Hawkeyes members win 43 awards at championship

FACTORYVILLE – Thirty-two members of the Hunting Hills Hawkeyes, Greene County’s Scholastic Clay Target Program team, received 43 awards during the Pennsylvania Scholastic Clay Target Program Sporting Clays Championship, held Saturday, June 17, at Factoryville Sportsman Club in Factoryville.
The event involved over 280 youth shooters from across the state competing in a 100-target shoot to determine state winners in seven skill divisions: rookie, intermediate entry, intermediate advanced, junior varsity, varsity, open and collegiate.
Awards were given to the top three teams in each division, as well as the highest overall and first- through third-place scorers in each division. A total of 53 Hunting Hills Hawkeyes members participated in the shoot.
Hawkeyes squads took first-place in four divisions, second-place in five divisions, and third-place in one division, along with eleven individual and two collegiate awards.
Rookie
The squad consisting of Brendan Cole, Dylan Hughes and Samuel Riley took first-place in the rookie division with a combined score of 159. Cole and Riley tied with individual scores of 58. Placement was decided in a shoot-off with Cole winning first, and Riley taking second.
Intermediate Entry
The Hawkeye squad consisting of Robert Dillon, Cole Jones and Jacob Stroud took first-place in the intermediate entry division with a combined score of 234. The second-place squad with a combined score of 204 included Ivan Pavick, Devon Pezzino and Nicholas Campbell. Dillon placed first with an individual score of 84 and Jones placed third with a score of 77.
Intermediate Advanced
The Hawkeyes placed first, second and third in the intermediate advanced division. The first-place squad consisting of Tucker Hughes, Landon Friend and Owen Hughes had a combined score of 230. A combined score of 225 placed Kolby Smith, Zach Wilson and Ethan Wise in second-place. Third-place was awarded to Brady Jones, Kyleigh Kozel and Parker Grimes for a combined score of 212. Hughes placed third with an individual score of 78 and Kozel won first-place among the females with an individual score of 74.
Junior Varsity
Squads placed first and second in the junior varsity division. The squad consisting of Tristan Cole, Hunter Orrahood and Justin Popovec won with a combined score of 237. The squad consisting of Dalton Stansick, Coloton Anderson and Arran Hinerman placed second with a combined score of 232. Cole placed first with an individual score of 89. Abby Ozohonish also placed first with an individual score of 74 for the female category.
Varsity
Cameron Cernuska placed second with an individual score of 91 followed by Randy Durr in third-place with an individual score of 90 in the varsity division and overall among all shooters.
Kaitlin Orrahood won second-place with an individual score of 77 in the female category.
The squad consisting of Zach Abbott, Cameron Cernuska and Branden Sanders placed second in the division with a combined score of 255.
Open
In the open division, the squad of Kaitlin Orrahood, Abby Ozohonish and Sarah Donaldson placed second with a combined score of 211.
Collegiate
Parker Woodring placed second with an individual score of 87 in the collegiate division. Kelsey Laurine won first-place for the ladies’ category with an individual score of 69.
The team’s home base of Hunting Hills is owned and operated by Sally and Roy Sisler, who first approached the Greene County commissioners in 2008 about starting a Scholastic Clay Target Program. More than 60 students in grades five through 12 have participated each year since the pilot program began in 2009.
Overseeing this year’s program were head coach Chuck Mallory and assistant head coach Randy Coss, along with several assistant coaches.
Nationally, the programs are sponsored by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation.
Locally, the Greene County commissioners, Hunting Hills and the Department of Recreation sponsor the program with support from the Friends of the National Rifle Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Midway Foundation, Big Covey Quail, LOLA Energy, Hartley Inn, and First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County. The program’s mission is to promote and teach young people the fundamentals of gun safety, team work and outdoor sports.
For more information on the Hunting Hills Hawkeyes, call the Department of Recreation at 724-852-5323, or visit www.co.greene.pa.us.