Plains club clings to top in Postal Trap Shoot

The Plains Trap Club continued to hold its number one status in the 2008 Big Sky Postal Trap Shoot after four weeks of competition.

Plains finished week four with 725 accumulated points, followed close by the Thompson Falls Trap Club, which entered late, but has 719 points. The Denton club was in third with 673, and in last place was Malta with 668.

In week two, Plains totaled 171 points with Dave Paske and Harry Greene both scoring 45 points and Barry Gilpin and Tom Kunzer totaling 44 points. Plains was at the front at the end of the week with 364 points, only one point behind Thompson Falls.

The T-Falls men scored 182 points in the first week, topped out by Brian Harwood with 48 points, Robert Flansas in second two points behind, Charlie Oxford in third with 45 points and Larry Wakefield in fourth with 43. In week two, Thompson Falls' Ed Reeser climbed to first with 46, followed by Harwood, Wakefield and Flansas tying with 45 apiece and a total of 181.

Plains squeaked by Thompson Falls 178-176 for a total of 542 for Plains and 539 for Thompson Falls at the end of the third week of competition. Paske again led the Plains club with 47 points with Cookie Kunzer taking second with 45. Tom Kunzer finished with 44 and Greene had 42.

On the Thompson Falls team for week three, Harwood again finished with 47, Oxford and Wakefield each scored 44, and Mike Freed had 41.

For Plains, Harry Greene took first with 47 in week four. Doug Shaner totaled 46, and Tom and Cookie Kunzer each had 45 to give the club 183 points.

The Thompson Falls team grabbed 180 points in the fourth week with Brian Harwood and Steven Harwood at 46, Flansas 45, and Harry Green at 42.

The 2008 Big Sky Postal Trap Shoot began in early March and will run until April 6. Each team's weekly score is added for a combined score. Clubs in Lewiston and Shelby are also participating, but their scores had not been sent in to the Denton Rod and Gun Club's Russ Allen, who is coordinating the scores each week. There is no limit on the number of club shooters, but only the top four can submit their scores and each person can shoot a maximum of 50 rounds, according to Allen, who said the contest was started to give the smaller clubs more competition.

Each week, shooters start off from the 16-yard line. Their second round depends on how well they did in the first round.

In week four, Greene achieved 25 points from 16 yards and 22 from his farther distance. Shaner nabbed a 25 and a 21. Tom Kunzer scored 23 points in the first round and 22 in the second. His wife, Cookie, hit for 21 in the first round, but scored 24 points in the second.

For Thompson Falls, Brian Harwood scored 24 points from 16 yards and 23 in the second round in week four. Steven Harwood hit 21 and 25; Flansas scored 20 and 25; and Harry Green scored 24 and 18.