The Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program State Championship for sporting clays and skeet was held at the Nashville Gun Club on June 19-20. Soddy Daisy High School won the varsity tournamnet with a squad score of 275.
Soddy Daisy beat defending state champions Jefferson County in a very close match that saw several lead changes and both teams were dead even going into the last station, where Soddy Daisy bested Jefferson County by one clay.
In the winning match Sheldon Rodgers scored 97, Paxton Pelfrey 90, and Blake Dunn 88. Austin Gravitt won the individual tournament with a 93 and earned High Overall Honors for that tournament with his score. Sheldon Rodgers won High Overall for the entire tournament with a record high 97.
In the ninth grade tournament, Erica Dunn, Dakota Davis, and Sheldon Rodgers were runner ups in the sporting clays tournamnet with a 259. Cody Hedgecoth tied for first individually with a 93 and won his state title by beating a Spring Hill shooter in a 2 station shoot-off. Erica Dunn earned state runner-up honors by tying for first place, then losing a very close three station shoot-off with a McKenzie County shooter.
In the skeet tournament, Blake Dunn became a varsity state champion by shooting 99/100 and winning the individual high overall trophy. His sister, Erica Dunn, won her first state title in skeet in the 9th grade tournament. Soddy Daisy's varsity and JV squads both finished fourth overall by a narrow margin in what turned out to be a very close state tournament.
Additionally, All-State Awards were presented to only three shooters in the two shooting styles. All-State Awards are presented to those shooters who excel in shooting and in the class room. Shooters must shoot an excellent score at the state tournament while maintaining high academic grade point averages.
In sporting clays, Sheldon Rodgers earned highest honors and was chosen as captain of the Sporting Clays All-State Squad. Paxton Pelfrey was selected as captain of the Skeet All-State Squad, and Erica Dunn was selected as a member of the female varsity Skeet All-State Squad.