Junior shooters win season opener

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The defending state champion junior shooters from Versailles American Legion Post #173 were victorious in their 2024-2025 season opener on Saturday, defeating Jasper in a home match down in Friendship.

Versailles is welcoming several newcomers to its winter roster with a sprinkle of returners as head coaches Jerry Hewitt and Steve Scoggins are back in tow for another year.

Post #173 pulled out a narrow victory, shooting for 990 points to Jasper’s 943 in the match. Versailles was aided by the efforts of returner Anna Block who topped all individuals with a total score of 262-11. She was just one point off of a perfect score in the prone shoot with a 100-9 and also took first in the standing shoot at 80-1. Block was also second in the kneeling portion of the event, totaling an 82-1.

Five other Versailles shooters were Top 10 finishers on the individual leaderboard. Nevaeh Hardin shot 247-4 for second place, Chloe Grable sat third at 245-4 and Quinn Faust was sixth at 236-2. Maggie Ealy and Savannah Steele went back-to-back in ninth and 10th at 219-4 and 212-5 respectively. Two others shot for Post #173 as Mason Comer placed 11th with a 210-1 and Michael Shoultz shot a 174-1 for 14th.

Hardin took top honors in the kneeling shoot at 87-2 and was third in the standing shoot at 72-1. Grable placed third in kneeling with an 81-1 and was also second in the prone shoot at 94-3.