(L-R) Corey Dodgins, Josh Funderburk, Federal Ammunition Rep. Bill Stevens, Travis Cox, and Player Aston.

DATE: : 8/17/06

CONTACT: Rick Willey, (864) 656-3090; rwlly@clemson.edu

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741; spalmer@clemson.edu

4-H’ers represents South Carolina in national shooting sports competition

CLEMSON – South Carolina was represented by four youths in the 2006 National 4-H Shooting Sports competition in Rapid City, South Dakota in July.

Josh Funderburk and Player Aston, both from Dillon County, along with Travis Cox of Oconee County and Corey Dodgens of Pickens County made up the South Carolina Team. Chaperones included, Bill Aston, Fred Funderburk and Susan Dodgens.

They were competing in the shotgun discipline which included Skeet shooting, Sporting Clay shooting, and Trap shooting. The team placed 13 th nationally in Skeet, 16 th in Sporting Clays, and 18 th in Trap.

The team members were chosen by having the highest scores in the South Carolina 4-H State shotgun competition which was held in Spartanburg. Jacob Richardson, also of Dillon County, qualified for the team but was not able to attend the national competition.

Only senior shooters are eligible for the South Carolina National team and they are allowed to attend the nationals only once in a given sport. Other shooting sports competition at the national event included small bore rifle, small bore pistol, air rifle 3P, air pistol slow fire, archery-compound, archery-resurvey, muzzleloading, and the hunting discipline.

The South Carolina 4-H Shooting Sports program wishes to recognize support provided by Friends of the NRA, Federal Ammunition, Remington Arms, and the National Wild Turkey Federation towards the success of the program and the trip to South Dakota, according to Rick Willey, Clemson Extension 4-H natural resources specialist.

Any youths ages 7 to 19 are eligible for 4-H shooting sports membership and may obtain additional information from their local Clemson Extension Office.

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