PHOTO PROVIDED Denny Dolan, Coach Rob Ankney, Chris Engel, Coach Chad Haagen, Collin Ankney, Emery Gunsallus, Hunter Jeirles, Trenton Haagen, Wyatt Ripka and Glenn Hough are pictured during Eastern Regional Championships.
MILL HALL — Months of practice and hard work paid off for the local YHEC team.
In June, the SCC YHEC team participated in the PA State YHEC event held at the PGC Scotia Shooting Range in State College. Teams from across Pennsylvania gathered to compete for state titles.
The senior blue team consisting of Denny Dolan, Emery Gunsallus, Trenton Haagen, Hunter Jeirles, and Wyatt Ripka had a good showing, earning first place in archery; first place in shotgun; first place in Wildlife I.D.; third place in muzzle-loader; and third place in Hunter Responsibility Exam.
The Southern Clinton Senior Blue team earned second place Overall Team, trailing behind the first-place team by only 46 points. Members from the senior team also earned the coveted title of tug-a-war champs!
Individual awards were as follows:
PHOTO PROVIDED Coach Dave Gunsallus, Hunter Jeirles, Denny Dolan, Wyatt Ripka, Coach Chad Haagen, Emery Gunsallus and Trenton Haagen are pictured at eastern regionals.
— Hunter Jeirles, second place shotgun, third place Hunter Responsibility Exam.
— Wyatt Ripka, first place Wildlife ID, third place Muzzleloader.
— Gavin Kerstetter, third place shotgun.
— Denny Dolan, third place Wildlife ID. Dolan also earned second place Overall Senior.
The team then traveled in July to Chemung, N.Y., to participate in the NRA Eastern Regional National Championships held at the Chemung Rod and Gun Club. Teams from the Eastern part of the US gathered for the three-day event where participants competed in four shooting events, and three Hunter Responsibility events, to see who the “Top Guns” where.
PHOTO PROVIDED Coach Rob Baker, Wyatt Ripka, Dylan Baker, Gavin Kerstetter, Denny Dolan and Emery Gunsallus take part in a game of tug-of-war during state competitions.
At this event, the Southern Clinton YHEC team earned first place in shotgun; first place in .22 Rifle; second place in Wildlife ID; second place in muzzleloader; second place Hunter Safety Trail; second place Hunter Responsibility Exam; and third place archery. The team finished in second place overall.
Individual awards went to Trenton Haagen, third place shotgun; Wyatt Ripka, second place muzzleloader, and third place rifle; Emery Gunsallus, first place shotgun, second place Hunter Safety Trail, third place archery. Gunsallus also finished third overall in the Senior Division.
Christopher Engel took first place in Cherokee Run — which is a fun event at the end of the competition — and Denny Dolan took third in this event.
“It takes a lot of time and dedication to get good at a sport… Youth in YHEC are competing in four shooting disciplines, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, .22 Rifle, and Archery, as well as Hunter Responsibility exams and Wildlife ID,” a release from YHEC said. “To Dominate in YHEC, one must achieve peak performance in all events, and to do so, it takes hours of practice.”
SCC YHEC begins its season with registrations in January and practice starting in February. The team practices for three months before competing in their first competition.
PHOTO PROVIDED The Southern Clinton County YHEC Junior Team members are pictured during a competition. They are, from left, Ben Parker, Coach Glenn Hough, Hunter Eck and Glenn Hough III.
“As you can imagine, the expense incurred while participating in YHEC can add up quickly. The team is grateful for the grants it receives from the Friends of the NRA,” the release said. “This year the awarded grant of approximately $4,000 provided the team with shotgun ammunition and clay targets for practicing.”
The team also held a t-shirt fundraiser with 40 local businesses donating to the program. These donations went directly to sending the team to the Eastern Regional Championships.
The Southern Clinton County Sportsmen’s Club is the parent organization for the local YHEC team. Their support and mentorship have been a lifeline for the team for the past 25 years; since its inception in 1997.
To learn more about YHEC visit https://yhec.nra.org/ or contact club president Chad Haagen at 814-380-3972.
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