Share:
Top individual and team competitors from across the United States converged on Rogers, Ark., for the 2026 Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match (Daisy Nationals), held July 10-13. Athletes ages 8–15 (BB gun) and 15–20 (10-meter air rifle) competed in demanding matches emphasizing accuracy, gun safety, and sportsmanship. The format included 40 shots for record at 5 meters for BB Gun (prone, standing, sitting, kneeling) using official Daisy Model 499B rifles, plus a critical written test component. Airgun is a three-position match shot at 10 meters with 30 shots for record.
Strong performances across positions highlighted the competition’s intensity. Individual leaders excelled in the balanced scoring that rewards consistency across all stages plus the test. Teams qualified for the Daisy Nationals by placing in the top three at their individual state matches.
Once again, the 2026 Daisy Nationals proved to be the memory maker that it’s been for the last 59 years.
Some states take BB competition seriously – Kansas, Georgia, South Dakota and others always send multiple teams to compete for the National Championship. It’s a friendly rivalry. But when three South Dakota teams took home all the awards last year, other teams sat up and took notice. Maybe it served as motivation.
The structure of the Daisy Nationals also plays a part in the ebb and flow of teams. A competitor must sit out every other year so others get the opportunity to compete, so teams may score well one year but falter with new shooters the next, then return the following year with a force to be reckoned with.
And then you’ve got the written test – it’s worth the same as one position (100 points) and is added to each competitor’s final score. A point or two on the test can make a difference – and did this year.
This year it was a team from Georgia that took home the Gold, the Trophies and the big checks. It’s likely that many factors contributed to the Walton County 4H BB Team’s domination at the 2026 Daisy Nationals. Walton County is a top 10 team nearly every year, but this year they took home everything – the National Championship, the Paul T. Teifer Award (given to the team who scores highest on the written test – all five team members scored 100%), and team members Violet Combs and Olivia Barth won the Individual National Championship (Gold Medal) and the Silver Medal respectively. Walton County finished with a final aggregate score of 2,428-93X (X indicates bullseyes).
The Pierre Junior Shooters (South Dakota) took home the Silver Medal with a score of 2,371-78X, and the Gallatin Valley Sharp Shooters out of Belgrade, Montana, won the Bronze with a score of 2,357-74X.
Top three Individual finishers were Violet Combs (Walton County) with the Gold, Olivia Barth (Walton County) with Silver and Scout Beaufeaux of the Buffalo Youth Shooting Sports (Minnesota) with the Bronze.
That Individual National Champion match deserves some attention as it illustrates the importance of the written test each competitor is required to take prior to the shooting match.
With 500 points possible (400 in the shooting portion and 100 on the test), Combs posted an aggregate final score of 490-23X. Silver medal winner Barth posted 487-19X. Beaufeaux posted a 485-25X. However, looking at the shooting portion only, Combs scored a 390-23X and Beaufeaux a 389-25X, a single point off Champion Combs and with two more bullseyes. The difference came with test scores, where all five Walton County competitors scored 100s, and Beaufeaux scored a 96. Barth’s test score pulled her up to the Silver.
BB teams typically form in the late fall and begin practice in earnest early January. Anyone can form a team, but most come from the 4H, American Legion or gun shops/shooting ranges. Teams hold informal matches against each other or nearby teams, and each state holds official sanctioned matches beginning in March.
“Most of this team were also on our 2024 team that came in with an expectation to win,” said Walton County Coach Jaymie Goitia. “They were shooting so well, but our expectations didn’t match reality that year.
“Our kids start practicing at the first of the year, twice a week, two hours each time with one hour devoted to shooting and one hour for classroom. And this isn’t a ‘drop-off’ sport – parent involvement is non-negotiable. The parents/guardians are on the line coaching their shooter and it builds a stronger relationship between parent and youth and gives the shooter an advantage of having a coach on the line that knows everything about them.”
In the Airgun Match, Austin Crawford (Marshall County 4H, S.D.) took home the Individual National Championship with an aggregate score of 559-26X. Winning the Silver was Ema Dissing from Lincoln County 4H Shooting Sports (S.D.) with a score of 556-20X. And with the Bronze was Amelia Crawford (Marshall County 4H) with an aggregate score of 544-13X.
In the Team Championship, it was the Marshall County 4H Sharpshooters, with an aggregate score of 2,167-66X with the Gold. Lincoln County 4H (S.D.) took the Silver 2094-51X, and Penns Valley Shooting Sports (Penn.) took the Bronze with a score of 2,045-36X.
The event featured a Top Gun Shoot-Off for the top 10 competitors in both disciplines, offering scholarships up to $3,000 for education-related costs. Top teams also earned Daisy credit: $3,000 for National Champions, $2,000 for Silver, and $1,000 for Bronze.
“Daisy Nationals isn’t just about hitting the bullseye—it’s about building discipline, safety knowledge, and character in our youth shooters,” said Daisy Public Relations Director Lawrence Taylor. “The test component reinforces that true champions master both the physical and mental aspects of the sport.”
Much is made of the final scores, personal bests and flyers that cost points, but if you want to know a secret, youth don’t attend the Daisy Nationals just for the match. It’s the fun that Daisy embeds into the match that makes most memories.
Teams dress in costumes, patriotic attire or original T-shirts for the Opening Ceremony, and parade to the medal stand to be announced and photographed. The annual Barter Bar, where teams bring items from their region to trade with other teams, always provides giddy chaos. The Daisy team always brings plenty of special BB guns to trade, but they do drive a hard bargain, which is one reason this event is so much fun.
The afterparty has become a favorite for many teams, with free pizza, drinks and snacks, a DJ, photo booth and plenty of fun and fellowship. It’s a time to blow off steam from the stress of competing, and to say goodbye to friends they may only see once a year.
The 2026 Daisy Nationals was certainly one for the books, from the excitement of the match to the fun of the events. The competition drew participants from 14 states, continuing Daisy’s legacy of promoting safe shooting sports and providing pathways to higher levels like Olympic-style training.
If you’re interested in starting a BB team, contact Daisy at (479) 636-1200 and talk to customer service.
