Raiders remain perfect in win over West Greene
Jim Downey
Waynesburg Central senior Selena Phillips takes aim before Thursday鈥檚 Section 1 match against West Greene at the Waynesburg 缅北禁地men鈥檚 Club. Phillips is the defending WPIAL gold medalist.
Waynesburg Central's Colby Simkovic (left) and Abby Ozohonish take aim before the start of Thursday's Section 1 match against West Greene at the Waynesburg 缅北禁地men's Club.
Jim Downey | 缅北禁地
Waynesburg Central鈥檚 Selena Phillips (left) and Hunter Wasson prepare for Thursday鈥檚 Section 1 match against West Greene at the Waynesburg 缅北禁地men鈥檚 Club.
FRANKLIN TWP. 鈥� The Waynesburg Central rifle team remained undefeated after defeating rival West Greene, 800-58x-795-58x, last Thursday afternoon in Section 1 action at Waynesburg 缅北禁地men鈥檚 Club.
Waynesburg improves to 5-0 in the section and 8-0 overall. West Greene goes to 2-3 in the section.
Selena Phillips was solid for the Raiders again with a score of 100-9x.
The senior is the defending WPIAL champion, and she recognized the weight the gold medal has in her senior season.
鈥淚t puts a lot more pressure on you, definitely,鈥� said Phillip. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot to live up to.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely harder (as defending champion). You want to go out in a bang, but it doesn鈥檛 take much not to win this.鈥�
Philips continued the thought, adding, 鈥淚 want to be the best I can be. If it鈥檚 not a gold medal, it鈥檚 not a gold medal. If someone else wins it, that鈥檚 fine. If I win it, that鈥檚 good.鈥�
Phillips admitted thinking about her medal defense can create issues.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 think about anything. It was muscle memory. If you think, you stink,鈥� explained Phillips. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my own fault. I shouldn鈥檛 put more pressure on me than there is.鈥�
Phillips also plays softball and said the mental approach for each sport is different for her.
鈥淚 calm down when I go to rifle. I get hyped up for softball,鈥� explained Phillips.
One accolade Phillips won鈥檛 be in line to receive this year is the Dave Cramer Award, given to shooters who post a perfect score in every match. She recorded a 99-9x a couple weeks ago.
Fellow senior Hunter Wasson finished ninth in the WPIAL and third in the state two years ago as a sophomore. He just had a bad day in last year鈥檚 final.
鈥淚 have the same set up as in the last three years, the same fundamentals, same concept. No need to fix what鈥檚 not broken,鈥� explained Wasson. 鈥淭hroughout my life, stuff happens. I鈥檓 not dwelling on it.鈥�
Phillips just wants to keep doing what he鈥檚 successfully done in the past.
鈥淚 have not missed a shot in 2陆 years. I鈥檓 going for my third-straight Cramer Award,鈥� said Wasson, who was perfect again with a score of 100-10x.
Wasson, who has enlisted in the Marines, wants to enjoy his last go-around.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have personal accolades, get all the memories,鈥� said Wasson. 鈥淚 want to have fun.
鈥淚 want the podium and to go to states. Everyone wants that.鈥�
Phillips and Wasson agree the team is paramount in their individual success.
鈥淲e have a really strong team,鈥� Phillips said of the Raiders. 鈥淲e鈥檙e putting all the elements together. Hunter and I come out to shoot a high 100-x total. That sets the tone.
鈥淵ou have to shoot your best. You鈥檙e not shooting for yourself. You鈥檙e shooting for the team.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 a team captain. I鈥檓 out for these guys. I got their backs. Every score counts,鈥� said Wasson. 鈥淚t takes eight scores to win a match. A bad day can affect the team.
鈥淲e have some shooters this year. We鈥檝e been very consistent. We have talented freshmen coming up. The confidence is high.鈥�
Abby Ozohonish (100-8x), Cameron Cernuska (100-7x), Bryce Bedilion (100-6x), Shelby Burkett (100-4x), Nick Guess (100-5x), and Colby Simkovic 100-9x closed out the scoring for the Raiders.
Haileigh Thomas has been one of the Pioneers鈥� most consistent shooters this season and she continued that consistency against the Raiders with a score of 100-8x.
鈥淚 kind of go with the flow. It is what it is,鈥� Thomas said of her approach. 鈥淭oday, I felt comfortable. I felt good today.鈥�
Thomas, a senior, has a lot of familiar faces on the squad with twin sister Makenzie and younger sister Allison.
DJ Jones (99-9x), Jade Rittenhouse (99-7x), Kenzie Thomas (100-7x), Shey Watson (100-10x), Piper Witlatch (100-6x), Alison Thomas (99-5x), and Corey John (98-6x) rounded out the scoring for the Pioneers.
鈥淚 played basketball in seventh and eighth grade, but hunting (and shooting) runs in my family. That sparks my interest,鈥� said Thomas, who also shoots sporting clays.
Thomas realizes this is her last go-around and hopes she has a better day on the range than she did last year
鈥淚 get to the big shoots and don鈥檛 shoot my normal. Hopefully, this year will change,鈥� said Thomas, who anticipates attending Waynesburg University to major in Criminal Justice. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 shoot 200-18x, you have no chance.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to make the podium and qualify for states. I haven鈥檛 had much luck in the past. I want to be up there. As long as I go to states.
鈥淚鈥檒l just do my best.鈥