Pastor Joe Rhea, who leads North Union’s clay target club sport, shared the team’s success with the North Union Board of Education on Monday.
“We have a great group of coaches (and) a great group of kids,” Rhea said.
He said, during the 2021-22 school year, there were 26 students from North Union and one student from Marysville competing.
Seventeen of the 27 team members qualified for nationals, or 63% of the team, which is not common for a first-year team, Rhea explained.
“There were a lot of people really impressed with that,” he said. “When we went to nationals, I shared with coaches and other parents on other teams. They thought that was really tremendous because they have not seen that kind of success.”
Nationals were held in Mason, Michigan, in July. Students could shoot as a team, individually or both.
Rhea said North Union students did not compete as a team at nationals because students’ availability varied because of other commitments.
Rhea also commended the team for their behavior throughout the season at Black Wing Shooting Center.
Board member Matt Staley concurred.
“I was at every competition North Union was involved in and those kids were – I always hesitate to use the word perfect – they were almost perfect ambassadors for our school,” Staley said. “I never once saw something that gave me pause safety wise, language, anything like that.”
Rhea added that team members “are all being safe and having fun” as well as “learning important lessons about the proper use of firearms.”
Although the team has lost three members to graduation, Rhea said he has received a lot of interest.
“We’ve already had some out with a little summer camp. We did have some new kids out for that,” he said. “We’ve got a really good returning core.”
Seventh through 12th graders can compete in the sport.
If the team grows next season, Rhea said he will add another coach.
Rhea is hopeful he will take many team members to nationals next season, but that comes at a cost.
“That part of it is an expensive proposition,” he said. “So, after school starts back we’re forming a parent board that will do fundraising (and) administrative things.”
He added that clay target shooting is “probably the most expensive sport at North Union without a doubt.”
Additionally, Connor Cobb, who is going into the eighth grade at North Union Middle School, designed the team logo. Upon Rhea’s request, Cobb designed a Wildcat claw smashing a target.
After Cobb drew it, Rhea took the design to Pat’s Print Shop to finalize the logo for the next season.
In other news, the board:
-shared that 78 North Union students are enrolled in Tri-Rivers Career Center for the 2022-23 school year.
-announced that North Union will be one of four schools in the Central Buckeye Conference accepting cash at sporting events this upcoming school year.
-recognized the retirement of Lisa Bumgarner, who worked at North Union Elementary School for nearly 23 years. She served as the school cashier.
-approved the district participating in the Ohio State High School Clay Target League for the 2022-23 school year.
-approved a list of certified and non-certified substitute teaching personnel and volunteers pending clearance for the 2022-23 school year.
-agreed to employ an elementary school cafeteria staff member, a middle school cafeteria staff member, a high school business and technology instructor, an elementary school art teacher and a bus aide.
-approved one-year contracts for staff members and coaches.
-accepted the resignation of Suzie Arehart, the high school business and technology instructor, which was effective July 28.
-approved Caleb Eugene Fitch as a graduate of the Class of 2022 as he has now completed all requirements as of Aug. 1.
-adopted a resolution to establish district discretion for hiring substitute teachers in accordance with House Bill 583, which extends short-term, non-bachelor substitute flexibility through the 2023-2024 school year.
The next board of education meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, at North Union Middle School, 12555 Mulvane Road, Richwood.