The Fayette Citizen-Sports Page
Wednseday, June 30, 1999
Junior shooters hit the mark

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Sports Editor

The Wolf Creek Young Shooters Association is right on target with its methods of teaching junior shooters.

The young athletes performed well at the U.S.A. Shooting National Championships at Wolf Creek recently. Three of the shooters, Diana Hamlin Beauford, Billy Harrison and Brandon Wayda, each won gold medals.

Beauford won a gold in the D class in women's sport pistol. She finished 22nd overall and second in the J2 class. J2 is the under 17 class.

Harrison won a gold in the A class of men's sport pistol. In the J1 class, the top junior class, Harrison finished third in the junior class of men's sport pistol, fifth in free pistol, and sixth in air pistol.

Wayda took a bronze medal in the junior class of rapid fire pistol and a gold medal in men's junior sport pistol. Wayda finished in second place in J2 in free pistol, air pistol and rapid fire pistol.

The team is coached by Wayda's father, Bill, a U.S.A. certified shooting range officer, running events during sanctioned contests, as well as serving as junior pistol coach for the Wolf Creek Young Shooters. Members of the team come from all over the state. Harrison and Wayda are both from Peachtree City and another top shooter, Cole Beatenbaugh, is from Coweta County.

Bill Wayda and the crew at Wolf Creek promote safe shooting, instructing the kids every step of the way. Most of the kids come to the team from 4H shooting programs and they all must take a hunter safety course before setting foot on the range.

The team practices every Friday at Wolf Creek for two hours. They also participate in an event every other weekend at Wolf Creek.

It is a scrimmage of sorts, where all disciplines from a shooting event are run.

The members of the Wolf Creek Young Shooters have responded to their teaching and to their sport. Several are heading to a camp in Colorado Springs this summer to be instructed by Erich Buljung, the pistol coach of the national development team. They are ahead of the game also because Wolf Creek is a state-of-the-art facility, an all-electric range. There are only three other ranges like it in the world.

The team travels frequently during the summer, competing in contests all over the state and region, including the Georgia Junior Olympics and the Georgia State Games. Members of the team also are starting to consider their future plans; some are being recruited by branches of the military for their field teams.

Wayda is considering the Army marksmanship team because he has worked with the program's coach at Fort Benning before. He also has been told that if he were on a college team, he would be in the top 25 in the NCAA.

For information on the team, call 404-629-4318.

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