Raiders’ Wasson finishes 3rd in state rifle tourney
Hunter Wasson thought his first trip to the 16th annual Pennsylvania State Scholastic Team and Individual Smallbore Rifle Championships would be a great learning experience in preparation for the rest of his high school career.
The Waynesburg Central sophomore learned a lot, quickly, because he capped his season with a state bronze medal with a four-round total of 409.9 points, a mere 陆 point better than Chestnut Ridge’s Camden Criswell.
“This was my first time being there, it was more of a learning experience,” said Wasson.
Everett’s Luke Brambley won the state title with 410.8 points. Woodland Hills’ Sarah Rodocker won silver with 410.5 points.
West Greene’s Noah Lemley finished 14th with 404.2 points, while Waynesburg’s Emilee Tuttle scored 394.5 in 39th place.
The state rifle championship, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Association and The NRA Foundation, featured 10 teams from around the state and 40 individuals, 15 from both the west and central parts of the state and 10 from the east.
The state rifle tournament is different than others because all the competitors do not gather in one spot on the same day. The “regionalized” state finals occured over time, creating some anxious moments for Wasson and the other athletes.
“It took two weeks (for the final results to be tabulated). It was a stressful point. I kept calling my coach. I was anxious,” explained Wasson.
The state competition was four rounds, while section matches were one round and the WPIAL championship was two rounds. The competition covered four USA-50 targets.
“We had 20 minutes to shoot two targets. Then we took a break, and had 20 minutes to shoot the other two targets,” said Wasson.
Wasson exceeded the score he had hoped to shoot.
“It was a really high score. I was solid,” said Wasson. “My goal was a 400, minimum. A perfect score is 436. No one gets it. It’s extremely hard.”
Orion decimal scoring was used in the state competition, which is far more demanding than that used in a section match or district final.
“The state target is rated on how your shot touches (the target). It took some time to get used to,” said Wasson.
Wasson knows what he hopes to accomplish in the final two years of his high school career.
“I was ninth in the WPIAL this year. My goal is to win the individual title, win the state and have our team win the WPIAL (title),” said Wasson.
NOTES: Everett’s Laurel Kuhne finished fifth with 408.1 points and Butler’s Luke Montag was sixth with 407.8 to round out the Pennsylvania State All-Tournament Team. … Woodland Hills won the team title with 1,022.2 points. Everett finished second with 1,015 points and East Stroudsburg South placed third with 1,014.8 points.