Student Feature Friday: Junior Olympian Tyler Lefebvre

Junior Olympian Tyler Lefebvre receiving
a medal at the Bay State games in 2013.
Photo Credit: The Town Crier

As the vacation week begins, many of our students are getting ready for a bit of rest and relaxation as they gear up for the final weeks of the school year. One student, however, will be foregoing a week of leisure in order to put his skills to the test at the Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs. Nipmuc junior Tyler Lefebvre has established himself as one of the most talented air rifle competitors in the country. Over the course of the summer Tyler competed in the Bay State Games, earning a gold medal and a state championship in smallbore rifle. On April 20 he will be traveling to Colorado, hoping to extend his accomplishments to the national level. I had the chance to ask Tyler some questions about his outstanding achievements and his path to success.

How did you get started competing in Men’s Air Rifle? 

I got started in rifle shooting from a friend of mine back in freshman year.  He shot at a local club and I thought it would be interesting to try out.  I shoot both air rifle which is 60 shots standing at 10 meters as well as smallbore rifle (.22)  which is shot at 50 feet, 50 yards, 50 meters and 100 feet.  Smallbore is shot in 3P (3 position) or all prone.  Three position is either a 3x20 or 3x40 which is 20 or 40 shots prone, 20 or 40 shots standing and 20 or 40 shots kneeling respectively. 

How often do you train? What type of training activities do you participate in? 

I train three times a week at the range, Monday and Wednesdays at Taunton and Thursdays at Niantic in Connecticut.  I also train at home in my basement one day a week. 

On April 20 you will be competing in the Junior Olympics. Tell me about your road to that competition. What were some of the successes that you’ve had along the way? 

Shooting in the Junior Olympics has been a goal of mine since I found out about them in 2012.  Between then and now I have competed in the Bay State Games twice, medaling in both.  In 2012 my first season shooting I got silver in smallbore and bronze in air.  In the 2013 season two other teammates and I competed in numerous regional and sectional competitions winning first in all of them.  I also placed first in my age group for all of those matches as well.  In the summer of 2013 I once again shot in the Bay State Games and got gold in smallbore and bronze with air. (I would have double gold but my rifle broke in air rifle).  Later in the summer my team and I shot the NRA National Matches at Camp Perry in Ohio where we shot against the best juniors and adults in the country in smallbore, and we set two national records. I also placed 4th in a duo match with a teammate.  In January of 2014 I shot the JORQ (Junior Olympic Regional Qualifier) and placed 2nd in air only being 1 point off of my teammate who got gold and bronze in smallbore.  Later that month my team and I went to Camp Perry, Ohio again but this time for an open air rifle event where we placed 3rd place overall and 2nd place junior team. “Open” means adults compete in the match as well. 

What do you enjoy most about competing? 
I like this sport because I get the chance to travel around the country and meet people that share the same interests with me.   It is an individual team sport.  It is an individual sport because nothing any other shooter does directly affects how you shoot, but it is also a team sport because teammates are very important in team matches and training as we push each other to do better.  This is a sport where you get out what you put into it; you don’t rely on teammates to make the pass like in football or lacrosse. 

Will you continue to compete in Men’s Air Rifle after high school? If yes, how will you continue to pursue this interest? 

I plan on shooting on a Division 1 team in college and studying petroleum and natural gas engineering. 

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Good luck, Tyler. We'll be rooting for you as you compete this week in Colorado!