Annual Bruce Frye Memorial Shoot draws crowd
<p>A participant at the annual Bruce Frye Memorial Shoot takes their best aim at clay pigeons that are launched into the air. The trap shoot competition tests one's aim, reaction time and overall gun handling experience.</p>
PLAINS – The annual Bruce Frye Memorial Shoot brought in a good crowd to the Plains Trap Club over the weekend with 11 squads on Saturday and 13 squads on Sunday.
Organizer of the event Cookie Kunzer said the numbers led to a good turnout over the weekend.
The memorial shoot was established in 2006 in memory of Bruce Frye, a man who was dedicated to serving his community.
“He was a big part of the community and did a lot of community service. He helped run the VFW and also was the one who helped us open the club,” said Cookie.
Frye’s family came out to the event - a thing Kunzer said was special. His wife Bede along with her kids and grandkids came to check out the shoot, a shoot held in memory of their husband, father and grandfather.
“It was cool to see them all again,” said Cookie.
Don Kunzer said Frye was a very outgoing and honest person.
“He went to bat for us with the city when it came to the land for the club,” said Don. Don explained that Frye was never much of a shooter but he believed in the project at hand and helped complete that project.
The shooters all seemed to have techniques that they perfected throughout the years, after learning through different experiences.
Barry Gilpin, a participant of the shoot, said the different backdrops to a shooting range can make a big difference.
Although Gilpin likes the hills in the background and the open sky at the Plains Trap Club he said each person has their preference, a personal choice each shooter learns as they compete in shoots. Just as the background effects each shooter, so does the weather.
In Saturday’s overcast conditions, the shooting became more challenging to many.
“The lighting is different without the sun. The targets aren’t as bright so you really have to look for the targets,” said Gilpin.
Another participant, Larry Bledsoe from Idaho, said he had been shooting on and off since 1963. He said the key to success was “practice, practice, practice.”
With each shooter, the key to success varied – many honing their skills and perfecting them with each year they had been shooting.
In Saturday’s shooting divisions in the 16 yard competition, Eric Olson took the title for Class AA; Lawrence Ziegler in Class A; Al Gehl in Class B; Tony Colombo in Class C; Lin Foster in the lady category; and Harry Greene in the vet divison.
In the handicap event, Gary Boise took the championship slot while Dale Weiner, Mark Hanson and Larry Ziegler followed.
On Sunday, during the doubles event Michael Zaragoza won in Class AA; Jerry Harms in Class A; Larry Ziegler in Class B; and Dale Kinyon in Class C.
During another doubles event Lyle Neiss took first in Class AA; Larry Zigler took Class A, Dale Kinyon took Class B; and Mark Hanson took Class C.
In one of the handicap events held on Sunday, Joe Bowden took the champion title followed by Lin Foster, Joe Mauro and Bill Whalen. The other handicap event was won by champion Gary Boise and followed by Lin Foster, Joe Mauro and Bill Waden.
The shoot marked the last shoot of the year, the Tom Kunzer Memorial kicking off next season near the end of June.