June 23, 2005

Information and research on this page compiled by Richard Hamilton.
Photographs courtesy of Spancake's Studio

 

Charlie Berkhous
Doubles Champion

 

Sheldon Hostetter
Singles Champion

 

Stephanie Sandler
Ladies Singles Champion

 

James Eckman
Handicap Champion

 

Joel Etchen
HAA Champion


Steve Ollock
HOA Champion

PSSA throws a record 1,680,700 targets at 114th Pennsylvania State Shoot, up 1.4% from last year.

Sheldon Hostetter wins Singles title and ties for Doubles crown. Charlie Berkhous new Doubles champion. Joel Etchen wins HAA while Stephen Ollock wins HOA. Entry records set in 8 events. 

 

The PSSA threw a record 1,680,700 targets during the 114th Pennsylvania State Shoot, held from June 11th to June 19th. This was 1.4% over the 2004 shoot. Shooters from 32 states made a record 8,336 entries during the 9 day run of the premier state shoot in the United States. Record attendance was set in 8 of the 20 events. For the third straight year more than 1500 gunners took part in the Pennsylvania Clay Target Championship. A record 1,357 shooters took the line in the Krieghoff Handicap with Empire State gunner Mike Johnson winning the K-80 Special Combo.

Sheldon Hostetter, a PA Hall of Famer, won the Clay Target title with 200 straight and 25 in shoot-off. Richard Smith of Womelsdorf finished runner-up. The other in state 200's were turned in by Dennis Siarkowski, who finished with the resident Class AA title and junior Stephanie Sandler, who finished as the ladies champion. For Hostetter, this was his third state title of any kind. Sheldon won the Doubles title back in 1984 and the HAA the following year. Clyde Martz won the Senior Vet title and Jack Kostkas won the Vet crown. Bryce Gearhart finished first in the Sub-Junior race and Jake Malaska won the Junior title. Gearhart and Sandler each won 16 trophies during the 9 day event.

James Eckman of Newmanstown and sub-junior Kory Shissler broke 98's to tie for the Handicap title with Eckman winning the shoot-off. Shissler finished runner-up. Gene Baker was third, David Zofko was fourth and Peter Ducharme was fifth, all with 97s. The ladies went to Krista Slagle with a 97x100.

Charlie Berkhous won his first Pennsylvania Doubles crown when four state gunners broke 98s including 2004 state champion Joel Etchen. Berkhous won the one round shoot-off. Finishing second was Sheldon Hostetter while Etchen won the AAA trophy. The other 98 was turned in by Lebanon County shooter Brian Shyda. He finished with the Class AA trophy. Lisa Long of West Grove 97 was good enough for the ladies title.

Joel Etchen also won the HAA title with 390, one target ahead of Charlie Berkhous. Stephanie Sandler’s 387 won the women’s title. Her score tied KayLynn Hamilton for the state record. Stephen Ollock won the HOA with a 1060. Ollock lost a shoot-off for this title last year. Kay Ohye won the Open HOA with 1083. He was also high last year with a 1079. Sandler also won the ladies HOA, giving Stephanie 3 of the 5 major ladies awards.

Sub Junior Bryce Gearhart won 34 trophies during the last two state tournaments while Junior Stephanie Sandler won 33 awards during the same time, most of them in the ladies category. Both are All Americans.