The Newark Rod and Gun Club hosted 76 student athletes representing eight school districts over Memorial Day weekend for the Finger Lakes Regional Trap Shooting Tournament.
After a wet and windy five-hour competition on Saturday, Red Jacket captured its fourth consecutive Finger Lakes Regional Championship. The Cardinals finished with 211 hits out of a possible 250 targets, edging Midlakes by three marks. Midlakes finished second with 208 hits, improving by 16 marks from last year’s tournament.
In the competition format, each student shoots at 50 targets over two rounds of 25. Shooters can use either a 12- or 20-gauge shotgun, with each clay hit counting as one point. Every five targets, shooters rotate positions to change their shooting angle and increase the difficulty. Wind and rain throughout the event added another layer of challenge, causing clays to move unpredictably across the course.
Marcus Whitman’s Holland Benge led the female standings with 44 hits out of 50 targets. South Seneca’s Alyssa Minges also recorded 44 hits, while Marcus Whitman’s Elsie Foust finished with 44 as well.
Midlakes’ Travis Guard was the top male shooter with 47 hits out of 50. Red Jacket’s Chase Atwood followed with 45 hits, while teammate Kullen Hill recorded 44.
The next stop for competitors is the state tournament, June 5th through 7th at Bridgeport Rod and Gun Club in Cicero, where 190 schools are expected to compete for state titles.
All registered student-athletes and teams are eligible to compete at states. Teams must have at least five shooters to qualify for team competition, while all athletes may compete individually. Teams and individuals are grouped into divisions based on season-ending averages, allowing shooters of similar experience and skill levels to compete against one another.
