Trap and Skeet Club Dominates Eastern Regional Championships
Posted: October 28, 2014 at 6:05 pm, Last Updated: February 13, 2024 at 11:40 am
GMU’s Trap and Skeet Club hosted the 2014 Eastern Regional Collegiate Championship Tournament this past weekend at Fairfax Rod and Gun Club. The tournament is a two-day shoot comprised of two different shooting events: trap and skeet. Saturday consists of 100 skeet targets in the morning and 100 trap targets in the afternoon. On Sunday, 100 trap targets are shot before the closing awards ceremony. This year, ten different schools traveled to the tournament, totaling almost 100 individual competitors.
Mason was able to secure both individual and team trophies in every event, including the 1st Place High Overall Team trophy, which was a total of the team’s scores in all three events. In Saturday’s skeet event, Mason fell four targets short of West Point and earned a 2nd Place Team Trophy with a total score of 458 (out of 500 targets). Derek Vacco shot his personal best, a 98 (out of 100 targets) and ran his first 75 straight, to earn 2nd Place in the individual category. Carolee Schwarzer of West Point won the skeet event out-right by shooting a perfect 100 straight. This is believed to be the only 100 straight ever posted at the Eastern Regionals.
On Saturday afternoon, Mason dominated the trap event, taking the 1st Place Team Trophy with a 13-point lead over West Point, scoring a 481. For individual trophies, Michael Campbell posted a perfect 100 straight to win 1st place outright and Renee Murphy took 3rd with a 96.
On Sunday morning, the fight between GMU and West Point continued as Mason won the final event with a 472 over West Point’s 463. Michael Campbell continued his streak from Saturday, finishing the trap events off with another perfect 100 straight, again winning 1st place outright. Kendra Lathrop missed only one target, posting a 99 to take 2nd place under Campbell for individual trophies.
The total of each team’s scores from all three events are combined to declare the High Overall Team Trophy, where Mason posted an impressive 1418 out of 1500 targets to earn 1st place. West Point took 2nd place with a score of 1402.
Individual scores are also combined to award High Overall Men’s and Lady’s. Michael Campbell, missing only 7 targets in Saturday’s skeet event and missing no trap targets took 1st with a 293. Derek Vacco took 2nd with a 286. Kendra Lathrop also posted a 286 to take home Lady’s 1st Place High Overall.
Coach Gary Olin was pleased with the team’s results, “We had a very impressive weekend of shooting.” Coach Olin is currently in his 13th season as GMU Trap and Skeet’s coach and he has reason to believe that the team may repeat its previous success as The ACUI Division 3 National Champions. “We just need to work hard and smart between now and the end of March,” Olin said to his team on Monday. The ACUI National Championships are held in San Antonio in March, and after this weekend, the team does not plan on returning empty handed.
The team would like to extend a huge thank you to Coach Gary Olin and his wife Virginia Olin, GMU Trap and Skeet Alumni, Fairfax Rod and Gun Club, and all of the members of the shooting community that make this tournament a huge success every year! Be sure to check out the Trap and Skeet Club Team’s Facebook page to cheer on the team as they travel and prepare for Nationals!
