Raiders’ Phillips wins WPIAL Rifle Championship
Submitted photo
Waynesburg Central junior Selena Phillips shows off the gold medal and plaque she was awarded after winning the WPIAL Rifle Championship Thursday at Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club. Phillips shot a perfect 200-20x to win the Raiders’ first gold medal in rifle.
Submitted photo
Submitted photo Waynesburg Central’s Selena Phillips (kneeling, far left) won the WPIAL Rifle Championship Thursday with a perfect score of 200-20x. The top 15 finishers advanced to the state championships, including (kneeling, from left) Phillips, Woodland Hills’ Jenna Yezovich, Bethel Park’s Natilie Myers, Avella’s Ehron Jones, Woodland Hills’ Isabella Brawdy, McGuffey’s Kyle Dietrich, Washington’s Oliver Kilgore, (standing, from left), Woodland Hills’ Alaina Fawcett, Avella’s Katina Haskakis and Alaina Walther, Hempfield’s Scott Yurok, Bethel Park’s Erin Rutherford, Hempfield’s Emiy Thomas, Mt. Lebanon’s Christina Strati and Butler’s Tiffany Carlson.
Waynesburg Central’s Selena Phillips picked the right day to have back-to-back perfect scores.
The junior was the lone shooter in the WPIAL Rifle Championship last Thursday to do so, becoming Waynesburg’s first gold medalist in the sport with a perfect score of 200-20x.
No shooter finished with 200-19x, although six recorded scores of 200-18x. The lowest score to medal was 200-16x, so marksmanship was on display in the district final held at Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club.
Phillips did not make the medal stand last year, finishing 29th with a score of 199-18x, so she worked the entire season to work her way onto the podium.
“In the beginning of the season, I put up double targets in practice,” explained Phillips. “I was not as focused last year. I was angry with myself. I could’ve shot better.
“I told myself it wouldn’t happen again.”
Shooters take 10 shots through the regular season, but doubled up in the WPIAL final. They had 20 minutes to complete 20 attempts, shooting 10 shots back-to-back. Plus, Phillips and her Waynesburg teammates, as well as those at West Greene, shot just four at a time at Waynesburg Sportsman’s Club. The finals had 10 shooters competing at the same time, multiplying the distractions.
“I tried to keep my shots into one a minute. That first shot, if I can get that one centered, I’m good,” said Phillips. “The other coaches were yelling. You have to pick out your coach’s voice. I had no distractions with my peripheral vision.”
Phillips admitted she was nervous, not a good state to be in when concentrating on a small target.
“I was very nervous. It increases my heart rate. That’s not a good thing for shooting. I just breath a lot (to calm down),” said Phillips.
Phillips was the lone local shooter to make the medal stand.
“I was surprised,” said Phillips. “No, they didn’t shoot bad. The competition was very steep.”
Teammates Emilee Tuttle and Hunter Wasson both shot 200-14x. Abby Ozohonish finished with 199-15x, as did Cameron Cernuska.
Shey Watson had the best score for West Greene with 199-16x. Haleigh Thomas (199-13x), DJ Jones (198-10x), Zach Abbott (197-13x), and Kenzie Thomas (196-13x) also competed in the district final.
Phillips, Wasson and Watson received the Dave Cramer Award for shooters who scored 100 in all section matches. Wasson received the award for the second time.
Yough’s Drake Croushowe just missed the medal stand and a spot into the state final with a score of 200-15x.
Woodland Hills’ Jenna Yezovich (200-18x), Isabella Brawdy (200-18x), and Alaina Fawcett (200-17x), Bethel Park’s Natilie Myers (200-18x) and Erin Rutherford (200-17x), Avella’s Ehron Jones (200-18x), Katina Haskakis (200-17x), and Alaina Walther (200- 17x), Hempfield’s Scott Yurok (200-17x) and Emily Thomas (200-16x), McGuffey’s Kyle Dietrich (200-18x), Washington’s Oliver Kilgore (200-18x), Mt. Lebanon’s Christina Strati (200-16x), and Butler’s Tiffany Carlson (200-16x) finished in the top 15 to advance to the PIAA finals.
The western portion of the state final will be Tuesday at Frazier-Simplex Rifle Club, a site very familiar to Phillips.
“I shoot there two times a week,” said Phillips. “(Section foes) Avella and Washington shoot there. It’s a little more of an advantage.
“The lighting is different at each range. Frazier is loud and bright.”
Phillips has also been preparing for the demands of the state final.
“The targets are smaller and are scored differently. We shoot from the same position and the same distance,” said Phillips. “I don’t know where I’ll place, but winning a state championship would be amazing.”
Given the dynamics of the state championship on each side of the state, the results take time to be compiled so athletes don’t know how they placed for a week or so.
The Raiders, who finished as the undefeated Section 1 champions, competed in the WPIAL Team Championship earlier in the week. Waynesburg finished sixth out of seven teams with a team total of 795-53x.
Hempfield won the team title with 800-54x.
Phillips led the Raiders with a score of 100-9x. Ozohonish shot 100-8x and Wasson scored 100-3x. Cernuska (99-9x), Grace Kalsey (99-8x), Dylan Henkins (99-3x), Tuttle (97-7x), Tristan Cole (99-6x), Nick Guess (99-3x), and Colby Simkovic (99-7x) also competed in the team final.