Hager pleased with success of first Sporting Clay Event

The First United Way and Manatee County Public Works Sporting Clay Event completed its tournament this past Saturday.

The event was held at the Sarasota Trap & Skeet Clay Club with 40 people arriving to compete, said tournament organizer Bruce Hager.

Byron Teates won the shooting category for $200 in prize money.

Meanwhile, there was a first-time category for the novice shooter.

John Thornsbury took the title and $100. Theron Robinson placed second and won four tickets to a Tampa Bay Rays game. Glenn Sloan and Joey Davis rounded out the top four to receive gift cards to Dicks Sporting Goods.

Stan Driggers helped organize the event with Hager, which had food donated by Ball Park Deli & Sub Shop and Merita Bakery.

“We opened it up to the general public,” Hager said over the phone. “We had fliers everywhere from Venice to St. Pete, Okeechobee.”

The sporting clay event offered shooters a different experience than trap or skeet events because people couldn’t gauge their timing on shots due to the different ways the sporting clay came out, Hager said.

“You get a golf cart and go to each station in the woods,” Hager said. “I want to say they have about 57 acres just for the sporting clay part.”

Hannabass and Maglione place at nationals

Lakewood Ranch High rising senior Kirsten Hannabass and State College of Florida rising sophomore Jeff Maglione competed in the adagio doubles this past weekend in Wisconsin at the 36th Indmar Marine Engines Division I Show Ski National Championships.

They finished 12th in the team event, and Hannabass placed 11th in the swivel.

Both compete at the Sarasota Ski-A-Rees.

Jason Dill, sports reporter, covers community and other sports and can be reached at 745-7017.