TIFTON — The Tift County 4-H BB rifle team recently won their 32-county district match for the ninth time in the last 10 years. The Tift County Sharpshooters’ margin of victory over second-place Coffee County was just three points, with 25 teams taking part in the competition.

The team then took part in the state BB rifle match at the Rock Eagle 4-H camp in Eatonton in May. Overall, 83 teams and 575 4-Hers competed in the match with Tift County finishing second behind Cherokee County by only 10 points.

At the state match, Ashley James finished seventh in the prone position; Ben Branch, ninth, and Tyler Revels, 10th, in the sitting position; Emily Coleman, 10th in the standing position and Ashley James, fourth in the kneeling position. James finished the event third overall with a score of 477 out of a possible 500 and was only eight points from winning the high individual award.

The Sharpshooters are now on their way to Bowling Green, Ky., for the 44th annual International BB Gun Championship Match, the world championship of BB gun competition with only the top three teams from each state being invited. This is the team’s fourth trip to the IBBGCM and they had their best finish last year as they placed 11th.

The team is coached by David Haire, Tracy Homer, Bob Coleman, Allen Peugh and Steve Woodham.