Another Lincoln County trap and skeet winter league is in the books, and for the third consecutive year a record number of shooters competed.

This season brought our largest league yet with a total of 52 shooters, which marks an increase of at least 20 percent for the past three years. Three shooters competed in both trap and skeet for a total of 900 targets.  

“It was a great winter league,” said Libby Scatterguns spokesman Mike Cirian. “Although, we really can’t  say it was a winter league as good as the weather was.”

Ciran said the league featured both returning and new shooters. In addition to the regular shooters, the league featured six youth shooters and four women who competed this year, clearly  groups the club would like to build upon.

“Our shooters aged from 10 to 80-plus years.  Throughout the season, we saw improvement in both new and returning shooters. Our most-improved returning shooter was Mark Peck who shot 59 more targets this year than he did last year,” Cirian said. “Of our new shooters, Dameon Kelch holds the most-improved honors as he went from struggling to make the minimum of 28-of-50 score to shooting 43-of-50 as his high score this year.”

 Top shooters were determined by taking the best eight scores of the nine weeks of shooting. This year’s winners for the different events are:  

• Top youth shooter is Roy Hyde with a total score of 299/400.

• Youth runner-up is Tanner Schatz with a total score of 280/400.

• Top Lady shooter is Raina Rowberry who shot a 295/400.

• Skeet top shooter is Tom Bailey with a total score of 382/400.

• Skeet team runner-up is Phil Jungst with a total score of 362/400.

• Trap league winner is Mike Cirian with a total score of 370/400.

• Second place goes to Al Corda with a total score of 363/400.

• Third place goes to Dick Brown with a total score of 350/400.

There were 10 teams this year, each with five shooters and the four best scores used for determining who would hold the bragging rights of top team. 

First place bragging rights go to Team 7, which included Nic Pisciotta, Mike Cirian, Kurt Croucher, Robert O’Rourke and Rod Beall, with a combined score of 1420/1800.

Second-place honors went to Team 1, which included Mike Soppe, Ed Lewis, Rich Hare, Tim Lundstrom, Sr., and Barrett Canavan with a combined score of 1407/1800.

Third place went to Team 6, which included Dan Ackerman, Dan Griffith, Janette Turk, Dick Brown and Steve King with a combined score of 1403/1800. 

Each week a different team provided a free lunch for the other shooters.   

“We enjoyed beautiful Saturdays most weeks, and when it was cold we enjoyed our heated clubhouse,” Cirian said. “I’m proud to say we have a great bunch of shooters out at the Libby Scatterguns fields. And everyone knows how important safety is to the sport.”

Cirian said persons interested in learning the sport are invited  to the range located at the Libby Rod and Gun Club shooting complex on Farm to Market Road across from the airport. Ranges are open on Saturdays and Wednesdays from noon to 4 p.m. during the winter and starting Saturday, May 4, the range will be open 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.