Both Wheatland’s Trap Club and Rodeo do well

Mark DeLap
Posted 6/20/22

Trap and Rodeo students from WHS excel

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Both Wheatland’s Trap Club and Rodeo do well

Posted

WHEATLAND – Wheatland High School 2022 graduate, Garrison Utter won the USA Clay Target League Environment and Conservation Education scholarship.

Each year in honor of their founder, Jim Sable, the USA Clay Target League awards post-secondary education scholarships to qualified student athletes that are participating in the spring season.

According to the USA Clay Target League, the scholarships are a way of following Jim's principle of 'Education Before Everything,' and honoring his dedication to conservation, the objectives of the USA Clay Target League’s Scholarship Program are to provide financial assistance for students that plan to further their education with an eye toward an environment, natural resources, and/or conservation-related career.

An independent scholarship committee selected by the USA Clay Target League reviews all applications and selects recipients. Recipients are chosen from all applications based on their academic accomplishments, contributions to their team, involvement in school activities and their community, – without regard to family financial circumstances, college choice, gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preferences.

Utter didn’t start shooting until he was a freshman at WHS. He has been a member of the Trap Club all four years since its inception in 2018.

The scholarship that Utter won was a national scholarship and he was the only one in Wyoming ever to win this scholarship.

“When I first started, I struggled quite a bit,” Utter said. “But I just made sure I worked hard and kept at it. I feel that I will do good on at the State tournament at the end of this week.”

If Utter qualifies for Nationals, there is no guarantee that he will go due to the fact that trap teams and individuals have to come up with their own money to make the journey to Basin, Michigan this year.

Utter is averaging 21.7 right now for his shoots out of a possible perfect score of 25. His highest score for this year was a 24.

Awards for participants in Trap Club:

First year kids, Izak Goodro, Dyllan Pedersen, Aiden Meageath, Megan Sagner, all got a cleaning rod, because if you take care of your gun it will take care of you.

Hunter Call, Jesse Graves, Gabe Haroldson, and Matthew Wakkuri got range bags.

Garrison Utter, Libby Logan, Treyton Megeath, Matthew Streets,  and Zeke Wardell received Jackets for their Senior year.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

Trapp1: Garrison Utter recent Wheatland High School graduate won the USA Clay Target League Environment and Conservation Education Scholarship.

Trap1: The unfortunate loss of Trap club member Richard Wardell prompted his peers to come up with a T-shirt in his honor.

Trap3: Jessie Graves is heading to Nationals in trap shooting. She recently won the WYHSRA State Finals Trap Title with her rodeo group.

Trap4: Rayne Grant was a National High School qualifier in pole bending, barrel racing and goat tying.

Trap5: Rylee Griffis qualified for Jr High National Finals Rodeo placing fourth overall in goat tying.

Hunter Call, Jesse Graves, Gabe Haroldson, Libby Logan, Treyton Megeath, Megan Sagner, Matthew Streets, Matthew Wakkuri, Garrison Utter and Zeke Wardell all “Lettered”

Garrison Utter receive the USA Clay Target Award, first ever in Wyoming!

High School Rodeo

Jessie Graves is also Nationals Bound. With an impressive weekend, she ended up winning the WyHSRA State Finals Trap Title….earning her second place overall finish for Trap along with a fourth place finish overall in light rifle for Nationals team.

She also had a great ATA at Buffalo Trap & Skeet Club winning singles & doubles giving her Youth overall as well as winning Handicap.

Jessie Graves is the daughter of Josh & Jill Graves and was a 2022 Wyoming High School Rodeo State Finals Champion Trap Shooter, placing sixth place in light rifle. In addition she qualified for Nationals team as second place overall in trap and fourth place overall in Light rifle.
Nationals Team takes top 4 in the state in each event, arena and shooting sports and Graves has qualified for the second year in a row (2021 freshman & 2022 sophomore) for the National High School Finals Rodeo in shooting Sports, both in Trap and Light Rifle. The 2022 NHSFR will be in Gillette.

Rayne Grant is the daughter of Mike & Becky Grant and she has earned some impressive hardware.
2022 State Finals: Champion Pole Bender as well as the Reserve Champion Barrel Racer, She was
fourth in goat yying, fifth in breakaway roping, fifth in reined cow horse, she placed 16 in the team roping and was reserve champion All Around Cowgirl. She ended up a National Qualifier in pole bending, barrel racing and goat tying

Rylee Griffis is the daughter of Heath & Jessica Griffis and she qualified for Jr High National Finals Rodeo placing fourth overall in goat tying. Griffis also competes in barrel racing and pole bending
The 2022 NJHRF is in Perry, Georgia.