Jr. Rifle Team Program

Tom Fister – (484) 421-9995 Extension 130 or Email: tomdew98@live.com

Practice held on Tuesday and Wednesday Nights

May 2nd, 2023 This Week at Ontelaunee:

In the past few weeks, several youth from the Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team have traveled all around the country to shoot major matches.

The Junior Olympics took place in Colorado Springs April 7-20.

  • Natalia Siek – A Freshman at the University of Akron, and
  • Emma Rhode – A Freshman at the University of Nebraska
    • represented the women, with Emma taking 5th overall in the small-bore woman’s match.
  • Griffin Lake, Mathias Ossi and Zach Brenner qualified and represented the club in the men’s groups,
    • with Griffin taking gold in 18 and under air rifle and 4th overall in small bore.

Team Ontelaunee then had Griffen Lake, Terry Hersch, Mathias Ossi, with Zach Brenner as an alternate, qualify for air nationals at Camp Perry Ohio.

  • The boys took 3rd in the nation and will return to Ohio for the championships in July.

Griffin Lake

November 2022 – At the November Membership Meeting, Griffin Lake became just the latest in a line of Ontelaunee Junior Rifle Team Members to sign their Letter of Intent for college.  Griffin with the aid of a rifle scholarship, will be starting his collegiate career in the Fall of 2023, at the University of West Virgina, under Hayhurst Family Head Coach Jon Hammond and Assistant Coach Jean-Pierre Lucas.

To read Coach Hammond’s New’s Announcement of Griffin’s signing  –  Click Here

  • 2022 ISSF World Championships: Bronze, JR Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Position
  • 2022 CMP Nationals, 3 Position Smallbore Champion
  • 2022 Junior Olympic National Championships, 3 Position Smallbore U-18 Champion
  • 2022 CMP Regional Championships, 3 Position Air Rifle Champion

Griffin began shooting recreationally with his parents at age 5. His interest in target shooting turned competitive at age 11 when Griffin joined the Ontelaunee Rod & Gun Club Junior Rifle Team, located in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania. Over the next several years, Griffin’s marksmanship ability improved with frequent practice, support from fellow shooters and guidance from Ontelaunee head coach Tom Fister. At age 14, as a freshman, Griffin also joined and began to compete with his High School rifle team, the Emmaus Hornets. Now age 17, and a High School senior, he continues to compete in local, High School, state, and national matches. Next stop for Griffin is the University of West Virgina, where he begins his college career shooting at the NCAA level. Griffin’s other hobbies and interests include hunting, fishing, mountain biking and spending time with the family beagle Lulu. Griffin and his family are active members of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Emmaus.

USA Shooting (Griffin Lake). The link to his Bio is here.

Note that Griffin is but one example of the successful competitors who have emerged from the Ontelaunee Rod & Gun Club’s Junior Rifle Program. Please take a moment to congratulate Griffin, Tom Fister and the rest of the team!

Junior Rifle Team Alumni Members – Collegiate Careers

Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team Member Alumni:

  • Joined Team Sept-2020

College:

  • Freshman Year: 2022-23

University of Akron Bio: Click Here

Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team Member Alumni:

  • Joined Team January-2015

College:

  • Freshman Year: 2022-23
  • Sophomore Year: 2023-24
  • Honors & Awards
    • CRCA Air Rifle All-American (Second-Team, 2023)
    • Nebraska school record holder (598, air rifle)
    • Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2022)
    • Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2023)

University of Nebraska Bio: Click Here

Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team Member Alumni:

    • Joined Team January-2019

College:

  • Freshman Year: 2020-21
  • Sophomore Year: 2021-22
  • Junior Year: 2022-23
  • Senior Year: 2023-24
  • Honors & Awards
    • CRCA Smallbore All-American (Second Team, 2022)
    • CRCA Smallbore All-American (First Team, 2023)
    • CRCA Air Rifle All-American (Second-Team, 2023)
    • CRCA Aggregate All-American (Third-Team, 2023)
    • NCAA Smallbore National Champion (2023)
    • CRCA Scholastic All-American (2021, 2022)

University of Nebraska Bio: Click Here

Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team Member Alumni:

  • Joined Team – 2013

College:

  • Freshman Year: 2019-20
  • Sophomore Year: 2020-21
  • Junior Year: 2021-22
  • Senior Year: 2022-23
  • Honors & Awards
    • CRCA All-America Air Rifle Honorable Mention
    • All-GARC Air Rifle First Team
    • All-GARC Combined Honorable Mention
    • CRCA Scholastic All-America Team
    • Academic All-Big 12 At-Large First Team

University of West Virgina Bio: Click Here

Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team Member Alumni:

  • Joined Team – May 2016

College:

  • Freshman Year: 2018-19
  • Sophomore Year: 2019-20
  • Junior Year: 2020-21
  • Senior Year: 2021-22
  • Honors & Awards:
    • Garnered a career- and season-high score of 584 in the smallbore at the GARC Championships (Feb. 25, 2022)

University of Akron Bio: Click Here

Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team Member Alumni:

  • Joined Team – 2014

College:

  • Freshman Year: 2016-17
  • Sophomore Year: 2017-18
  • Junior Year: 2018-19
  • Redshirt Junior Year: 2019-20
  • Redshirt Senior Year: 2020-21
  • Redshirt Senior Year: 2021-22

University of Tennessee Martin Bio: Click Here

Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team Member Alumni:

  • Joined Team – 2009

College:

  • Freshman Year: 2014-15

University of Kentucky Bio: Click Here

Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team Member Alumni:

  • Joined Team – 2009

College:

  • Freshman Year: 2013-14
  • Sophomore Year: 2014-15
  • Junior Year: 2015-16
  • Senior Year: 2016-17
  • Honors & Awards
    • 2016-17 CRCA Scholastic All-American selection

University of Akron Bio: Click Here

Ontelaunee Jr Rifle Team Member Alumni:

  • Joined Team – 2009

College:

  • Freshman Year: 2013-14
  • Sophomore Year: 2014-15
  • Junior Year: 2015-16
  • Senior Year: 2016-17
  • Honors & Awards
    • honorable mention (smallbore) in 2013-14 and 2014-15 … 2013-14 All-America honorable mention (smallbore)
    • Accepted an invitation to compete in smallbore at the 2015 NCAA Championships … Placed 20th (577) in smallbore at the NCAA Championships

University of Memphis Bio: Click Here

Junior Rifle Team Reports