By Liz Page
JEFFERSON – Patiently awaiting a turn at the shooting stations on Sunday, members of the SKCS Trap Team were enjoying a sport that is a little different than your typical high school sport.
The high school teens shoot as members of the South Kortright Trap Team, but they represent Charlotte Valley Central, Roxbury Central, Stamford Central and Jefferson Central as well. They have also had a team member from Andes who is out due to knee surgery.
Ella Gerster just finished a very successful soccer season at Charlotte Valley where they advanced to sectional quarterfinals and she will be starting basketball season with her Lady Wildcats very soon. "I just wanted to do something different than soccer or basketball," she said on Sunday, the final day of the fall season at the Jefferson Trap and Skeet Club Range on Taber Road in the town of Jefferson. It was a fun day with parents and grandparents also invited to shoot and it was topped off with a pizza party.
Kyle Anderson, also from Charlotte Valley, said he enjoys the sound of the clay pigeons as they break into tiny pieces when you hit them. He also likes to hunt, but shooting the clay pigeons is for fun and he enjoys the challenge.
The trap team will restart again in the spring. They shoot every Sunday in Jefferson. The fall season began in September and ended last Sunday. They finished eight out of the nine teams in the league, an improvement from their first season.
Last spring four members of the team competed in the state tournament which is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Dan McClure shot 82 out of 100 clay pigeons, acing one of his sets, 25 for 25, which is excellent.
While Gerster has no intention of hunting, she also enjoys the challenge of hitting the clay pigeons at the different stations. Her mother, Jennifer Gerster, used to target shoot as a teen and was undecided if she was going to give it a try on Sunday. Hitt said it was a fun day where everyone was invited to shoot if they wanted. She said it had been a while since she did any target practice, but Charlotte Valley Superintendent Eric Whipple was going to give it a try. He also had not shot at targets since his teens. "I think I'll give it a try," he said.
It was his first visit to the range and was encouraging the four students representing Charlotte Valley. He is very much in favor of a sport as another activity students can be involved in.
It was actually Carol Terk, who owns the shooting range on Taber Road, who got the local school districts involved.
"South Kortright Superintendent Doug Wyant got on board with the program right away," said Kevin Hitt, who is the team advisor and coaches the team, along with Mike Pietrantoni and Jeff Haynes.
Interest is still growing and Hitt said if there were more coaches, there could be additional teams. "We decided to limit it due to time constraints." He devotes two to two and half hours each Sunday to the team, along with the other two coaches. He said they are limiting the team to 20 kids, because to have more would add additional hours to get each student through all the shooting stations and 50 rounds. They do have two openings left for the spring season and he believes it will fill up fast.
This is the second season for the team which grew from 13 students in the spring to 16 students this fall.
"Other school districts were contacting me, so we expanded it to include other school districts this fall," said Hitt. It's conceivable other teams could start if there is enough interest. Those present on Sunday believe interest is growing. The sport allows people of all ages to compete.
Jefferson is the nearest trap and skeet range and they have participated at Oneonta, but Oneonta is not accepting any additional teams, according to Hitt.
The trap and skeet club members are also highly supportive of the team. "They are as safe as any adult on the range and they take the safety seriously," said Charles Koss, a member of the Jefferson Trap and Skeet Club.
It is a sport that is equal to both sexes and all ages . It costs $45 per team member to register and scholarships are available. The cost for ammo runs $30 per week, but again, the club can help if it is a problem for someone to pay.
He said potential coaches may take an online course and he welcomes students who wish to join the team or potential coaches to contact him at 607-434-9941. It’s a sport that is growing in popularity.
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