HUNLOCK CREEK - Members of the Friedensburg Coal Region and Pine Grove Youth Hunter Education Challenge teams represented themselves well at this year's Eastern Regional YHEC competition at Wilkes-Barre Rifle and Pistol Club.
In the team competition, Friedensburg, which had 21 of the 136 participants between the ages of 10-18, got a second-place overall finish in the Senior Division from the Predators, comprised of Kori Heffner, Angelica Kaledas, Rebecca Kutz, Sarah Palerino, Jake Dinger, Evan Gerhard, Cole Rumpf, Justin Weller and Tyler Weller. They combined to place first in shotgun and wildlife identification and second in .22 rifle, muzzleloader, archery and hunter responsibility.
Comprising the senior Ramrods team were Ethan Adam, Zack Butler, Colt Bender, Donald Legarht, Owen Stump and Mikey Yob. It placed second in wildlife identification and third in shotgun and hunter responsibility.
Individually, Tyler Weller placed second in archery and third in .22 rifle; Justin Weller placed second in shotgun; Dinger placed second in muzzleloader; Butler placed third in hunter responsibility; and Butler placed first, Legarht second and Rumpf third in wildlife identification.
Friedensburg's Junior Division team, comprised of Hunter Heim, Danny Rupp, Ethan Stump, Noah Venszl, Ryan Yob and Zack Zaharis, placed third in shotgun. Individually, Zaharis placed first in .22 rifle and Heim placed third in archery.
Senior team members for Pine Grove, which had 14 total participants, were Dallas Hackman Jr., Jake Moyer, John Michael Tussel and Lou Dallatore. Hackman was second overall in the Senior Division, winning the muzzleloader event and placing third in shotgun.
In the Junior Division, team Sharp Shooters, consisting of Shane Martin, Brandon Wasser, Ryan Maher, Trevor Greblick and Emily Maher, finished second overall by placing first in rifle, wildlife identification and hunter responsibility and third in muzzleloader and archery. Wasser placed third overall with a second place in muzzleloader and wildlife identification; and Ryan Maher placed second in rifle, shotgun and hunter responsibility.
Team Junior Snipers, consisting of Cassie Hackman, Courtney Greblick, Nathan Minnich, Peyton Nuske and Dominick Sgrignoli-Carricato, placed second in hunter responsibility.