MOULTRIE — The South Georgia Youth Shooting Club turned in some outstanding performances at the recent Scholastic Clay Target State Trapshooting Championships held at the South River Gun Club in Covington.

“With 20 teams competing, our kids did an outstanding job against some of the best shooters in Georgia,” South Georgia Youth Shooting Club coach Mike Simpson said.

The South Georgia rookie team edged out Madison County to win the state championship in grades 3-5.

“These guys did an wonderful job with an impressive performance,” Simpson said.

The team includes Pax Newsome, Zane Hembree, Sam Key, Hal Bennett and Hunter Gay.

The junior novice team finished in third place.

“These guys, shooting their first competition, did a really good job to come from behind to claim third place,” Simpson said.

The junior novice team includes Jacob Smith, Landon Bass, Hunter Hancock, Luke Hembree and Logan Hampton.

The most exciting matchup featured the senior novice team, which had several tough teams to compete against.

But it came from behind to win the state championship by just one target.

The senior novice team includes T.J. Lanier, Zack Felts, Justin Lanier, Holley Hickey and Ashli Pope.

The club’s senior experienced team, which finished second in the National Championships last year, finished third.

“These young men will be a contender for the national championship this year,” Simpson said. “They are some of the best American trap shooters in the country.”

The third-place senior experienced team includes Zack Kennedy, Aric Spivey, Grant Grantham, Adam Taylor and Rob Wingate.

The club’s other senior fourth and shot “outstanding,” Simpson said.

“This team is anchored by top, internationally ranked shooters Josh Webb and Shane Slocumb,” Simpson said. “This is also a real contender for a national championship.”

Simpson said Bret Gerald also had a great match in Covington.

“All of these young men and women will go on to compete in the National Championships in Sparta, Ill., on Aug. 8 and 9,” Simpson said.

Simpson said he has received support from Stanley Bass, Cliff Wingate and Ken Steel in helping prepare the youngsters for the competition.

The Scholastic Clay Target Program provides school-age participants the opportunity to showcase their competitive shooting skills and be recognized on the state and national levels.

The program is designed to instill safe firearm handling, commitment, responsibility, leadership and teamwork.

The program is a cooperative effort with the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the governing bodies for trapshooting, skeet shooting and sporting clays shooting: the Amateur Trapshooting Association, the National Skeet Shooting Association and the National Sporting Clays Association.

For more information on the South Georgia Youth Shooting Club, located in Hartsfield, contact Mike Simpson at 873-0226 for 941-2810 or Cliff Wingate at 891-6245 for 782-5921.