by John Dowd
After participating in a local shooting competition in Hamilton in 2018, a youth went on to make his way into the Youth Olympics.
Every year since 2016 the Range Masters at Whittecar Shooting Range in Hamilton have hosted a shooting competition in partnership with a local youth outdoors group. First Hunt Foundation and Montana Conservation Elders partner with the range to hold the event geared towards getting youth into the shooting sports. One such young participant, Marcus Klemp from Missoula, took part in the event and won it his second year.
Klemp continued in the sport and went on to achieve the highest scores in the Montana State Junior Olympic Championship in air rifle, small bore and air pistol. He continued to the USAS National Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs. There, at the Olympic Training Center, he won fourth overall, and became an under-18 gold medalist. He was given his Olympic National Team Uniform for the 2023 Junior world Cup and Junior World Championships teams two weekends ago. He is now eligible to compete internationally in air pistol. He also earned his Distinguished Shooter Badge in air rifle from the Civilian Marksmanship Program as well as the NRA Distinguished Expert in Rifle badge.
Klemp credits his success to his experience at the Whittecar event. According to Leah Klemp, Marcus’s mother, “Marcus thanks the team of instructors at the Whittecar Range for encouraging him to continue on with a local competition rifle team. Without the training and encouragement of the shooting camp, he would not have had the opportunities that he now enjoys. We are very grateful for the opportunities that the camps have provided. Marcus has given back by being a camp counselor for the Magruder Ranger Station Camp as well as the Scripps Camp.”
Those camps she mentioned are run by the First Hunt Foundation and Montana Conservation Elders partnership, Montana Matters Youth Outdoor Experience. The organization will be holding another of their annual events on May 6 where interested kids and their families can sign kids up for camps and events like the shooting competition. The event will gather over 40 organizations from across the state to talk about conservation and youth camp opportunities.
Participants, ages 12 to 17, at the event in May are invited to compete in the upcoming Whittecar Shooting Range Competition that started Marcus’s shooting career. This year, the organizations will be holding two competitions, one in June and one in August. Participants cannot be members of any shooting team. The event will use .22 rifles and .22 pistols. This will be the seventh annual event of its kind held at the range. Interested parties can sign up for the competition at the Mule Deer Gun Shooting Trailer at the May 6 event in the Ravalli County Fair Grounds.
In June, Marcus will attend the first Summer Session at the U.S. Naval Academy, in Annapolis. He was invited to attend the summer session for the U.S. Air Force Academy, but declined due to overlapping dates with the naval event. Marcus has begun the Congressional Nomination process to attend an academy after graduation in 2024 from Big Sky High School. He is 17 years old.
Helen Sabin says
Congratulations to this young shooter. I hope he gives the AFA a chance to have him attend but the Navy will benefit from his perseverance and abilities. GOOD FOR THIS YOUNG MAN! WOO HOO! He makes Montana proud of him.