For the second time in its five-year existence, the Cartersville Air Rifle team went to state on March 15th. The top 26 teams in Georgia competed in a series of three relays, each with scores higher than anything seen during the normal season. During the state match, instead of the normal three by ten (10 shots in all three positions), shooters do three by twenty (20 shots in all three positions). This means the highest score any given person can get is 600. Margaret Sheffield, the top shooter in the regular competition and an essential member of the Cartersville team, shot a 589. Despite how amazing this score is, it is only one piece of a bigger puzzle. In an air rifle competition, the top four scores shot by a team are combined for the final team score. The other three for Cartersville were 580, shot by Lucy Evans; 574, shot by Emma Daughdrill; and a 570, shot by Chance van Pelt. These shots added up to 2,315, a score that secured Cartersville’s third place in the competition. As a team that had only been to the state competition the previous year, this placement was fantastic. Next year, the team hopes to go to state once more, confidently securing another podium spot.