By Staff
MASON – Young trap shooters from across Michigan earned state titles – with many qualifying to represent Michigan at upcoming national championships – at last weekend's Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) Michigan Trap State Championship.
The trap competition, held June 28 at Michigan Trapshooting Association in Mason, featured some of Michigan's top young shooters in four divisions: varsity, junior varsity, intermediate advanced and intermediate entry.
SCTP, for youths in grades 12 and under, is a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation managed in partnership with the national governing bodies for shooting sports: USA Shooting, Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association.
With remarkable growth over the past eight years, the program is considered "the Little League of shooting sports." Some 8,000 to 9,000 students from over 45 states are expected to compete this year.
Michigan teams participating in the state title shoot qualified for the SCTP National Championships July 31-Aug. 5 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill.
The best of these young shooters could be selected to attend an Olympic development camp in Colorado Springs, and some will go on to compete at the collegiate level.
SCTP Michigan Trap
State Championship
Varsity Division
(grades 9-12)
1st Place – Munith Rod &Gun, 929 out of 1,000 targets (Lindsay Fielder of Manchester, Michael Rahn of Jackson, Angela Declaire of Brooklyn, Caleb Burden of Manchester, Alexander Bowman of Jackson).
2nd Place – Huron Pointe Sportsman's Association, 910 (Geno Salvatore of Casco, Matthew Hines of Chesterfield, Clarence Van Camp of Marysville, Ben Wallace of St. Clair Shores, Michael Sintebin of New Baltimore).
3rd Place – St. Joe County Straight Shooters, 899 (Travis McDaniel of Constantine, Gabriel Allison of Burr Oak, Alexander Milliman of Three Rivers, Garrett Walters of Burr Oak, Amanda Mulholland of Three Rivers).
Junior Varsity Division
(grades 9-12)
1st Place – Linden, 883 out of 1,000 targets (Jacob Hoyes of Swartz Creek, Brad Bonardelli of Swartz Creek, Nick Dubiel of Fenton, Jacob Bradburn of Grand Blanc, Lucas Bradburn of Fenton).
2nd Place – Sparta Hunting &Fishing Club, 871 (Aj Christafferson of Sparta, Alex Eberlein of Coopersville, Jake Hiaeshutter of Sparta, Trevor Hill of Sparta, Clay Weidenhamer of Sparta).
3rd Place – Monroe's Pride, 870 (Matt Reau of Petersburg, Scott Felbaum of Tecumseh, Alex Rodriguez of Milan, Zachary Vasileff of Lincoln Park, Calvin Meyer of Carleton).
Intermediate Advanced Division
(grades 6-8)
1st Place – Monroe's Pride, 862 out of 1,000 targets (Anthony Morrow of Monroe, Anthony Sailer of Temperance, Tyler Duvall of Monroe, Ryan Boudrie of Monroe, James Bogosian of Flat Rock).
2nd Place – Dowagiac, 859 (Sydney Foote of Dowagiac, Michael Dussel of Cassopolis, Andrew Wild of Dowagiac, Gus St. Cin of Dowagiac, Ethan Dussel of Cassopolis).
3rd Place – Shiawassee Conservation, 825 (Kimberly Kalakay of Owosso, Stenor Ott of Elsie, Trevor Klco of Owosso, Cameron Serbus of Owosso, Garrett Atkinson of Henderson).
Intermediate Entry Division
(grades 6-8)
1st Place – Monroe's Pride, 758 out of 1,000 targets (Gunner Faber of Ida, Richard Bell of Carleton, Nicholas Beaudrie of Monroe, Hayden Faber of Ida, Michael Ammerman Maybee).
2nd Place – Shiawassee Conservation, 752 (Spencer Frink of Elsie, Ben Culp of Owosso, Jacob Gorden of Chesaning, Mando Escamilla of Chesaning, Sam Frink of Elsie).
3rd Place – Dowagiac, 695 (Travis True of Dowagiac, Tyler Wessendorf of Dowagiac, Conner East of Dowagiac, Seth Hargett of Dowagiac, Austin Francois of Niles).