Arizona team takes fourth place at Scholastic Clay Target Program national trap championships

PHOENIX - Arizona's junior novice team came tantalizingly close to winning its division in last week's Scholastic Clay Target Program national trap championships in Vandalia, Ohio, finishing fourth among 55 teams. The Aug. 9 competition highlighted the razor-thin difference between the leading squads, as the top four finishers were within four points of each other.

Two squads from Tennessee ended the regular competition with 929 points and decided the title in a shoot-off round. A squad from Texas finished third with 928 points, followed by Arizona with 925.

Our kids gave a great effort," says Anthony Chavez, shooting sports coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "It's their first time going up against this level of national competition in trap, and they still came within a few targets of taking it."

Members of the junior novice team, called the Red Mountain Target Terminators, are Hayden Edgmon, Queen Creek; Isaac Evans, Mesa; Correy Schultz, Gilbert; Kyle Wandelear, Queen Creek; and Justin Williams, Gilbert. All are 14 years old. The team trains at the Red Mountain Trap and Skeet Club in Scottsdale.

Arizona's senior novice squad, also part of the Red Mountain Target Terminators team, finished in 35th place in its division. Team members are Mark Clary, Jr., 17, Mesa; Remington Dias, 15, Ft. McDowell; Chase Judd, 16, Mesa; James Kechely, 17, Queen Creek; Hunter Williams, 16, Gilbert.

The Pusch Ridge Riders squad from the Tucson area represented Arizona in the rookie division
Arizona's rookie team, the Pusch Ridge Riders out of the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club in Tucson, finished in 25th place in its division. Team members are Brandon Carlisle, 10, Tucson; Luis Gloria, 10, Tucson; Clay Hernandez, 11, Marana; Perry Kurker-Mraz, 9, Tucson; Trevor Willett, 11, Tucson.

A record 1,564 youths in grades 12 and under competed at the trap national championships this year, surpassing last year's field by more than 500 and producing the highest attendance in the Scholastic Clay Target Program's history.

Arizona's young representatives earned the right to represent the state in national competition by winning the Commissioners' Cup state championships in skeet, sporting clays and trap in May. The skeet and sporting clays winners advanced to national championships in Detroit July 23-24, where they took two first-place finishes, a second and a third.

The Scholastic Clay Target Program was developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which is the national sponsor. It offers young men and women in grades 12 and under the opportunity to compete as a team in trap, skeet and sporting clays for state and national championships as well as college scholarship money. The program is designed to instill in participants safe firearms handling, commitment, responsibility, leadership and teamwork. Nearly 40 states and 6,000 youths participate.

This is the first year of Arizona's program, which was initiated by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and administered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. More than 400 young people participated this year and the department certified more than 90 instructors.
 

Click Here To Return To The Previous Page