Shooting Sports Teams compete in Regionals

The Lewis County Trap team travelled to three locations during the week of June 9th to compete in the 2020 Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program's (TNSCTP) Region Two Championship in three main shotgun shooting disciplines.

On Tuesday, June 9, the team travelled to Maury County Gun Club to compete in the skeet shooting portion of the Championships. On June 10 and 11, the team travelled to Linden to compete in the trap shooting portion, and on June 14 the sporting clays portion at the Nashville Gun Club. In the events, Lewis County Trap was represented in five classifications: Rookie, Intermediate Entry, Intermediate Advanced, Junior Varsity and Varsity.

In the discipline of skeet shooting, targets are thrown in singles or doubles from trap houses on opposite ends of an arc with multiple shooting positions. Targets are thrown at varying speeds and trajectories in front of the shooter. In the skeet shooting Championship, Lewis County had one individual award winner as Emery Norris took First Place in the Intermediate Entry classification.

In the discipline of trap shooting, targets are thrown in singles or doubles from a trap or traps in front of the shooter. Targets are typically moving away from the shooter at varying speeds, angles, and elevations.

Lewis County Trap took several awards in the discipline of trap shooting. The Intermediate Advanced squad comprised of Trasey Lindsey, Clark, Clay Bean, Mason Owen and Nathaniel Caamal, took first place.

The Intermediate Entry squad of Norris, Josh Newman, Sidney Owen, Xavier Shook and Aubree Shulters took second place in their classification. Norris claimed first place in the Intermediate Entry Lady's Individual, Zoie Clark took third place in the Intermediate Advanced Lady's Individual, and Chase Carroll finished in second place in the Junior Varsity Men's Individual.

In the discipline of sporting clays, targets are used to be a closer simulation to field shooting than trap or skeet. Targets are intended to simulate hunting of various animals like rabbit, dove, duck or various other game birds. Targets are thrown at varying angles, speeds, distances and trajectories. The Intermediate Advanced squad of Ryan Tanner, Trasey Lindsey, and Bean finished in third place. Norris took second place in the Intermediate Entry Lady's Individual.

"This year has been drastically different than the past four years in shooting sports," Lewis County Trap Head Coach Adam Clark said. "We had to practice social distancing, start shooting later (in the year), worry about COVID-19, but our kids have rallied together and shot well," he continued.

Clark shared that the coaches had worked extremely hard with the team members, focusing first on safety, and teaching some shooters all three different shooting disciplines. "Our parents have been great getting their kids to practice on time, which allows us to start and finish on time," Coach Clark added.

With State Championships on the horizon, Coach Clark sees opportunities for his shooters to do well. "It has been a pretty good year thus far. Now we look forward to the TNSCTP State Championships in late June and early July. We may possibly have a few of our shooters take their game to the highest SCTP level at the 2020 SCTP Nationals held in Marengo, Ohio."

The State Championships are currently scheduled to begin on June 29 and conclude on July 2, 2020, at the Nashville Gun Club. The 2020 SCTP Nationals will begin on July 9 and run through July 18 at the Cardinal Center Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio.

Lewis County Trap Team members include (Rookie) Eli Best and Kyden Kilpatrick; (Intermediate Entry) Emery Norris, Sydney Owen, Aubree Shulters, Xavier Shook, Josh Newman, and Spencer Clark; (Intermediate Advanced) Clay Bean, Mahaley Bean, Nathaniel Caamal, Zoie Clark, Trasey Lindsey, Mason Owen, and Ryan Tanner; (Junior Varsity) Chase Carroll; (Varsity) Tori Walton, Daniel Burcham, Grant Pasold, and Payton Tripp.