Jul 10, 2009 2 min read

Members of the Hunting Hills Hawkeyes, Greene County’s Scholastic Clay Target Program team, received awards during the Pennsylvania Scholastic Clay Target Program Sporting Clays Championship, held June 20 at the Whitetail Preserve in Bloomsburg, Pa. The event involved 36 three-person squads competing in a 100-target shoot to determine state winners in three age divisions. Hunting Hills Hawkeyes members representing all five county school districts made up eight of the squads. Taking first place in the fifth grade and under division was the squad consisting of Camryn Dugan of Waynesburg, Abigail Phillips of Jefferson and Matthew Rush of Jefferson. Rush also received an individual gold medal for his score.

In the ninth through 12th grades division, the squad consisting of Zachary Scott of Graysville, Benjamin Sisler of Fairmont and David Sisler of Rices Landing took second place, and the team also received a silver medal.

Lacey Mathews of Dilliner received an individual silver medal for runner-up in the girls overall division. The squad consisting of Chris Faddis of Rices Landing, Chris Poparnack of Dilliner and Brent Sink of Waynesburg received a team bronze medal.

The Hawkeyes formed in February 2009 as part of a pilot Scholastic Clay Target Program in the county. More than 30 students in grades five through 12 have practiced and worked on their shooting skills every Sunday at Hunting Hills in Dilliner, Pa.

Head coach Herschel Mathews, Jr., of Dilliner has worked alongside several assistant coaches during the past several months to instruct the students on gun handling and safety and prepare them for the state competition.

“The coaches are really proud of the whole team and of the accomplishments made at their first state competition,” said assistant coach Chuck Mallory.

The team’s home base of Hunting Hills is owned and operated by Sally and Roy Sisler, who first approached the Greene County Commissioners last year about starting a Scholastic Clay Target Program. Nationally, the programs are sponsored by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation. Locally, the Greene County Commissioners, the Department of Recreation and state Rep. Bill DeWeese sponsor the program, with DeWeese securing grant funds to purchase equipment and other start-up supplies.

The 2009 Scholastic Clay Target Program National Championships will be held July 23-26 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill.

For more information on the Hunting Hills Hawkeyes, call the Department of Recreation at 724-852-5323.