The Dowagiac Scholastic Clay Target Program has had a banner third season.

Its shooters are coming off an impressive showing at the Michigan State championships where they placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in various categories.

Now, the youngsters are headed to Nationals on August 2nd.

One of the most impressive members of the team is 9-year-old Collin Dussel. Collin is just a rookie in the sport of clay shooting but was a part of a rookie squad that won a state championship last month.

"It's awesome. It's fun," Dussel said Tuesday as his team practiced. "Now, I get to go to Nationals. I just can't wait to go."

Dussel is the only rookie in the Dowagiac program. That made being a part of a state championship team even more impressive. He was grouped with four shooters he had never met before and together they were about to take top honors in Michigan.

Meanwhile, the Dowagiac shooters did field a full 5-person squad in the 6th thru 8th grade division. That team finished 2nd in the state.

Its squad leader is 13-year-old Sydney Foote, who is one of just two females in the Dowagiac program.

Foote is in just her 2nd season as a clay shooter, and her first did not go so well. But she stuck with it, and improved greatly this year. She can't believe how far she has come.

"Second in the state is amazing," Foote said still shocked and excited a month after finishing runner-up in Michigan.

"I never thought I'd be able to go to nationals and be confident enough that I was going to do well. It's just great."

Foote says she's very happy to have stuck with it.

"It's different than most sports," Foote explained. "It's fun and different. I love it."

Dussel agrees.

'"It's the most fun thing in the whole world," the 9-year-old shooting phenom said with a big smile.

For more information about the Dowagiac program or about creating your own team, contact Craig Lyons at craig.lyons@hotmail.com or visit www.nssf.org/sctp.