Shooting for the Los Alamos Young Guns at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton last weekend were from left, Ana Schmitz, Coach Mike O’Neill, Sarah Randall, Matthew Nowell, Rhyen Vigil, Donovan Allen, Morgan Catlin, Alyssa Vigil and Gavin Robles. Photo by Barbara Vigil
Young Guns medal winners in Raton last weekend are, back row from left, Donovan Allen and Matthew Nowell. Front row: Rhyen Vigil, Alyssa Vigil, Sarah Randall and Ana Schmitz. Not pictured are Gavin Robles and Luisa Schmitz. Photo by Barbara Vigil
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
The Los Alamos Young Guns shotgun sports team traveled to the NRA Whittington Center last weekend near Raton where they competed in the New Mexico High School Clay Target Association State Championship. Team members also competed in sporting clays, singles, handicap, doubles and skeet to determine state champions and high overall scores for the 2021-2022 season were announced.
In the State Championship, High Overall Trap Varsity Female was Alyssa Vigil. In doubles, Rhyen Vigil took place. Sarah Randall took second place in sporting clays after winning a shoot-off. After a three-way shoot-off, Alyssa Vigil took third place in skeet.
High Overall statewide results for the season included;
Alyssa Vigil was second in singles.
Ana Schmitz took third in handicap.
Alyssa Vigil took first in doubles and Ana Schmitz took third.
Alyssa Vigil took second in skeet.
Trap High Overall Varsity Female was Alyssa Vigil after two shoot-offs of 120 targets. Ana Schmitz took second.
In the Zone 1 Year End Results from teams from Aztec, Albuquerque and Los Alamos:
Intermediate Female Singles – Luisa Schmitz, second
Intermediate Female Doubles – Luisa Schmitz, second
Varsity Female Singles – Ana Schmitz, first; Rhyen Vigil, second; Alyssa Vigil, third
Varsity Female Handicap – Ana Schmitz, second; Alyssa Vigil, third
Varsity Female Doubles – Alyssa Vigil, first; Ana Schmitz, second
Varsity Female Skeet – Alyssa Vigil, first; Sarah Randall, second; Rhyen Vigil, third
Varsity Male Doubles – Gavin Robles, first
Varsity Male Skeet – Gavin Robles, first; Matthew Nowell, second; Donovan Allen, third
Young Guns Coach Mike O’Neill congratulated the team on their success in Zone 1 where they compete with Albuquerque and Aztec, which each have more than 30 competitors compared to 13 on the regular Young Guns team.
“This has been a great season for the Young Guns. Their hard work and perseverance has produced some very strong results. Once fire restrictions are lifted, the team will resume practicing at the Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club,” O’Neill said. “Some members of the team travel for practice from as far away as Taos, Ojo Sarco and Truchas.”
He congratulated team members Sarah Randall of Taos and Morgan Catlin of Los Alamos on graduating from high school this month. Randall plans to shoot with West Texas A&M University Trap Club. Catlin will attend New Mexico State University.