Punahou's air riflery team hit the mark this spring as second-place winners in Lex Brodie Earn & Learn Recycling Competition. The contest, co-sponsored by the City's Department of Environmental Services, challenges public and private schools to collect recyclables during a single event, with the city providing HI-5 bins. Representatives from Lex Brodie and the City and County presented the award to the students on April 15.

Carnival was a natural event for the air riflery team to target for the competition. Forty-five students and parents worked in rotating teams throughout Carnival to collect bottles and cans, netting a hefty haul of 21,000 recyclables.

"The hardest part was sorting through all the bottles, making sure they were empty and removing the caps," said Arlynne '10. "But it was also really fun because our team had the chance to talk and socialize, which brought us together."

Air riflery head coach Karen Finley said the team's efforts were an important part of the school's overall sustainability initiative.

The students will travel this summer to the national Junior Olympics competition in Alabama. They'll likely have a good shot: Last fall, the Punahou boys team captured its fifth consecutive ILH state title and the girls racked up a second-place win.