, many of the families made a vacation of this event,” said Renee Seifert, Executive Director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau and Greater Grand Island Sports Council. “In fact, I just had a call from a grandmother in Missouri who wants everything the Visitors Bureau has on Grand Island ‘Now!’ as she prepares to come next year to see her grandson compete in the shoot.”

During the four-day competition, 4-H participants compete in air rifle, air pistol, .22 rifle, .22 pistol, shotgun, muzzle loading, hunting skills, compound archery and recurve archery.  Awards will be presented each evening for the day’s events; state teams will compete to take the overall trophy back to their home state.

The Heartland Public Shooting Park will be the venue for the shotgun, rifle, pistol, muzzle loading, hunting and archery competitions. The Grand Island City Field House will be the site of the indoor air rifle and air pistol competitions. Opening and closing ceremonies, daily awards, registration and equipment check-in, a barbeque and 4-H vendors/exhibitors will be located at the Heartland Events Center.

Notified late last week that Grand Island would host this competition in 2012 and 2013, the Convention & Visitors Bureau put together a welcome back video to be shown during the announcement in San Antonio. View the video on the home page of the Sports Council website, www.GrandIslandSports.org.

 The National Shoot will take place June 17 - 22 in 2012 and June 16 – 21 in 2013.