Powder Creekers Honored at 2004 Kansas State Championship

   by Al Gehrt, Chairman

“We’ll never be able to top this,” I mumbled to myself as the Powder Creekers attending the 2003 Kansas State Trap Shoot witnessed the closing moments of the Kansas State Championship. And de ja vous. There I was mumbling the exact same thing as the 2004 Kansas State Trap Shoot wound to a close. What a glorious week it was!

Casey Chappell started things off with a bang – actually, two of them – by taking the “D” Class Championship in the Wildcat Doubles on Wednesday. His Dad, “Sonny” Chappell, followed closely on his son’s heals by smashing a 98 in Thursday’s Wayne Euker Handicap, claiming the short-yardage crown and a yard of real estate, and Phil Gehrt popped a 97 to collect mid-yardage bragging rights and a yard, as well.

Justin “I’ve never met a stranger” Gehrt took the Junior trophy in the Harlan Campbell, Junior Doubles on Thursday, with Casey “Two Banger” Chappell taking Junior honors in the Kansas State Doubles Championship on Friday. And things were only starting to warm up.

The highlight of the week for all was Tiffany Chappell hammering 96 targets in the Hall of Fame Handicap – her first 50-straight, Sub-Junior honors, and half a yard. Way to go, Tiff! Al Gehrt smashed a 98 in the same event followed by 24 in a shoot-off to claim 25-26 yard honors and a punch to the back fence for the first time.

Friday evening saw Casey Chappell honored as a member of Kansas State Junior Team at the Hall of Fame Banquet. Congratulations, Casey!

The Kansas Singles Championship added all kinds of excitement to the Powder Creekers. The Powder Creek Crushers, Powder Creek’s Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) Team, claimed second in the Senior Experienced category, first in the Senior Novice, Second in the Junior Experienced, and second in the Junior Novice. Dannie Franke took D Class honors on the way to supporting the Junior Experienced squad to their first place win. What a fine bunch of youngsters and parents we are blessed to work with!

Tim Bruggeman smashed a 195 in the event – his best ever – and claimed C Class honors by way of a shoot-off on Saturday evening. It was getting so dark someone asked Tim what he’d been shooting at when he walked off the line.

“It just can’t get any better,” or so we thought. To everyone’s delight, Sonny Chappell claimed both the High Overall and the High All Around honors on Sunday before heading back to the City.

The performances put on by these folks are a testament to the caliber of shooters coming out of Powder Creek. I cherish every moment I get to spend with each and everyone and look forward to the next shoot we attend, whether it’s the Grand in Vandalia, the Fall Handicap in Linn Creek, or a registered shoot at our home club, Powder Creek.