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Central Mountain Clay Target team celebrates successful spring season

MILL HALL -- The Central Mountain Clay Target Team concluded another successful spring season with strong performances in conference competition and at the state championships.

The team consisted of 23 student-athletes who competed in Trap, Skeet and 5-Stand shooting disciplines.

Participants may compete in one or two events each season, with all practices and weekly competitions held at Liberty Township Sportsmen's Club in Marsh Creek.

The Spring 2026 season concluded on May 17, with several Central Mountain shooters earning top finishes in conference standings.

In Trap competition, Glenn Hough, III led the Wildcats with a sixth-place finish among male shooters.

On the girls' side, freshman Jaxlynne Hockenberry placed eighth, while senior Summer Engel finished 12th.

The Skeet team enjoyed another successful season, placing third overall in conference competition.

Sophomore Logan Meinke led Central Mountain with an eighth-place finish, followed closely by junior Evan Long in ninth place.

In 5-Stand competition, Central Mountain earned a second-place team finish.

Sophomore Jake Myers paced the team with a tie for fifth place, while Long placed seventh and Joey Miller finished ninth overall.

Trap Team Excels at State Championships

On May 31, nine members of the Central Mountain Trap Team traveled to Elysburg to compete in the Pennsylvania State Championships against 45 schools and 818 shooters from across the Commonwealth.

Hough, III, turned in one of the team's top performances of the season, initially tying for first place in the Varsity Division among 448 competitors before narrowly taking second place following a shoot-off.

In the Junior Varsity Division, Joey Miller earned a second-place finish and freshman Alex Ankney placed third among 248 shooters.

Summer Engel added another strong performance with a fourth-place finish in the Novice Female Division.

As a team, Central Mountain finished 18th overall.

Additional state competitors included Aiden May, Tucker Taylor, Jimmy Weaver, Evan Daniels, and Jaxlynne Hockenberry.

Skeet and 5-Stand Teams Shine at States - 5-Stand Brings Home State Team Title

On June 20, 12 Central Mountain shooters competed in the State Championships for Skeet and 5-Stand at Shenecoy Sportsmen Club near Huntingdon.

In Skeet competition, Gannon Guthrie delivered an outstanding performance, shooting four rounds of 24 out of 25 targets for a final score of 96 out of 100. His effort earned third place in the Varsity Division.

Chase Mann also secured a third-place finish in the Junior Varsity Division, while Jaxlynne Hockenberry captured the Novice Female state championship with a first-place finish.

Central Mountain's depth helped the team earn third place overall in Skeet competition. Evan Long, Jace Bechtol, Jake Myers, Kiegan Weaver, and Logan Meinke all finished among the top 20 Varsity shooters.

The team found even greater success in 5-Stand competition, overcoming a challenging format change to capture the state team championship.

Kiegan Weaver earned an individual runner-up finish in the Junior Varsity Division.

In Varsity competition, Joey Miller led Central Mountain with a fifth-place finish, followed by Jake Myers in sixth and Evan Long in eighth.

Junior Varsity shooters Jimmy Weaver, Evan Daniels, Chase McCloskey, and Jace Bechtol each placed among the division's top 10 competitors.

The state championships marked the conclusion of the Spring 2026 Skeet and 5-Stand season, capping another successful year for the program.

Community

Support Key

to Success

The Central Mountain Clay Target Team's achievements are made possible through the support of dedicated volunteers, local businesses, and community organizations.

The program's coaching staff consists entirely of volunteers, many of whom have never had or no longer have children participating on the team.

The team is thankful to have three returning team members from the past several years who also serve as coaches. Their commitment includes countless hours spent at practices, competitions, and team events throughout the year.

Liberty Township Sportsmen's Club provides the team's home range for practices and competitions.

Miller's Gun Shop in Lamar supports the program through shooting vests, competition registration assistance, ammunition and fundraising opportunities.

EuroOptic of Williamsport supplies team uniforms each season, while the Sons of Italy provided a venue for the team's chicken barbecue and cornhole tournament fundraiser.

In addition, an anonymous donor generously supplied two flats of ammunition for every team member this season.

The 40/8 Club, R.W. Bird, Bill's Happy Camper, M&R Contracting, Carson Brown Dental Office, Precision Installations, Rick Trude and Brad Taylor have all contributed through practice opportunities, competition expenses, equipment, ammunition and other resources that help make the program possible.

The team is also grateful for the numerous other family members, friends and supporters who have assisted this program.

Team officials expressed gratitude for the continued support, noting that the program would not exist without the generosity of its sponsors and volunteers.

Looking Ahead

The team will say farewell to six graduating seniors: Glenn Hough III, Derek Shope, Summer Engel, Noah Gentzyel, Aiden May and Keigan Weaver.

Coaches and teammates thanked the seniors for their leadership and contributions to the program and wished them success in their future endeavors.

Registration for the Fall 2026 season will be July 29 at 6 p.m. at Liberty Township Sportsmen's Club, with competition scheduled to start in September.

Additional information about registration and the Central Mountain Clay Target Team can be found on the team's Facebook page, Central Mountain Clay Target League.

Questions may also be directed to cmclaytargetleague@gmail.com.