TUSCOLA – Hundreds gathered in Tuscola’s Wimple Park this weekend for the first USA National BB Gun Championship the weekend of July 6-8 2007, organized by John “Chief AJ” Huffer and the Central Illinois Tribal Council.

Winners were: Boys (14 and under): John Craig, 13, Windsor Illinois; Girls (14 and under): Dottie Baldauf, Anchorage Alaska; and, Adults (over 14): John Boch, Savoy Illinois.

Youth finalists were Ali and Courtney Creamer of Dysart Iowa; Taylor Grace, Ashley Root, Jordyn Martin, Katie French, Nick Cler, Dillon Hoel, and Logan Dembeck, all of Tuscola; and JV Baldauf of Anchorage, Alaska. The finalists ranged from ages of 5 to 14 in the youth division.

Finalists in the adult division were Fred Koss of Pesotum; Roger Dorsett, Urbana; Kevin Breen, Tuscola; Ray Leisure, Gibson City.

To qualify for the finals, participants took part in qualifying shooting Friday and Saturday, that involved timed stationary targets and trap shooting.

The youth participants in the finals all received a Chief AJ air gun, and the winner also received a racing bike. Boch won a Winchester 300 Magnum rifle.

All contestants used Chief AJ model BB guns, designed by Huffer and manufactured in a limited run of 2,000 by Daisy Outdoor Products, Rogers, Arkansas. The contest was sponsored by American Rifleman Magazine. Huffer is a nationally recognized trainer in marksmanship, and has received many awards over his lifetime.

The event was held in conjunction with the city’s sesquicentennial celebration.