JACKSON TWP — Tim Green knew his two youth trapshooting teams were on target to blast their way into trophy contention but had no idea they would beat rivals from across the United States at the AIM Grand National youth trapshooting competition in Sparta, Ill., Aug. 5.

The Evans City Black Gold subjunior trap team, comprised of five youths age 12 to 15, took top honors among all 1,000 young shooters in their age range; and the Evans City Black Gold junior team, which is made up of five shooters aged 16 to 18, emerged as champions in their class at the competition.

The team members are among 50 youths ages 10 to 19 who participate in trapshooting at the Evans City Sportsman Club on Textor School Road in Jackson Township.

Green, the teams' head coach, said no youth team from the club had earned a first place in the 38 years he has been a member there.

“My brother (assistant coach Andy Green) and I were so proud of them,” Green said. “To get one (first place) is something, let alone two.”

Green, who has served as the Black Gold coach since 2008, explained each spring, he breaks the club's youth shooters into teams at the firing range. They take turns using a shotgun to shoot clay targets that fly away from them at random angles when they shout “pull.”

Green then culls the top shooters and forms teams that will compete in zone, and, if successful, state and national competitions.

“We usually end up with 20 to 25 kids who want to shoot competitively,” Green said.

Team members normally practice by firing at 50 to 400 clay targets one to three times per week at the club. Green said they practice in all weather and on the top of the scenic hill where the club was built in 1950.

Most teams practice on flat terrain in optimum weather.

“If you can shoot in Evans City, you can shoot anywhere,” Green said.

He said the club's youth shooters hail from Pittsburgh, Kittanning and all over the area.

Most youth shooters hear about the program through word of mouth and come from all backgrounds, he added.

“We have kids with parents who hunt or shoot, and we have kids whose parents have never shot a gun,” Green said.

Ed Aschley, Evans City Sportsman Club president, said the 600 adult members of the club could not be more proud of the youth teams.

“They're all very good kids,” Aschley said. “They're very respectful, and all of them have good grades and have great parents.”

He said the club was founded in the 1930s by old Evans City names such as Kinsey, Brookman, Donaldson and Schoeffel.

“That's where a lot of these kids come from, that proud family heritage,” Aschley said.

Danielle Green, 18, shot on the junior team in the AIM Grand Nationals. She will attend Midland University in Freemont, Neb., in the fall to pursue a secondary education degree. She was awarded a shooting scholarship by Midland, where she will compete on its trap team.

Danielle, who is the daughter of Green and his wife, Bea, said she had a good feeling about the national competition this year. But she didn't expect to bring a first-place trophy home to the sportsman club.

“It was surprising and exciting,” Danielle said. “It was a really good feeling that we could do that for our community and club.”

She began shooting as a young girl, when her father competed on a county trap team. Over the years, the eagle-eyed competitor has had the opportunity to travel to several competitions and meet hundreds of people.

She has also won many individual awards but was especially proud to bring the grand nationals trophy back to Evans City.

“The guys at the club are really nice and supportive as well,” said Danielle, who pointed out that the club donates clay targets and helps the youth teams with expenses incurred at competitions.

Danielle has her eye on competing on an Olympic trap team in the near future. She explained a shooter must qualify at an Olympic-sanctioned course and then compete in World Cup competitions all over the globe.“You work your way up the line to the Olympics,” she said.Danielle said during most of her youth trapshooting career, she has been the only girl on the range. She said at her level of expertise, there is currently one other girl among the ranks of trap shooters.“It leaves the door open to just show what you've got and do the best you can to make a name for yourself,” Danielle said.Regarding the trip to Illinois for grand nationals, Danielle said she enjoyed the company of the other competitors.“They're some great kids, and fun to be around,” Danielle said. “But when we arrived at nationals, one kid had an air-soft gun and accidentally set off the fire alarms at the hotel the first night we were there.“It's a wonder we didn't get kicked out,” she said. “We had the police and fire department there.”Shooter Dean Catalano, 17, of Jackson Township, also attended grand national competition.He said some states sent multiple teams to nationals, including California, which boasted more than 60 youth shooters on numerous teams.“I was surprised how our juniors and subjuniors had only one team entered per category and they still came home with trophies,” Dean said. “It's insane. This little hick town wins a huge national competition.”Dean praised Tim and Andy Green and their coaching style.“They are really easy going,” he said. “They don't put pressure on you even if it's national competition. They try to relax you.”Dean said trapshooting is good for youths because it teaches gun safety, as well as common sense.“Plus it's good for kids who may not want to get into a traditional sport like football or hockey,” he said. “And if you do any type of hunting, it helps with that.”Tim Green said the club's trap program has turned out some great adults, including two former Marines and one Air Force airman.“They're a great group of kids,” he said.