BETHEL PARK JUNIOR IS WPIAL’S TOP SHOT
RIFLE, LX-8
Prior to his matches, Bethel Park shooter Travis Zeis tries to clear his mind. After winning the individual rifle championship, there was plenty to think about.
Zeis fired a 200-18x Friday at Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club to become the first Black Hawk shooter to win the championship since 2002 when Nicole Cheberencheck did it.
Zeis shot the same score as Lydia Dunn of Hempfield and Waynesburg’s Tayler Burnfield. The winner was separated by a fraction of an inch, as Zeis recorded more deadcenter bull’s-eyes with six.
“I felt pretty good, but in the end it was really close,” said Zeis. “Good job by everyone, because it was just by a center.”
Zeis, a junior, said nerves have gotten to him in the past, especially as the grind of a match wears on. To cope, he does nothing. Literally. Zeis clears his mind and doesn’t think about his rifle or the act of shooting. He’ll chat with his teammates, but usually about random things they pass on the way to a match. Previous conversations have included pizza shops and cows.
“I kind of just stop thinking when I shoot,” he said. “I still know what I need to do and how to make an adjustment. Those things are all in my head.”
What Zeis did — or didn’t do — certainly worked out. He got a history lesson after the fact when he learned just how long it had been since a Bethel Park shooter took home the gold.
“I didn’t know when the last person from Bethel Park actually won it,” he said. “One of the kids in our rifle group message sent an article about the last person who won.”
Zeis is among the top 16 shooters who advanced to the state tournament.
Team championship
Quite a challenge? Overcoming adversity? No, Hempfield coach Jason Wilkinson is much more matter-of-fact when describing what his team went through this season on the way to winning the WPIAL team championship Feb. 17 at Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club.
“Let’s be honest, it’s been a dumpster fire for about a year now,” he said. “For these kids to deal with it and come through the way they did, they deserve all the credit. The fact the WPIAL was able to
pull it off and the school boards allowed it, they deserve credit, too.”
This season was all about adjusting for many teams, including the Spartans. They began shooting in November, but were unable to practice together as the full team until January. Plexiglass barriers were put in between each shooter, which the brass casings bounced off and went right back at the shooters. And in rifle, where breathing techniques are as synonymous with shooters as squeezing a trigger, they had to get used to wearing a mask to and from the lane. It all added up to a season Wilkinson and his squad will never forget.
The Spartans won it with a score of 799-60x to beat Trinity (798-57x) and Waynesburg (798-47x). Bethel Park rounded out the top four that moved on to states.
“That was the first time since 2007 that an 800 didn’t win it,” Wilkinson said. “I think the lack of practice and everything else took a toll on the kids.”
Logan McKivens shot a perfect 100-10x to lead the way for the Spartans. The other shooters included Abby Bowin, Lydia Dunn, Amanda Hardman, Tyler Heatley, Seth Maloney, Claire Martz, Paige Roberts and Hunter Ronald.
COVID concerns decimated the Spartans. They did not have a senior on last season’s squad, yet returned only 19 of 34 shooters.
The silver lining for Wilkinson is that his team kept their distance from him after winning the title. In years past, the Spartans would shave the beard of former coach Tom Miller and dyed Wilkinson’s hair.
“There was nothing this year, thank goodness,” said Wilkinson. “They left my head alone this year.”