In a unique opportunity, the town of Vina will be hosting a Junior Olympic shotgun competition April 21-22.

“We have worked with the Olympic approval committee for several months now and filed an application requesting to be a Junior Olympic host site, which was awarded last week,” explained Tim Burks, who has been heavily involved in the process. “This will be the only event of its kind in the state of Alabama.”

The event will be international wobble trap, and it will serve as a qualifier for an invitation to the National Junior Olympic competition in Colorado Spring, Colo., in June. The event is designed for shooters age 20 and younger, classed into three age groups – 18-20, 15-17 and 14 and younger.

“This is a great opportunity for anyone with a will to make it into the 2020 Olympic competitions,” Burks said. “As far as we know, they have never had one here in Alabama” for this event.

“(The National Junior Olympic Program) serves as an important element of our pipeline development system in promoting the shooting sports,” explains the program’s webpage at www.usashooting.org. “Junior Olympic goals are to allow the skilled junior athletes to obtain National competitive experience for future development. The program also serves as an opportunity to appoint the top finishers to the National Junior Team.”

The National Wild Turkey Federation will serve as a sponsoring organization for the event.

Burks said Vina will host the two-day competition at Hurricane Creek Clays – a name they made up as part of their application process to designate the competition site, which will be the Vina industrial park. “It had a nice ring to it,” Burks said.

The event can accommodate about 50-60 competitors, Burks said; he doesn’t have a good idea yet of how many participants will register. Competitors are expected from across the state.

Burks will offer training/practice opportunities throughout the month of March, with required pre-registration. The idea is to give potential participants the chance to test whether they want to compete.

For Burks, the idea is to offer an unprecedented opportunity for Franklin County youth.

“It offers the kids here something they have never had the chance to do before,” he said. “I really hope in the future we can actually have a kid on the (Olympic team) from Franklin County or North Alabama.”

Pre-registration for the event must be received by March 25. For more information visit http://www.usashooting.org/7-events/njosc.