Elyria Teen Jace Walters a Nationally Ranked Competitive Shooter
By: Martin McConnell
Jace Walters of Elyria currently ranks as the No. 1 centerfire pistol shooter in Ohio, according to the Scholastic Action Shooting Program. And in Jace’s division, he ranks second in the entire nation.Elyria’s Jace Walters, 16, recently competed in the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) national championships, in addition to a number of other shooting events. (Submitted) At just 16 years old, Jace is showing no signs of slowing down.Earlier this month, he competed in the Scholastic Action Shooting Program and Civilian Marksmanship Program national level competitions, as well as a match in the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation.“When I started out, I really didn’t know too much about the competitive shooting side,” Jace said. “I just really knew about going to the range for fun and shooting a couple shots.“This kind of pushes me to try new things, especially if I go to a different match with something I haven’t really shot before.”Already, Jace has more than a decade of sports experience under his belt, said his father, Michael Walters.“He’s had a pretty exciting life so far,” his father said. “Going from motocross, to national podium level archery, to pistol shooting now, doing great at nationals, Jace was going to the motocross track in diapers.“At the age of 3, we had him practicing on a small quad.”The interest in shooting for the youngster originally came from the family’s gun safety training, the elder Walters said.“I had him and his brother (Stephen) each starting to shoot firearms when they were 4 years old,” he said. “(I wanted to) just get them familiar with it.“Gun safety, learn about them, be comfortable with them, not be an idiot with them, to put it bluntly.”Jace originally started with archery, but switched to competitive shooting after an injury in 2022, Walters said.At the age of 15, Jace earned the title of Glock Master Shooter in 2023, only the third junior shooter to ever claim that title.“Within a year (of starting competitive shooting), Jace became a Glock Master Shooter,” Walters said. “He won the junior national championship.“Then, he won high overall in amateur stock, finishing first out of 134, with 130 of those 134, were adults.”Currently, Jace is an honor roll student at Lorain County Joint Vocational School in Oberlin, as well as junior president of the LaGrange Hunting and Fishing Club.He also works an apprenticeship as a computer numerically controlled operator technician, according to his father.“He is a former national podium level archer, (but) had to hang up his bow due to injury,” Walters said. “He is (also) a featured writer for the Junior Shooters Magazine, has his own yard service business, Jace Walters Raking and More, that he works to help fund his shooting sports.”Walters said he is exceptionally proud of his son, who now beats him consistently in shooting competitions.With only two years of experience in shooting, Walters said he is excited to see what the future holds for Jace.“When we first started doing it, the competition was for him to beat me,” Walters said. “It didn’t take long, once we got outdoors, that he actually started beating me.“You’re proud because not only is he kicking (my) butt because I’m pretty decent, but he’s basically kicking everyone’s butt.”Jace will compete Aug. 14 in the United States Practical Shooting Association Area 5 Championships at the Cardinal Center in Marengo.
The Morning Journal (30 July 2024)