Jacob Gue, a senior rifle team member in Midland Valley High's Naval Junior ROTC program, is one of the top shooters in the Southeast - close to qualifying for a national career achievement award, said the unit's warrant officer, Gary Seim.
Gue has plenty of company on the squad.
For three years in a row, the team has won the Area Six Rifle Championship trophy.
The Midland Valley team will compete at the Civilian Marksmanship Southeastern Regional Match in Anniston, Alabama on Thursday through Saturday.
Competing against teams from North and South Carolina to Texas, Midland Valley will vie for a spot in the National Championships in June - also in Anniston.
"I've always liked shooting from when I was a little kid, so why not rifle," said Gue, who joined the team as a freshman.
The cadets use a 7.5-pound air rifle with .177-caliber pellets. During a match, they fire a total of 60 shots - 20 in each of prone, kneeling and standing positions.
With reloading breaks between those positions, each shooter has a total of 65 minutes to complete a round.
To get the maximum 10 points on each shot, a cadet must hit a target that is not much larger than a pinprick.
"Technically, you have to find your magic spot in each position," said Gue. "Every person is different and must find his own individual position."
Standing is the most demanding position, said Gue. Gravity works against the shooter.
The rifle's weight is significant, and the muzzle wants to drop down - an issue Gue and other teams have to deal with throughout a match.
The other team members are Brandon Oerman, commanding officer Britney Allen, Angie Johnson, Andrew Eubanks, Rachel Moment, Danielle Blackburn and James Sallee.
The time involved and the needed dedication is worth it, said Allen, who hopes to try out for the precision team at Clemson University.
A total of 600 points is the highest possible, while 540 points is an excellent score at the high school level, Seim said.
With a top score of 564, Gue cites the need to remain focused.
"When you get a bad shot, you can't keep those bad thoughts in your mind," he said.
Moment, a rising senior, said the NJROTC has transformed her from being a shy person.
"I had never picked up a gun in my life," she said. "This is pretty fun. It takes so much energy, but without the right mindset, you can't shoot."
Senior writer Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education and a general assignment reporter and has been with the newspaper since September 2001. He is a native of Walterboro and majored in journalism at the University of Georgia.