WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2018
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HERMISTON GEARS UP FOR
NATIONALS
Three-time trap shooting state champions now set sights on national title
By ALEXIS MANSANAREZ
STAFF WRITER
H
ERMISTON
—
There’s a lot that
stands out when
it comes to Hermiston’s
Thomas Mabbot. He stands
a few inches taller than his
trap shooting teammates, his
curly red hair can barely be
contained under a hat with
the well-known ‘H’ on the
front and according to him,
he competes in one of the
most unique sports open to
high schoolers.
“It’s truly unique,” Mab-
bot said when asked to try
and explain it to those who
aren’t familiar.
Soon at the Hermis-
ton Gun Club, Mabbot was
joined by five other team-
mates, all of whom will be
making this trip to the first-
ever trap shooting national
championships. The USA
High School Clay Target
League will bring together
over 2,000 student athletes
to compete for the sport’s
highest honor. It’s been four
years in the making, but the
growth of the trapshooting
isn’t a surprise to Hermis-
ton’s shooters, who have
seen their league grow since
its start three years ago.
One of the biggest reasons
for trap shooting’s growth is
its accessibility to both boys
and girls as well as young
adults with disabilities.
As the six teenagers are
sprawled across a bench
with trap houses evenly
tucked away in the gravel
behind them, they echo that
very message.
“Its not hard to get into
and there’s lots of people to
help you,” one said across
the table.
“Anyone can do it,”
another added.
“Even if you’ve never
shot a gun before,” Mabbot
said, “you can come out and
start trap shooting. It’s not a
hard sport to get into.”
While some on Hermis-
ton’s team have been shoot-
ing longer than others, Mab-
bot picked up the sport in
seventh grade and willfully
admitted that up until this
year, he wasn’t good.
“I used to be terrible at
it, and I guess this year I got
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
The six members of the Hermiston trap shooting team that are going to the national championships pose in front of the
Hermiston Gun Club. Left to right: Tyson Stocker, Case Hiatt, Thomas Mabbott, Kaden Smith, Trevor Wilson and Blake Betz.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN ADAMS
Hermiston’s Thomas Mabbott (right) and Mitchell Pimentel
(left) show off their individual medals after claiming second
and third place.
good,” he said. “I used to
think it was all about shoot-
ing, but it’s all mental. That’s
the hardest part, you just
have to get your brain right.”
This season, Mabbot’s
brain and shot are right on
target as he had the best fin-
ish in the state tournament
this past weekend. Mab-
bot led Hermiston to its
third-consecutive state title
with a second-place finish
(99 points). He claimed the
No. 2 spot after a tie-break-
ing reverse run with New-
berg’s Ryan Kramer.
“It was some of the best
I ever shot,” Mabbot said.
“I was really happy with it.
I don’t even know what else
to say, it was really fun.”
Also pitching into the
three-peat was Mitchell
Pimentel, who placed third
(98); Tyler Pearson, who fin-
ished tied for seventh place
(97); and Kaden Smith,
who also finished in a three-
way tie for 10th place (96).
Cole Smith, Tyson Stocker
and Chase Smith all tied for
13th place (95) with other
athletes from Arlington,
Madras, Mountain View and
Estacada.
Hermiston has continued
to dominated in a league that
went from three teams in its
first year to now nearly 25
teams across Oregon state.
The team’s lasting success
is in part due to the knowl-
edge of the coaching staff
including head coach and
long-time trap shooter, John
Adams, and also their efforts
both during the season and
in their free time.
“Our coaches, a lot of us
have shot a long time and
just a lot of practice,” Mab-
bot attributed as the keys to
Hermiston’s success. “Right
now, we’re ranked third in
the nation for high school
teams and not a lot of peo-
ple realize how many teams
there are. There’s 8,000
kids alone in Minnesota
that shoot so there’s a lot of
teams.”
Before the team had only
one goal: a state title. Since
successfully defending that
title three times, Hermis-
ton has set its sights on a
national
championship.
One that is in reach for the
six-person squad making the
trip. With averages ranging
from 23.7 to 24.7 — Mabbot
again leading the group —
Hermiston is in a good posi-
tion to take home a national
title.
“Last year I would have
been really nervous,” Mab-
bot said. “Maybe for some
other people too, but this
year I’m not. I know if I stick
to my routine I’ll be fine.”
