Keegan Leonard
San Diego teen Keegan Leonard had his doubts after letting loose his shots at the paper target.
“My first set of targets, I felt that I didn’t do my best and doubted whether I could improve at all,” said Leonard, 18, a senior at La Jolla High School. “However, when I shot at the second set of targets I did much better and luckily was able to submit my best targets.”
Leonard ended up taking the highest score in the “sporter” category of The American Legion Junior Shooting Sports National Postal Tournament. Because of covid, the tournament was conducted at home ranges across the country from Sept. 1, 2020 to Feb. 1.
“I am very honored to have been chosen as the best marksman in this category,” Keegan said. “I am fairly new to this sport and I look forward to any chance I’m allowed to improve myself.”
Leonard not only won the category, but he earned the title of state champion and bragging rights for American Legion District 22 and Post 731 in Linda Vista.
“I look forward to the next opportunity where I can represent American Legion 731,” he said.
The American Legion Postal Competition is an annual tournament open to any American Legion junior athletes and junior teams. All individuals fire a 3-by-20 course of fire.
This year represents The American Legion’s 30th junior three-position air rifle tournament. It was held and required shooters to fire air at targets on their home ranges. Paper targets were then mailed in and scored.
Leonard credited his success to the training Legionnaire Fran Hall gave him.
“The only reason that I was able to participate and win this tournament is because of the opportunity that I was given by the American Legion and Fran Hall,” he said. “Our team has been practicing since this past summer.”
Everything is more difficult because of the pandemic, Leonard said, but “Fran put this team together and the American Legion believed in us and supported us.”
Post 731 provided the team the opportunity to “practice, practice, practice,” Leonard said.
Leonard was introduced to shooting through the Boy Scouts and it’s a past-time he hopes to continue to enjoy throughout his life, he said.
In the future, Leonard wants to attend the Naval Academy.
Author: Jared Morgan
Jared is the senior editor and web team lead for the Department of California and chair of its Media & Communications Commission. He became a member of the American Legion in 2014 when he joined Palisades Post 283 to find stories about veterans issues for a local newspaper while working as its news editor. He was soon brought in as 283's assistant adjutant and historian to help produce the post's award-winning community newspaper. Since then, Jared has used his media skills to help further the efforts of The American Legion in its advocacy of veterans and their families. Jared has also worked for several years to help revitalize the 100-year-old Santa Monica Post 123, formerly as its adjutant and as a member of its executive board, before transferring back to Post 283.
