Arkport and Canisteo-Greenwood shooters are ready to “bust some clays”
Read the history of the two Clay Target Teams
Registration for the Spring 2023 Season just closed and we have 83 student athletes this year between the two teams. Both Teams continue to experience growth every year. Arkport will be shooting on Tuesdays & Thursdays starting 3/28 and C-G will be shooting on Wednesdays and Saturdays starting 3/29.
Arkport Central School Trap Team
In February of 2019, the Arkport Central School started the Arkport conservation club. Included in the club are the NASP archery program and the NYS High school clay target league. We started our first year with fourteen registered athletes. 2020 we were unable to participate due to COVID 19. In 2021 we teamed backup with thirty-one registered athletes. At the state tournament we placed first in our division with our JV team and third with our novice team. In 2022 we teamed backup with thirty-three registered athletes. At the state tournament in our conference, we took second place overall. For 2023 we have 41 students signed up, hoping for another great year. Without the help of the Almond Rod & Gun we would not be able to participate in this sport, to this day we have shot over 35,500 rounds and counting.
Canisteo-Greenwood Clay Target Team
New York State High School Clay Target League
~2019~
Approached the Superintendent (Tom Crook) & Principal (Pete Reynolds) in September of 2019, Superintendent presented to the school board in October of 2019, school board approves it in November of 2019.
~2020~
Our inaugural season is launched in May of 2020 after COVID related delays with 17 student athletes. COVID reduced the League to only 1 conference with 6 schools and 109 athletes. C-GCTT finished the season in third place with male student athletes finishing #1 (Hunter McCaffery) & #6 (Torin Pogue) in the entire State and a female student athlete (Lauren Markel) finishing 9th for females in the State.
~2021~
We open our second season with 22 athletes with 6 of them being “Rookies”. This year the League rebounded with 14 conferences, 96 schools and 1632 athletes. C-GCTT competed in the State’s largest conference consisting of 9 teams and we brought home a 2nd place finish. Three athletes (Torin Pogue, Hunter McCaffery & Lauren Markel) finished in the State’s Top 100. 18 student athletes competed in the NYS Tournament with the Team finishing 10th out of 74 Teams. We also had the #1 female (Lauren Markel) for the Tournament. Seven of our athletes (Hunter McCaffery, Torin Pogue, Lauren Markel, Troy Stewart, Matt Amidon, Jordan Brizzee & Dayton Jacobs) traveled to Mason, Michigan to compete in the USA High School Clay Target League National Championship that consisted of 158 teams and 1684 student athletes. Hunter McCaffery was able to advance to the finals and compete for another day finishing 193rd in the Nation.
~2022~
In our third year we opened the season with 34 athletes with 16 “Rookies”, doubling our numbers in just two years. The State had 2 classes with 14 conferences, 122 schools and 2142 athletes. C-GCTT again competed in the State’s largest conference consisting of 9 teams and we brought home a 3rd place finish. Four athletes (Hunter McCaffery, Lauren Markel, Troy Stewart & Matt Amidon) finished in the State’s Top 100. C-GCTT had both the #1 Male Athlete (Hunter McCaffery) and #1 Female Athlete (Lauren Markel) in the conference. 27 athletes competed in the NYS Tournament with the Team finishing 9th out of 32 teams. Seven of our athletes (Hunter McCaffery, Lauren Markel, Troy Stewart, Tyler Woodworth, Chauncey Caward, Dayton Jacobs & Harlie McCaffery) traveled to Mason, Michigan to compete in the USA High School Clay Target League National Championship that consisted of 230 teams and 1800 student athletes. Hunter McCaffery was once again able to advance to the finals and compete for another day finishing 241st in the Nation.
~2023~
As we enter our 4th year in existence, we could not be happier with the growth and the community acceptance. We will enter the 2023 Spring Season with our largest Team to date with 42 student athletes including 19 Rookies! None of this would be possible without the school, the students, the parents, and the Almond Rod & Gun Club hosting us at their trap range.
