Penn-Trafford juniors score top 5 finishes at WPIAL rifle championships

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, February 20, 2022 | 11:01 AM

They took different paths to get there, but Penn-Trafford juniors Seth Baughman and Mallory McRae ended up right next to each other in the final results of the WPIAL rifle championships Feb. 10 at the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen Club.

Baughman placed fourth with a score of 200-17x and five center hits. McRae was fifth with a score of 200-17x and four center hits. McGuffey’s Riley Dunn won with a score of 200-19x.

“All shooters are different,” Penn-Trafford coach Diane Long said. “Some shooters take a few years to start showing good results and others it comes natural. Seth had to work to get good and it was a lot easier for Mallory.

“Seth finally came around at the end of his sophomore season. He showed a lot of progress and we knew he’d be in contention. Mallory has been one of our top 10 shooters since her freshman season.”

Penn-Trafford finished third behind co-champions Hempfield and Mt. Lebanon during the regular season. Penn-Trafford and Mt. Lebanon met late in the season for first place and Mt. Lebanon won, 298-64x to 298-56x.

The Warriors finished 11-3 overall.

After WPIALs, it was an unusual waiting game Baughman and McRae when they competed in the state rifle championship.

The duo shot in the west regional Feb. 15, then had to wait for results from the east regional to come in. The results were combined to determine a winner.

“I’m pleased how Seth and Mallory competed,” Long said. “They performed well. There were some misses, but that’s expected in the state meet.”

Long was also hoping that senior Jason Ternack and juniors Olivia Bankosh and Michael Koreen would qualify for the state tournament. They just missed finishing in the top 16 at WPIALs.

With only the one senior starting, Long is already excited about next season.

“We have a nice group coming back,” Long said. “I definitely feel we have a good chance at being in contention next season.”

Long said she expects many of her shooters will compete year-round in different competitions.

And with Baughman and McRae leading the way, there is no reason why the Warriors won’t contend.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford