From June 15 through June 18, 14 members from the Woodland Youth Clay Target Team competed at the USA Youth Education in Shooting Sports (USAYESS) National Championships held at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas.
The team collectively brought home six first-place finishes, four second-place finishes and five third-place finishes across all divisions and categories.
“This is one of the largest teams that we’ve had in Woodland. We carried 26 kids on the team, ranging everywhere from a collegiate athlete all the way down to sixth grade,” head coach Jason Hathaway said. “So there was a very diverse skill level as well as maturity and just physical ability and we had tremendous success in all age brackets that we competed in. But I think a large part of that is the determination of the kids on the team, but also the level of commitment that they show to the team and to coming to practices, competing and just shooting extra rounds on their own.”
The team began practicing during the first week of September and were shooting all the way until the middle of June when they saw their hard work and dedication pay off at the national level.
Ashley Huff competed in the senior ladies division, which includes youths who are sophomores, juniors or seniors in high school. Huff earned a first-place finish in doubles trap, second place in doubles skeet and third place in both international and American skeet. Her performance earned her a third place score across all the ladies divisions.
Huff was also a part of the first place winning American trap senior squad that also included Wyatt Daniels, Nate Risley, Braydon Siple and Trinity Stangel.
Cole Hathaway, a sophomore now going into his junior year of high school, earned a first-place finish in the senior men’s division Olympic games-style international trap competition. The Olympic games-style International trap shooting competition has clay pigeons traveling through the air at 70 miles per hour compared to American trap, with the clay pigeons traveling around 42 miles per hour, Cole Hathaway explained. He earned first place by shooting 48 out of 50.
“It was a great experience. It was challenging with the heat but it was cool to compete against all the other teams in the country,” Cole Hathaway said.
Cole Hathaway was also on the third place winning senior squad sporting clays team that also included Lainey Haden, Dane Holcomb, Cooper Martin and Eli Canfield.
Lainey Haden, a sophomore, took first place in the senior ladies American trap competition. Haden earned her championship after shooting just one more clay target over teammate Stangel. Both shot 95 out of 100 with Haden adding 17 in the shootoff compared to Stangel’s 16. Stangel would earn second place in the nation in senior ladies American trap.
“We had a young lady (Lainey Haden) who was kind of a last minute commitment to go to nationals and we encouraged her a lot to go and she had some trepidation on whether or not she was going to even compete at that level and she turned out,” Jason Hathaway said. “She ended up winning first place in American trap. … They went into a shootoff and then Laney shot one more bird than Trinity and ended up taking first out of the entire nation. Our girls went there and took first and second in senior ladies and that was just a tremendous accomplishment and I think all the coaches and parents couldn’t be more proud of how well they did and competed on the national stage.”
Other team members who earned podium finishes included Cheyenne Coss who earned first place in international trap and second place in American trap competing in the intermediate ladies division. Hunter Gates earned himself a first place finish in international skeet, third place in international trap and second place in American trap competing in the intermediate men’s division.
“We have an amazing group of sponsors and donors to this team and we are extremely appreciative of all the backing that’s been put into this team over the years. This next season we’re going to have even more shooters on the team,” Jason Hathaway said. “Even though the sport is becoming more expensive … our expenses have gone up by 38% in the last two years and it’s hard to keep pace with that and keeps kids on the range and shooting with ammo and guns and everything, We’re making that possible by the sponsors out there and I know us coaches and our athletes are extremely grateful for all the generosity that’s been shown to our team.”
Jason and Cole Hathaway encouraged others to consider the sport.
“We encourage kids to get out and experience the shooting sports. It’s definitely a really fun sport and it’s something that parents can go and do with their kids and it’s a lifelong sport,” Jason Hathaway said. “It’s not something that ends when you’re done with high school. You can continue shooting sports as long as you want and as old as you want.”
Cole Hathaway added the sport is definitely competitive, but teams across the country get along and have a great time.
Those interested in learning more about the team and inquiring about this upcoming season can contact Jason Hathaway by emailing woodlandyouthsports@gmail.com.
