By
Staff Report
On a day better suited for kite flying, the A&A Shooters from Amador County hosted four clubs from Northern California on a May 5 scholastic trapshoot at Sacramento Valley Shooting Center on Meiss Road northwest of Ione.
The teams were attempting to break clay targets in 20 mph winds with higher gusts. In the A&A Shooters' six-year history, it was the largest number of A&A shooters to participate in a single shoot, with 63 A&A Shooters in attendance.
The A&A Shooters varsity division swept the field with first, second and third place awards and also the top six finishes. As an indication of how difficult the shooting conditions were, Ben Smith of Jackson was one of only two shooters out of 114 to break all 25 targets on a trap. Smith added two 22s and a 20 to his 25 to finish with an 89 and first place, one target ahead of teammate, Cassie Ding.
Ding, who was competing that same day in the Miss Ione pageant, left the shoot before the awards ceremony and was unable to personally receive her second place award, which was accepted by her grandmother.
A&A Shooter Marty Sconce was thinking he had a bad day with no chance to finish in the top three, but on a windy day anything can happen, and his score of 81 was good enough for third.
Following in fourth, fifth and sixth place were A&A Shooters Gerry Creason, Chris Hubach and Jason Fishback respectively.
In the junior varsity division, it was Ryan Wade of Sacramento Trap Club who broke the second highest overall score of the day, a 91, to win first place. Just three targets behind was Amador High School sophomore Gary Creason with an 88 and second place.
To determine the third place winner, there was a shoot-off between Argonaut High School's Daniel Tate and Bryan Dickson from Auburn Gun Club, both with 87s. In the shoot-off, Tate held steady to break a 22 and take third. Other A&A Shooters near the top finishers were Bret Johnson with 82, Jake Arthur with 81 and Kris Farnham with 81.
The intermediate (junior high) A&A Shooters had a rough day with the wind blowing not only the targets in all directions, but making it difficult to even stand steady on the line. However, Tristan Woolacott from Sacramento Trap Club broke 24, 23, 24 and 21 to finish with the highest overall score for the day with a 92.
Second and third places were determined by a shoot-off between Brent Hollis of Sacramento and Drew Premock of Auburn Gun Club, who tied at 86. Premock had an excellent shoot-off round with a 24, which gave him second place, leaving Hollis in third.
The five top A&A Shooters in the Intermediate division were Mark Carper 80, Nigel Dreksler 76, Conor Ding 74, Garrett Millsap 72 and Taylor Curran 70.
It was rookie shooter Jack Stephenson from Sacramento Trap Club who placed first in the under sixth grade division with a 75. Stephenson was selected to pick the winning A&A fund-raiser raffle ticket out of a box.
"And for all of those whose names I am not going to read, please don't be mad at me," Stephenson said, as he pulled out the winning ticket.
The raffle prize, a pack/fishing trip for four by Secret Pass Outfitters of Elko, Nevada, was won by Thalice Hatton of Pine Grove. The raffle netted $3,300 for the A&A Shooters program.
The A&A Shooters also competed May 19 at Livermore/Pleasanton Rod and Gun Club, A&A Shooters' last shoot before the State Championships June 16 at Kingsburg Gun Club.
There will be a Benefit Family Fun Shoot 10 a.m. Sunday, June 10 at the True Sportsman Club to help cover the $65 shoot fee plus ammunition costs per shooter for the state shoot.
There will be events in .22 rifle, .22 handgun and shotgun. The public is invited and welcome to participate or watch. Lunch will be served. For information, call Rich or Kathleen Lynch at 267-0385.
