Teams from Ramsey, Stutsman, Grant and Wells counties won first-place honors in the 4-H Summer Shooting Sports State Match held Aug. 6 and 7 at the Lake Region Shooting Sports Association shooting range near Devils Lake.

4-H’ers competed in three shotgun events - trap, skeet and sport clays – and field archery events.

This was the first time the state match included all three shotgun events. Senior participants shot 100 trap, 50 skeet and 50 sporting clay targets. Junior age youth shot 50 targets in each shotgun event.

The Ramsey County team of Kody Durbin, Wyatt Zeigler, Matt Schindle and Warren Blanchfield was the top team in the junior shotgun division. Durbin was top scorer in all three shotgun events.

The senior Ramsey County team of Beth McDonald, Morgan Hanson, Michael Bischoff and Austin Erickson won the trap and overall shotgun competition. McDonald captured first place in all three events. The team will represent the state at the 4-H National Match in Grand Island, Neb., in June 2012.

Fifty-six youth competed in the shotgun events.

The field archery event consisted of bare bow and freestyle archery divisions. Participants scored 14 targets with four arrows shot for a complete round. The yardages were marked and age adjusted, with seniors shooting a maximum of 60 yards, juniors 35 yards and beginners 25 yards.

The Stutsman County bare bow beginner division team of Jayden Kramlich, Lucas Kramlich and Virgil Hertz placed first, with Jayden Kramlich being the top scorer. The Ramsey team of Forest Hanson, Dylan Durbin, Keaton Nelsen and Ordale Morstad took top honors in the beginner freestyle division. Durbin was individual high scorer.

Bare bow junior division honors went to the Wells County team of Kurt Hart, Levi Ophal, Colby Jones and Eric Hager. Hannah Hertz from Grant County was the top archer. The Ramsey County junior division team of Durbin, Zeigler, Mason Hanson, and Bradley Pfeifer secured first place in the freestyle team event. Hanson was the high scorer in that event.

The Grant County team of Caleb Clareys, Riley Hertz and Bernae Hertz was the top team in the bare bow senior division. Riley Hertz was top senior scorer.

The Stutsman County senior team of Clay Hatlewick, Chris Well, Cody Beach and Skylar Sand won the field archery match. Hatlewick also captured first place individual honors in the senior division. The senior freestyle team will represent North Dakota at the 2012 national match in Nebraska.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - Sept. 6, 2011