Representing the Los Alamos Young Guns at the New Mexico State High School Championships in Raton are, from left, Gavin Robles, Coach Mike O’Neill, Colton Hollander, Donovan Allen, Matthew Nowell, Alyssa Vigil, Kaiden Hansel, Rhyen Vigil, Anna Schmitz and Sam Nowell. Not pictured is Dylan Munoz. Courtesy photo
Alyssa Vigil accepts the Dave Schutz Scholarship for $5,000 from the New Mexico High School Clay Target Association from president Shawn Perkins. Courtesy photo
BY BARBARA VIGIL
Los Alamos Young Guns
The Los Alamos Young Guns shotguns sports team finished the 2022-2023 strong at the three-day New Mexico State High School Championship at the Whittington Center in Raton. Although the competition was tough, the Young Guns had fun competing against athletes from throughout the state.
The state competition involves each athlete shooting 200 targets for single, handicap and doubles, 100 for skeet and 100 for sporting clays, which is twice the number of targets they shoot at the monthly zone competitions throughout the season.
State Event:
For the state championships, Alyssa Vigil took second in Ladies Senior Trap Doubles, third in Ladies Senior Trap Singles, Handicap and Skeet.
Donovan Allen received a $100 scholarship.
Alyssa Vigil, a senior, was awarded the prestigious Dave Schutz Scholarship of $5,000 from the New Mexico High School Clay Target Association.
Season:
High scores for the season included:
Alyssa Vigil took first in Ladies Senior Trap singles and Ana Schmitz took second.
Ana Schmitz took second in Ladies Senior Trap Handicap.
Alyssa Vigil took first in Ladies Senior Trap Doubles and Ana Schmitz took second.
Alyssa Vigil took first in Ladies Senior Skeet.
Zone Championships
Alyssa Vigil took first in Ladies Senior Trap Singles, Skeet and Sporting Clays.
Ana Schmitz took first in Ladies Senior Trap Handicap and Doubles.
Alyssa Vigil took the Ladies Iron Man with a total target shot for the season 2730/3400.
Sam Nowell shot his first 50 straight targets.
Representing the Young Guns in the Coaches’ Shoot are from left, Head Coach Mike O’Neill, Coach Will Schmitz, former Young Guns athlete Sarah Randall (now shooting for West Texas A&M University), Coach Jeremy Nowell and Coach Vernon Vigil. Courtesy photo.
The Los Alamos Young Guns Team and Coaches would like to thank the Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club for allowing them to practice at their facility. The team would also like to thank Maire O’Neill for posting the teams monthly competitions in the Los Alamos Reporter. Thank you to the parents for their time at practice and taking athletes to competitions throughout the state.
For more information on the Los Alamos Young Guns youth shotgun program, call Mike O’Neill, (505) 309-1762.