By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
DOWAGIAC – Dowagiac brought home a pair of championships and two second place finishes from Mason over the weekend.
Dowagiac won both the Varsity and Advanced Intermediate state championships for Michigan in the Scholastic Clay Target Program.
Dowagiac also grabbed a second place in the Advanced Intermediate and the Intermediate Entry Level divisions on Saturday.
This was the second time that Dowagiac won won a state championship.
The team also brought home a state title in 2006.
Winning the Varsity title were Jason Hurrle, Aaron Blaske, Seth Spaulding, Gideon Hebron and Travis Herman.
Hurrle, in his last season of competition after graduating earlier this year, was an original member of the squad that was started in 2005.
He is also the only member on the team who was part of the first state championship.
Taking the Advanced Intermediate championship were Ethan Dussell, Michael Dussell, Sydney Foote, Travis True and Andrew Wild.
Finishing second in the Advanced Intermediate division wre Shane Filley, Austin Francois, Conner East and Seth Hargett.
The second place team in the Intermediate Entry Level division consisted of Tyler Wade, Bryce Younger, Brandon Hatch, Collin Dussell and Emmitt Pullins.
The team is coached by Craig Lyons.
All 19 shooters from Dowagiac placed and received medals.
Each shooter attempted 200 targets. Team scores are computed out of 1,000 targets attempted.
Complete scores were unavailable at press time, however, Hargett connected on his first 25 targets during the competition.
The meet took place at the Michigan Trapshooters Association grounds in Mason.
Dowagiac now advances to the SCTP National Championships in Sparta, Ill. July 25-26. at the World Recreation &Shooting Complex.