The Pinckneyville High School shooting team was looking for a top three finish at the Scholastic Clay Target Program sporting clays national championships held Thursday and Friday at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta.
After nervously waiting as the third and second place teams were announced, the Pinckneyville squad was honored by claiming first place and the national title.
“I went numb,” said head coach Stu Wright. “The team knew they shot very well. It was a real cliffhanger to sit there and wait to find out just how well they did.”
Pinckneyville’s top three shooters were Jessica Farthing, Todd Bathon and Jacob Sprehe. The trio broke 514 of 600 targets for the top spot, nine more than the third place team.
Teams from 38 states came to Sparta last week for the SCTP national championships, which includes sporting clays, trap and skeet.
“Our kids were really up for this all week long,” said Wright. “They shot a lot of extra sporting clays this summer, and that hard work paid off. Everyone went into the competition with a real positive attitude.”
Wright, whose team took second at nationals last year, credits the team’s success to Donny Nehring, the squad’s sporting clays coach.
“He has worked his butt off with these kids,” added Wright. “He spent a lot of time with the team going over the sporting clays course at the WSRC. His efforts were a big factor in the team winning the national title in sporting clays.”