Nationals will take place
July 12-15 at the MTA
Homegrounds in Mason
Michigan.
Riverside’s Wightman earns district POY
HERMISTON HERALD
Riverside senior pitcher
Skylar Wightman earned the
3A Special District 1 Player
of the Year this season as
she pitched and helped her
Pirates hit their way into a
second place finish and a
spot in the state playoffs.
Wightman finished with
a 2.60 earned-run average
in 76 innings in district play,
registering 135 strikeouts —
a ratio of 12.4 strikeouts per
seven innings — to just 12
walks. She also handled the
bat well, hitting for a .564
average with a home run, six
doubles and 20 RBI while
also drawing 17 walks.
Echo/Stanfield
head
coach Bryan Bailey earned
district coach of the year
honors after leading the
Cougars to the regular sea-
son and district titles.
Along with Wightman
on the all-district first team
was pitcher Alyssa Ray from
Echo/Stanfield, catcher Alex
Putman from Echo/Stan-
field, infielders Jordany
Lambert (Weston-McEwen),
Bailey Botefuhr (Irrigon),
Michelle Weems (Echo/
Stanfield), and Kendra Hart
(Echo/Stanfield), outfield-
ers Lauryn Journot (Uma-
tilla), Marti Huff (Echo/
Stanfield), Amber Weems
(Echo/Stanfield), and utility
players Charmayne Bennett
(Weston-McEwen) and Alex
Ford (Umatilla).
Seven of those play-
ers also earned spots on
the Class 3A all-state team,
voted on by the classifica-
tion’s coaches. Wightman
was a first team selection
at pitcher, while Hart (.500
avg., 20 XBH, 29 RBI, 51
runs), Lambert (.562 avg.,
6 HR, 32 RBI, 31 runs) and
Weems (.485 avg., 2 HR, 35
RBI, 38 runs) were second
team selections. Ray, Put-
man and Botefuhr rounded
out the teams on as honor-
able mentions.
Also representing East-
ern Oregon on the teams
were Grant Union’s Bri-
anna Zweygardt (first team
catcher), Mariah Moul-
ton (second team pitcher/
infield), Cody Jo Madden
(HM pitcher), and Enter-
prise/Joseph/Wallowa’s
Madison Plew (HM infield).
————
ALL-SPECIAL DISTRICT 1 SOFTBALL
Player of the Year — Skylar Wightman,
Riverside, sr.
Coach of the Year — Bryan Bailey, Echo/
Stanfield
FIRST TEAM
Pitcher — Skylar Wightman, Riverside, sr.;
Alyssa Ray, Echo/Stanfield, sr.
Catcher — Alex Putman, Echo/Stanfield,
jr.
Infield — Jordyn Lambert, Weston-McE-
wen, jr.; Bailey Botefuhr, Irrigon, soph.;
Michelle Weems, Echo/Stanfield, jr.; Kendra
Hart, Echo/Stanfield, soph.
Outfield — Lauryn Journot, Umatilla,
sr.; Marti Huff, Echo/Stanfield, sr.; Amber
Weems, Echo/Stanfield, soph.
Utility — Charmayne Bennett,
Weston-McEwen, sr.; Alex Ford, Umatilla,
jr.
SECOND TEAM
Pitcher — Kendra Hart, Echo/Stanfield,
soph.; Mya Chapman, Irrigon, sr.
Catcher — Amie Coffman, Weston-McE-
wen, sr.
Infield — Jada Burns, Irrigon, sr.; Monique
Montoya, Echo/Stanfield, sr.; Karrizima
Luna, Irrigon, jr.; Charlene Alvarez, Umatilla,
jr.
Outfield — Megan Hegar, Riverside,
soph.; Whitney Roggerio, Weston-McEw-
en, sr.; McKenna Collins, Irrigon, fr.
Utility — Lily Rockwell, Riverside, soph.;
Railyn Elliott, Riverside, jr.
HONORABLE MENTION
C Abby Hernandez, Riverside, sr.; IF JoJo
Hernandez, Riverside, fr.; IF Tyree Burke,
Weston-McEwen, jr.; UT Annalese Barnes,
Echo/Stanfield, sr.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN MITTELSDORF
Riverside senior Skylar Wightman delivers a pitch during a game in the 2018 season.
Wightman was the 3A Special District 1 Player of the Year and a all-state first team selection
this spring.