As a fourth-grader, Jessie Wilson would routinely make the short drive with her parents from Fulton County, Ky., to Martin, Tenn., to the Tennessee-Martin rifle range. For Wilson, shooting was just fun.

The Tennessee-Martin senior said by the time she was in the seventh grade shooting became competitive.

“That’s when I found out you could earn a scholarship and go to college and compete,” Wilson said.

The trips to Martin continued through Wilson’s high school years. That’s when Tennessee-Martin rifle coach Bob Beard took notice of Wilson. He saw her dedication and work ethic and offered her a college scholarship.

This past week, during the Ohio Valley Conference Rifle Championship at Tennessee Martin, Wilson fired a 385 in the air rifle competition and earned all-conference honors.

It was Wilson’s way of saying thanks to Beard for the opportunity to compete and earn an education.

“Shooting is more of a competition against yourself than anything else,” Wilson said. “You want to improve each time you shoot. So shooting 385 was exciting.

“As long as you can keep improving, that’s the goal,” Wilson said.

Wilson will participate in next weekend’s sectional match at Murray State University where she hopes to qualify for a berth in the NCAA championship.

“I think once I graduate in December, that’s it for competitive shooting,” Wilson said. “I’ll play, but I won’t compete. I’ll come over to the range and help out and I’ll continue to go deer hunting with my dad, but that’s about it.”

Wilson, a child and family studies major, wants to land a job with a health department helping first-time mothers.