Okarche wins OKSSSP state championship
Shooting sports team wins junior division; Okarche senior team is 5th
STATE CHAMPS – Okarche’s shooting sports team won the junior division of the OKSSSP state shoot recently. Team members are, from left: Tucker Spears, Carley Rother, Tenley Ludwig, Hayden Wittrock, Grant Krittenbrink, Will Kroener, Tyler Marinelli, Grady Rother, Collin Stover, Henry McIlvain, Haiden Robinson, Cooper Anderson, Colton Wright, Grady Krittenbrink and Chloe Rother. [Photo provided]
The shooting sports team from Okarche brought home the state championship in the junior division from the 2024 Oklahoma Scholastic Sports Program’s state shoot recently.
The event is held by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Okarche’s junior division team members included Tucker Spears, Carley Rother, Tenley Ludwig, Hayden Wittrock, Grant Krittenbrink, Will Kroener, Tyler Marinelli, Grady Rother, Collin Stover, Henry McIlvain, Haiden Robinson, Cooper Anderson, Colton Wright, Grady Krittenbrink and Chloe Rother.
The team defeated Elk City by a score of 200-71 in the first round, knocked off Elgin 201-178 in the semifinals and then was victorious over Boise City 203-183 in the championship round.
Prior to that, Okarche won the south regional competition over 12 other teams.
State featured the top four teams from each of two regionals.
Okarche also had an individual state champion as Tenley Ludwig was the top scorer among junior females while teammate Carley Rother was third.
Among junior males, Will Kroener took fourth, Grady Rother 11th and Henry McIlvain 18th.
The Okarche senior shooting team placed fifth in the state competition.
Senior members were Briley Alig, Hudson Mueggenborg, Garrett England, Jackson Yost, Ethan Shirey, Jett Rother, Jacob Hammons, Gunnar Smith, Brady Alig, Mason Magness, Grady Terrell, Jace Rother, Bella Hufnagel, Anna Shirey and Callie Cramer.
Cramer was sixth individually among senior females.
Sixteen teams were in the senior division.
Okarche defeated Sayre 224-202 before falling 230222 to Boise City in the quarterfinals.
The team came back to beat El Reno 225-216 and then Vanoss 219-214 to claim fifth place.
Okarche qualified for state by taking fifth in the south regional. The senior division takes the top eight from each of two regionals.
The top 10 individuals in each region, gender and division are invited to compete at the state competition.
If an individual is on a team invited to the state shoot, only the first scoring round will count toward the top shooter and overall champion.
Approximately 20 boys and 20 girls in each division compete for individual state titles.
In each of the four senior matches, there are 25 clay pigeons.
Okarche Senior trap shoot members that scored 23-25 out of 25 were Jace Rother, 24 match 2, 23 match 3; Grady Terrell, 25 match 3; Gunnar Smith, 25 match 1, 23 match 2, 23 match 3, 24 match 4; Garrett England, 24 match 1, 23 match 2, 25 match 3; Jacob Hammons, 23 match 2; Bella Hufnagel, 24 match 2; Callie Cramer, 23 match 1, 24 match 2, 24 match 3, 25 match 4.
In each of three junior matches, those scoring 23-25 hits were Will Kroener, 23 match 1, 23 match 3; Haiden Robinson, 23 match 3; Grant Krittenbrink, 23 match 3; Tenley Ludwig, 24 match 1, 23 match 2.