by JAKYN TYSON
On May 28-29, 2022, eight Emanuel County 4-H’ers participated in the State Trap, Skeet & Sporting Clays contest at Forest City Gun Club in Savannah, GA. Trap, Skeet & Sporting Clays is a part of the Georgia 4-H SAFE (Shooting Awareness, Fun & Education) program and is offered to Emanuel County students in the 7th-12th grade.
The competition is made up of a combination of the three shotgun shooting disciplines of American 16-yard trap, American skeet and sporting clays. It is open to 4-H Junior (7th-8th Grade) and Senior (9th-12th Grade) individuals and teams. Each 4-H’er shoots 100 targets per discipline for a total of 300 over the 2-day match. There were 114 Seniors and 54 Juniors from 22 counties in the state match.
The Junior team made up of Maddox Robertson, Cooper Riner, Paxton Dixon, and Sam Williams placed second in the state contest with a score of 673. Maddox, son of Donnie and Margo Robertson, also placed as 3rd Highest Individual Overall and 2nd in the Trap Discipline after a shoot-off broke the tie for 1st.
Emanuel County’s Senior Team members include Luke Lariscey, Spencer Lawrence, Peyton Lee, Garrett Peebles, and Jack Williams.
The team is coached by Georgia 4-H Certified SAFE coaches and volunteers Ed and Brandi Akridge, Chelsey Dixon, and Brad and T’Neil Williams.
Georgia 4-H Project SAFE uses the shooting sports to teach many valuable life skills. Project SAFE provides youth a place to develop a sense of belonging, learn teamwork in a safe environment and increase concentration skills. Safety and the responsible use of firearms and archery equipment is a primary goal. In Emanuel County, trained 4-H volunteers lead 4-H Archery, Modified Trap, and Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays clubs with total enrollment of 74 youth members.
4-H provides fun, exciting, and educational events year-round for youth in 4th thru twelfth grade. For more information about Emanuel County 4-H and how you can get involved, contact Jakyn Tyson at the Emanuel County Extension Office at (478) 237-1226.
