BRASS:” Breathe, Relax, Aim, Steady, Slowly Pull. It is the second thing most shooters learn after they become familiar with the safety rules. For Waycross teen, Tyler Hanson, it’s part of the mental preparation that led him to a silver medal for shooting at the 2016 U.S. Junior Olympics.
“When I heard my name being called in the awards ceremony for the silver medal, I had a big grin on my face for the rest of the day,” said Hanson, who has just completed eighth-grade at Waycross Middle School. With steady hands and an eagle eye, the 13-year-old is a third generation marksman who has already garnered attention at the national level.
Riflery is a sport that emphasizes mental strength over physical prowess. It is practiced at the high school and collegiate levels and is part of the Olympic Games. Scores are determined by how close a shot is to the center of the target and are measured by fractions of an inch.
In April at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado those tiny 16ths of an inch were in Hanson’s favor at the 2016 Junior Olympics. Hanson competed in the 13 and under division of the 10 meter air rifle and shot a 585.1 on the first day of the two day event. “After the first relay, my dad told me that I was .6 from being in third place. I got really excited for the next relay and gave it my all.” The following day, he fired 60 rounds and shot a 598.4 out of the possible 600, placing second. “I was kind of nervous and didn’t think I would place, but my dad and I came up with a shooting plan that helped tremendously,” he said.
Hanson is no stranger to winning on the shooting range. He took first place – junior precision – at the 7th Annual Landress Leap 3-Position Air Rifle Competition in Tifton. He is also a member of Coach Maurice England’s Ware County Gators Rifle Team that went undefeated this year, placing fourth in the state. Ware County has a state of the art shooting range and young shooters get the opportunity to shoot against varsity competition to gain valuable experience. Coach England watched Hanson and was confident in his abilities going out to Colorado Springs. “I felt certain that he had the capability to pull a bronze medal but when he came back with the silver we were real pleased,” Coach England said. “We’ve had eight shooters go out there and shoot and he’s the first one to ever come back with a medal.”
Hanson has been shooting since he could hold a rifle. It is in his blood. His grandfather was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Shooting Team and his father was also a marksman who shot competitively. Last year, they met Coach England and Tyler was introduced to high school shooting. “Coach England brought me in as a member of the Gator Guns,” Tyler explained. He admits to being nervous during his first shooting competition but became even more driven to compete after learning his team had won. Later, at an invitational match in Tifton, Hanson took first place while friends and fellow eighth-graders, Ben Smith and Rayne Riggins were second and third respectively.
He credits his father and Coach England for helping him become a top shooter by working with his stance, breathing and trigger control. “My team is great, they help new shooters like me and we encourage each other,” Hanson says. “Having friends on the team is his favorite part of shooting.”
The son of Dave and Tessa Hanson, Tyler carried a 4.0 grade point average at Waycross Middle and hopes to major in computer engineering/science when he gets to college, which, hopefully, will come courtesy of a scholarship for shooting. Coach England believes if Hanson continues to work hard on the range and in the classroom, colleges will be knocking down his door in four years. For now, when he’s not shooting or studying, he helps with chores on the family farm, reads, and plays video games. “I defeated a Dark Souls II boss with only three Estus Flasks,” he declares with the enthusiasm of a teenage gamer.
Back at the shooting range, Hanson takes his position on the firing line with his rifle, an Anschutz “The One” model, focusing on his shot. There is usually one of two things going through his mind.”Either ‘don’t mess up’ or ‘please be a 10,'” he says. It usually is a bullseye for Hanson, who has a bright future ahead of him. “Coach England tells me that I am the best and my family believes in me. I’m looking forward to the next challenges.”
Favorites
Food – I LOVE Asian cuisine.
Hobby – Video games and reading
Pro Team – FCB Barcelona (Spanish Soccer Team)
Pro Player – Lionel Messi (FBC Barcelona)
Movie – The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series
School Subject – Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunch!!!!!
Pets – Pigs, Goats, a nation of chickens, bees, cats, and Akitas. I live on a farm.
Place to Travel – JAPAN!!!
Car – Jeep Wrangler or Buick Lacrosse
Riflery Facts:
In High School and college, males and females compete against each other.
Each rifle shoots a pellet smaller than a .22 caliber bullet that is projected by compressed air. Shooters must hit a target approximately 33 feet away (10 meters)
Shooters must shoot from three positions: standing, prone and kneeling.
Participants usually wear specially designed shooting clothing including padded pants, jackets, shoes and gloves.
Southeast Georiga/June 2016
Tyler Hanson
Wayx Middle riflery
By Rob Asbell
Middle School Marksman
Photos by WXMS
