Laying down on her stomach, eyes peering through the scope, the dim lighting allowing the perfect shot at the target, she stops breathing and then…

“The first thing that drew me to Air Rifle was the uniqueness because I’d never seen it at a school,” senior Armani-Dior Wynn said. “It was the whole reason I came to Bishop Kenny.”

Air Rifle is a non-powder gun that students fill with air, which shoots hollow lead pellets into targets that are 10 meters away. There are three positions people compete in: prone, laying down on your stomach; kneeling, on one knee; and standing, which is the hardest position due to having to hold the rifle up.

Her dedication and interest in the sport paid off in time as Wynn was assistant commander during sophomore year and commander in her junior year.

“Leading doesn’t always mean you have to be on somebody 24/7,” Wynn said. “You help them set the ground foundation and they have to build on that themselves.”

Wynn has qualified for Nationals twice; once for the 2025 season, and for an individual athlete in 2026.

“Before we went into the Championships I was going through a loss,” Wynn said. “I didn’t want to do Championships.”

Wynn’s mom was the biggest supporter of her going to Nationals, which helped her stay true to the commitment.

“You didn’t come this far just to give it up, Nani [her grandmother] would have wanted that,” Wynn’s mom, Deidra-Di said.

Her success was not always linear, and she says there were many times early on in high school where she wanted to quit. Her tenacious and stubborn attitude has kept her coming back, helping her become the athlete she is today.

“You have ups and downs with it, keep going with it, be consistent,” Wynn said. “Sometimes you’re not going to want to do it but do it anyway.”

Her experiences and successes in this unique sport inspire future air rifle athletes at Bishop Kenny.