The sun was shining as youth from all corners of Nebraska gathered at Pressey Wildlife Management Area north of Oconto for the 49th annual Nebraska Youth Smallbore Silhouette Invitational on Saturday, September 27.
Gavin Carrizales of Scottsbluff hit 38 of 40 targets, then won a shoot-off, to capture his fourth Nebraska Youth Smallbore Silhouette Invitational title.
The junior defeated High Girl Makenna Quick of Alliance, who also shot a 38, in a shoot-off.
In 2020, in only his second year of eligibility, Carrizales, then a 12-year-old, shot the first perfect score in the event’s history. He’s won the last three championships, hitting 35 targets two years ago and 38 last year.
For the second year in a row, Broken Bow’s Bereket Glendy shot a 35 to place as High Boy. Glendy out-shot Brandon Thomsen from Pierce in a shoot-off to take the position.
Carrizales, Quick, Laney Bohl of Mitchell and Emily Nelson of Scottsbluff teamed up to give the Western Nebraska Shooting Sports its seventh straight team championship, hitting 137 of 160 targets.
The annual event, which was established in 1977, is open to all Hunter Education graduates who are at least 11 years old and have not graduated high school.
The 59 competitors from across the state fired 40 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition with a rifle unsupported and offhand at steel silhouette targets that were 43, 66, 84 and 109 yards in distance.
The 50th annual Smallbore Invitational is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2026.
The results are:
Individual Awards
State Champion – Gavin Carrizales, Scottsbluff, 38 of 40 (won shoot-off)
High Girl – 1. Makenna Quick, Alliance, 38; 2. Laney Bohl, Mitchell, 36; 3. Laura Borgelt, Wisner, 33
High Boy – 1. Bereket Glendy, Broken Bow, 35 (won shoot-off); 2. Brandon Thomsen, Pierce, 35; 3. Boone Button, Harrison, 31 (won shoot-off)
Class B – 1. Isaac Enns, Holmesville, 31; 2. Meighan Smith, Murdock, 30; 3. Axton Sugden, Seward, 29
Unclassified – 1. Erich Dybdal, Seward, 31; 2. Ruger Pelster, Harrison, 30; 3. Haylee Hubbard, Elm Creek, 25
Junior Division – 1. Mackenzey Connell, Waterbury, 30; 2. Macy Prothman, Hoskins, 26; 3. Cameron Wagner, Seward, 25
Senior Division – 1. Justin Missel, Mitchell, 28 (decided by hits on rams); 2. Zane Meyer, Milford, 28; 3. Emma Loxterkamp, Beatrice, 27
Heavy Scope – 1. Tristan Connell, Waterbury, 26 (decided by hits on rams); 2. Colton Sebade, Wayne, 26; 3. Emily Nelson, Scottsbluff, 25
Light Scope – 1. Lynn Miner, Emmet, 27; 2. Noah Papiernik, Ord, 25 (decided by hits on rams); 3. Chisum Pelster, Harrison, 25
Light Iron – 1. Benjamin Loxterkamp, Beatrice, 16; 2. Keaton Sebade, Wayne, 14; 3. Tilden Hird, Lincoln, 12
Novice – 1. Jace Langley, Beatrice, 20
Novice Light Scope – 1. Isaac Zogg, North Platte, 2
Novice Light Iron – 1. Easton Powers, Broken Bow, 1
Team Awards
High Overall – Western Nebraska Shooting Sports Purple (Emily Nelson, Gavin Carrizales, Makenna Quick, Laney Bohl), 137 of 160
4-H Teams – 1. 10X Shooters (Axton Sugden, Cameron Wagner, Erich Dybdal, Zane Meyer), 113; 2. Wayne Sharpshooters #1 (Colton Sebade, Macy Prothman, Mackenzey Connell, Tristan Connell), 108; 3. Western Nebraska Shooting Sports B (Caden Closson, Jack Closson, Jeremy Missel, Justin Missel), 76
Open Teams –1.Pink Fuzzy Unicorns (Brandon Thomsen, Haylee Hubbard, Laura Borgelt, Meighan Smith), 123; 2. Western Nebraska Shooting Sports A (Boone Button, Chisum Pelster, Ruger Pelster, Tilton Button), 104; 3. Open Team No. 4 (Benjamin Loxterkamp, Emma Loxterkamp, Tripp Meier, Cater Matson), 82
School Teams – 1. Lawrence-Nelson (Gus Harrison, Brysen Grams, Mason Menke, Owen Smiley), 28
