Jackson and Henry Leverett for the 2018 Winter Air Gun Championships. Credit: Courtesy USA Shooting
Not everyone has a shooting range set up at their house. But the Leverett brothers do.
Jackson and Henry Leverett — only 17 months apart in age from Bainbridge, Georgia — are both freshmen on Ohio State’s pistol team.
They first started shooting after their dad saw an article in the newspaper about the sport and called to find out more about it. He took Jackson Leverett and Henry Leverett to shoot at the local range in the area, and they shot at their first competition when they were 9 and 8, respectively.
“My dad was definitely pushing for it because he thought it was cool,” Henry Leverett said. “He wanted us to do it so he could be involved.”
Not only do both of their parents now shoot as a hobby, but their younger sister, Abbie, also shoots.
The brothers said that their family and community have been very supportive of their involvement in the sport.
“I have a lot of support behind me from the school and my family, and I have the ability to travel and do all these things. It’s not a certainty that I’ll be able to do it in the future, so I’m enjoying it now,” Jackson Leverett said.
The Leverett brothers were homeschooled, which worked out well with their travel schedule for pistol competitions.
The brothers have competed for Team USA at numerous matches such as World Championships, World Cups, and Junior World Cups. Both also qualified to shoot at the 2019 Pan American Games.
Jackson Leverett helped Team USA win gold medals in air pistol and rapid fire at the 2018 Championship of the Americas.
Henry Leverett got a USA Olympic quota spot after placing fifth in the 2019 World Cup in Beijing. He was also a rapid fire alternate for the since-postponed 2020 Olympics.
One of his favorite memories from pistol was when he was chosen to compete at the World Championships in Changwon, South Korea. The shooting team was made up of the top 80-90 athletes, and he said being with his team at the opening ceremony in front of thousands of people is something he will never forget.
“I realized I was a part of something really big. I felt at home. It was really special to me and made me super proud,” Henry Leverett said.
When choosing where to go to school, it worked out that Ohio State was the perfect fit for both Jackson and Henry Leverett.
“Hearing how good the team is and how many resources are available for athletes here — it was a huge thing for me,” Henry Leverett said.
Both of the brothers agree that they are most excited to travel with the Ohio State team when the season starts back up.
“It keeps me motivated to keep training and getting to go see new places and new cultures,” Jackson Leverett said.
Jackson and Henry Leverett have always trained with the same coaches at the same range.
Although they train similarly, the brothers have different strengths.
“Jackson is really good at air pistol, and I am really good at rapid fire. He will dominate in an air pistol, and I will dominate in rapid fire, which is cool because we both get to share everything. He gets to win, and I get to win,” Henry Leverett said.
The brothers have four USA shooting records in junior men’s sport pistol and junior men’s rapid fire. The Leverett brothers agree that competing in pistol shooting has brought them closer together.
“We stay in the same hotel room, we travel together, we go to the same events. We do everything together,” Jackson Leverett said.
Both Jackson and Henry Leverett have their eyes set on competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In the future, both of the brothers want to continue to have pistol shooting be a part of their lives.
“I want to try to keep doing it as long as I can. The nice thing is, it is one of the sports where it’s not as physically demanding as some of the others, so you can do it for a long time,” Henry Leverett said.
