Pistol Prodigies compete at Michigan SASP State Match

The Pistol Prodigies. Courtesy Scott and Lisa Poet

submitted by Scott and Lisa Poet

The Pistol Prodigies competed at the 2024 Michigan SASP State Match June 22 and 23 at the St. Joseph County Conservation and Sportsman Club in Sturgis, Mich. The match hosted 356 entries, representing 12 teams from five states.

Michigan teams included Michigan State University Shooting Sports Club, NSCC United States
Division, Pistol Prodigies, Sherman Hills Straight Shooters, Warrior’s Shooting Team, and WWCCA Straight Shooters. Indiana teams included Indiana Steel Rifle and Pistol Team. Ohio teams included Buckeye Bullet Busters and Ohio Steel Stingers. The Tennessee team was Cumberland County Youth Shooting Sports. Wisconsin teams included Union Grove Pistol Team and Wilmot Panthers Pistol Team.

Seventeen members of the Pistol Prodigies competed: Alex, Ashley, Ava, Bradley, Brooke, Bodi, CJ, Drey, Fisher, Hunter A., Hunter H., Jade, Noah, Tori, Vince, Violet, and Wesley, in five different disciplines: Rimfire Pistol, Iron Rifle, Optic Rifle, Pistol Caliber Carbine, and 1911 Pistol.

When the gun smoke cleared, they earned the following 10 squad medals:
 1st Place Senior Rimfire Pistol — Ashley, Bodi, Hunter A., Wesley
 1st Place Senior Iron Rifle — Ashley, Bodi, Hunter A., Wesley
 1st Place Senior Optic Rifle — Ashley, Bodi, Hunter A., Wesley
 1st Place Senior Pistol Caliber Carbine — Ashley, Bodi, Hunter A., Wesley
 2nd Place Intermediate Rimfire Pistol — CJ, Drey, Hunter H., Noah
 2nd Place Intermediate Iron Rifle — CJ, Drey, Hunter H., Noah
 3rd Place Intermediate Optic Rifle — CJ, Drey, Hunter H., Noah
 2nd Place Rookie Optic Rifle — Alex, Ava, Bradley, Jade
 1st Place Open Division 1911 — Ashley, Bodi, Drey, Hunter H.
 2nd Place Open Pistol Caliber Carbine — CJ, Drey, Tori, Vince

SASP gives High Overall (HOA) awards to the three fastest female and male athletes in three disciplines: Rimfire Pistol, Centerfire Pistol, and Rifle (all three disciplines combined). The Pistol Prodigies earned multiple HOAs.
 2nd HOA Pistol Female — Ashley
 1st HOA Pistol Male — Bodi
 3rd HOA Rifle Male — Bodi

The SASP All-State Teams represent their states at the National Championships. Each state has a Pistol All-State Team comprised of the two fastest Rimfire Pistol athletes and two fastest Centerfire Pistol athletes. Similarly, the All-State Rifle Team is made up of two fastest Rimfire Rifle athletes and two fastest Centerfire Rifle athletes. The Pistol Prodigies compete in all the above disciplines except Centerfire Pistol. The following Pistol Prodigies swept all the disciplines that they competed in and will be representing Michigan at the SASP National Championships:
 Michigan All-State Pistol Team — Ashley (First-time Pistol), Bodi (Third-time Pistol)
 Michigan All-State Rifle Team — Ashley (Second-time Rifle), Bodi (Third-time Rifle), Drey (Second-time Rifle), and Hunter A. (First-time Rifle)

The SASP National Championships are our next competition. Nationals runs July 12 through July 20 at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio. All 17 members of The Pistol Prodigies will be competing on Sunday, July 14, and Monday, July 15. Wish us luck!

The Pistol Prodigies are celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2024. We were started in 2014 by Head Coaches Lisa and Scott Poet. They, along with Coach Jeff and Jr. Coaches Wesley and Bodi, guide the athletes through countless practices and several competitions annually in Michigan and Ohio. Gary and Nick round out the rest of the team’s volunteer crew. The team also has several team parents and friends who jump in to support the team every chance they get.

We would like to take a moment to say Thank You to Platinum Sponsor, CMR Mechanical of Dexter. The team has several additional team sponsors that have supported the team throughout our 10 seasons. Please visit
http://www.pistolprodigies.org/team-sponsors.html to check out our great friends!

The Pistol Prodigies’ mission statement describes the team’s goals perfectly: “The Pistol Prodigies Youth Pistol Team is a youth development program that uses the shooting sports to teach SAFETY, Responsibility, and Teamwork ​to student athletes of all ages.” The team is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This allows the team to fundraise for practice, equipment, ammunition, and competition costs. Donations to the team may be tax deductible. We are also a varsity letter sport at Manchester High School.

To become a sponsor, support, and learn more about the team, please visit www.pistolprodigies.org. You can also visit www.mysasp.com to learn about the Scholastic Action Shooting Program.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.