The Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match (Daisy Nationals) is famous for creating lifelong memories for competitors – memories of the firing line, shooting their personal best, taking the stage with teammates all dressed in costumes, for making lifelong friends and any number of other life events that just stick with them. This 5-meter, 4-position, NRA-sanctioned BB Match determines the National Championship for youth ages 8-15.
The 2024 Daisy Nationals also gave the competitors a chance to tell their stories about the experience in a first-ever Daisy Nationals Communications Contest sponsored by the Outdoor Journalist Education Foundation of America (OJEFA). Winners in the Story category for 12- to 15-year-old entrants are: Leityn Bolinder of Kansas in first place, Camryn Nail of Louisiana in second, and Jayden Grider in third. All entries were judged by three qualified outdoors communicators with more than 80 years of combined experience. They were impressed by all the stories and were especially moved by these three.
In her first-place entry, Leityn Bolinder said, “I attended my first Daisy Nationals when I was just a year old, when my dad was invited to coach, and my family has been every year since. Although I don’t remember much about my first few visits to Rogers, I’ll never forget the friends and bonus family I’ve made along the way.”
She reflects the situation for many Daisy Nationals competitors who have grown up attending the event. It’s not so much the competition that creates lifelong memories, but the people she’s met along the way and the fun that each Daisy Nationals brings.
“I’ve only been involved with this event for six years, but I knew after the first match I emceed that it was the most-special event I’d ever worked on,” said Daisy Public Relations Director, Lawrence Taylor. “And sure enough, the very first story I read from this contest had me tearing up. These kids are the best our country has to offer and just being with them gives me great hope for the future.”
In addition to writing about their experience of preparing for and competing in the Daisy Nationals BB Competition, contestants were encouraged to include a little about their background, why they like to shoot, what it was like to travel to Arkansas for the Nationals, and about the memories made and lessons learned along the way. The winners received $500, $300, and $200 for first, second, and third place, respectively. Honorary mentions for ages 12 to 15 include Aiden Soltesz from Texas and Daniella Winkle from Kansas for their stories and Bria Butler from Arkansas for a photograph.
“The Daisy Nationals is often called a three-day party with a shooting match thrown in because we try hard to make it special for the kids,” Taylor said. “The Opening Ceremony features lots of contests and fun, the Barter Bar is a night where the kids trade items from their home states, and we rent out the waterpark for after Closing Ceremony. The essays really reflected that.”