Published: July 03, 2008 05:52 pm         

Aiming for a national title

Staff Reports

The North Jefferson News



IRONDALE, Ala.—Young trap shooters from across Alabama earned state titles—with many qualifying to represent Alabama at upcoming national championships—at last weekend’s Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) Alabama Trap State Championship.

The trap competition, held June 28 at Southern Skeet and Trap in Irondale, featured some of Alabama’s top young shooters in three divisions: varsity, junior varsity and intermediate advanced.

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.

Alabama 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.



Team results

SCTP Alabama Trap State Championship

(held June 28, Southern Skeet and Trap, Irondale, Ala.)

Varsity Division (grades 9-12)

1st Place—Cedar Hill Smok’n Guns, 927 out of 1,000 targets (Corey Williams of Russellville, Nicholas Ross of Russellville, Matthew Bassie of Waterloo, Paul Thatcher of Decatur, Tritt Martin of Russellville).

2nd Place—Waterfall Valley Claybusters, 913 (Trevor Mitchell of Russellville, Kollin Hester of Tuscumbia, Jacob Gist of Russellville, Alex Pounders of Russellville, Blake Reed of Spruce Pine).

3rd Place—Southern Thunder, 867 (Andrew Wolford of Trussville, Logan Pate of Trussville, Jessie Floyd of Hoover, Christopher Rester of Mountain Brook, Lauren Hyde of Gardendale).

Junior Varsity Division (grades 9-12)

1st Place—Southern Thunder, 835 out of 1,000 targets (Lacey King of Pinson, Callie Mobley of Trussville, Austin McCray of Bessemer, William Vahle of Mountain Brook, Bradley Hubbard of Helena).

2nd Place—Not awarded.

3rd Place—Not awarded.

Intermediate Advanced Division (grades 6-8)

1st Place—Cedar Hill Smok’n Guns, 875 out of 1,000 targets (Jesse Taylor of Russellville, Cody Willingham of Russellville, Ryan Andrews of Tuscumbia, Sidney Johnson of Vina, William Washington of Russellville).

2nd Place—Southern Thunder, 694 (Will Riley of Birmingham, Walker Reich of Birmingham, Parker Erwin of Gardendale, Jennifer Lowry of Birmingham, Jack Royer of Birmingham).

3rd Place—Waterfall Valley Claybusters, 676 (Matthew Waldrep of Russellville, Adam Mitchell of Russellville, Jordan Gist of Russellville, Hank Forsythe of Spruce Pine, Dyllan Bailey of Russellville).