The exciting 2022 riflery season came to a close after three months as West hosted the annual region championship on November 12th. West High came out at an honorable third in both the regular season and regionals. Overall, the team won six matches and lost two. 

Eagle River and Robert Service High Schools edged out West, taking the first and second place spots. As for individual rankings, Jonathan Moore took eleventh overall with an individual score of 277, the highest placed West team member.

Regionals served as an intense ending to an exciting season as the top twelve members of each team competed against each other. The championship took place in four relays with two schools shooting in each relay. Individuals would shoot three targets: prone, standing, and kneeling. Each target was scored out of 100 and all three scores would be added to determine individual scores. All of the individual scores would be compiled into a total team score. In the end, the total score of every team was ranked against each other with the individual scores ranked as well.

Despite the harsh competition between teams, West could be seen interacting with the other schools throughout the championship, wishing them best of luck. In addition to this, the West team spent most of its down time playing card games and bonding before the season came to its official end.

The West High team captains this year included Mary Kim, Cedric Deacon, and Hodaka Maeda. They had some of the highest consistent scores throughout the season, helping the Eagles achieve victory in various matches this season. Not only were they leaders on the scoreboard, they also led the team’s spirit. Before and after nearly every match, Kim could be seen giving a pep talk to the team as they huddled around in a semicircle.

With COVID restrictions lessening, West was able to travel for matches for the first time in two years. Despite the late nights spent on the bus back to campus, the traveling matches gave the West team a chance to connect to their competitors, something that wasn’t available during virtual matches. Each Friday, the bus was filled with chatter and laughter.

The regular season and region championship was definitely a wild ride for the West High Rifle Team, but nothing less could be expected for such a wild bunch themselves. While locking up the armory for the last time of the season, the team could be heard shouting their iconic chant “Lead Poisoning!”