Not-so-quick trigger finger

Patient approach leads Aaron Wright to boys singles title at Charles City Trapshooting Invitational

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

NASHUA — Even clay pigeons can act like Angry Birds … or at least not very cooperative ones.

“There were some tough birds out there today,” Charles City senior Aaron Wright said of the challenges during the Charles City Trapshooting Invitational, Saturday at the Nashua Fish and Game Club.

“They were flying much higher than normal,” Wright said. “You’ve got to be a little more patient. I usually shoot a little quicker. Today, I slowed down my approach.”

After hitting 46 out of 50 targets, Wright found himself tied with teammate Luke Hillegas for the top score among the boys shooters. That prompted a shootout, which Wright won with a perfect 25-of-25 round.

Hillegas hit 23 of his targets for second place.

“I’ve been in shootouts before and I’ve had perfect rounds before,” Wright said. “It was windy today and that makes it a challenge. But for some reason, I shoot well in the wind.”

Wright and Hillegas were both on Charles City’s “Team 1”, that — with Nick Wegner (41), Izzy Worrall (39) and Rebecca Tierney (38) — won the invitational with a 210 score. Mason City Red was second (197); Garner-Hayfield Red was third (193).

Garner-Hayfield’s Ashley Moorehead hit 40 targets to lead the individual girl shooters ahead of runner-up Worrall and third-place finisher Tierney.

Shau Landt, who shot with Charles City’s “Team 2”, hit 43 targets tying him with Mason City’s Peter Stadheim for next-best score after Wright and Hilligas.

Laudt won the shootout for third-place individual honors.

“We’ve been scoring very well lately, but sometimes you’re going to run into conditions like this,” Charles City/Nashua-Plainfield head coach Tim Laube said. “We had strong wind blowing in on us, and that tends to lift the clays giving you a higher target.

“We’ve shot in a lot of different conditions this year, and we’ve been doing well. The team has really progressed.”

CC/N-P was without the marksmanship of Jacob Greenzweig, who had another commitment that weekend. The last two meets he has participated in, Greenzweig went 50 of 50, including winning a shootout against Osage’s Marty Grady during a May 2 meet at Ventura Gun Club.

“He’s on a roll,” Laube said of Greenzweig. “Hopefully, he can keep it up.”

Trapshooting

Charles City Invitational

At Nashua Fish and Game Club

May 7

CHARLES CITY 1 (210) — Nick Wegner 41, Izzy Worrall 39, Luke Hillegas 46, Rebecca Tierney 38, Aaron Wright 46.

CHARLES CITY 2 (167) — Carter West 39, Bailee Bortz 35, Hunter Koebrick 28, Sydney North 33, Bryce Hamm 32.

CHARLES CITY 3 (177) — Dylan Bilharz 40, Evan Schmidtke 24, Brenden Kvernevig 34, Ciana Sonberg 36, Shau Landt 43.

CHARLES CITY 4 (159) — Lane Malena 30, Devin Alton 34, Regan Connell 30, Kaleb Osier 33, Brody Jepperson 32.

NASHUA-PLAINFIELD (180) — Chaska Hunt 40, Marrisa Fuerstenberg 36, Nick Bucknell 40, Ashton Lamborn 33, Tyler Lantz 31.

INDIVIDUALS — Dominique Griffin 31.