OUTDOORS
JIM MORRIS
Ohio trapshooters have a good idea who one of the next star shooters might be. Jason Huffman, a junior shooter from Piqua, walked away with a wagon load of hardware from last month’s Ohio State Trapshooting Tournament at Marengo.
Huffman, 18, graduated from Houston High School in May. Right after that, he won eight trophies at the state shoot and this past weekend picked up a few more in the Flag City Classic at Findlay.
At the state shoot, he was the best junior shooter, winning the High All-Around at 383 (out of 400) and High Over-All at 1,117 (out of 1,200). He also won the junior Ohio Handicap with a 98 and the junior Doubles Class Championship with a 92.
“Everybody has been telling me I have to take advantage of my last year as a junior, so that’s what I’ve been trying to do,” Huffman said. “Next year I will be in there with everybody else (as an adult shooter), so I will have to keep getting better.”
By turning in a 98 at the Ohio Handicap, Huffman picked up 1½ yards and is now a 23½-yard shooter in handicap events.
Some of the top junior events that Huffman didn’t win were won by Tipp City’s Matthew Begley. He won the Ohio Doubles Championship at 91, was runner-up in the Ohio Singles Championship at 197 and won the junior Rio Handicap with a 94.
Dave Berlet of New Knoxville won the veteran High Over-All at 1,142. He also won the Jack Fishburn Doubles Marathon. Betty Peterson of Xenia won the Fishburn in the ladies category. Pat Neff of Middletown won the Fishburn at 192, one target better than runner-up Roger Peterson of Xenia.
Former Eaton resident Dean Townsend of Thornville won the Joseph Charnigo Doubles with a 100. Roger Peterson was next at 98. Bob Havenar of Piqua won the veteran title.
In the Singles Class Championship, the winner was Rick Springer of Wapakoneta at 199. Robert McConnell of Hamilton was Class AA winner, and Rife Denlinger of Middletown was the veteran winner.
John Mueller of St. Marys won the veteran Richard Pat Neff Singles with a 100. Donald Gelhot of Springfield was the senior veteran winner in the Blaser Handicap. Will Guingrich of Celina was the Class AA winner in the Singles Championship at 199.
Don Wilkin of Wilmington won the senior veteran title in the Doubles Championship, and Townsend was the Class AA winner in that event. Townsend was the All-Around Class AA winner, and Dirk Meckstroth of New Knoxville was runner-up in the Evans Handicap and in All-Around. Cletus Fink of Huber Heights won the senior vet title in the Ohio Handicap.
Scouts to host sporting clays
The Tecumseh Council of the Boy Scouts of America will host the first Scouting Clays Classic on Saturday, Aug. 21, from 1 to 8:30 p.m. The deadline for entries is Friday, Aug. 13.
The entry fee is $75 per shooter, including a meal. You can sign up as an individual or in four-person teams. Sponsorships also are available.
The event will be held at Camp Hugh Taylor Birch in Yellow Springs. Proceeds support Tecumseh Council activities and Camp Birch.
To sign up or for more information, contact Marty Richards at (937) 325-6449 or marricha@bsamail.org.
Outdoors columnist Jim Morris can be reached through his website at tinyurl.com/ylh2rol or by e-mail at sports@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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