Canonsburg, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) started a full week of winter championships at the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Rifle Team Championships on Tuesday, held at the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club in Canonsburg. Across a competitive nine-team field, Butler successfully defended its 2023 title by edging out Trinity, 799-64x to 799-57x.
 
Butler (14-0, 10-0 Section IV) is now a five-time WPIAL team champion, joining Munhall (23), Trinity (18), Mt. Lebanon (7), Bethel Park (6), Hempfield Area (6), Woodland Hills (6), and Churchill (5) among the schools in that club. The Golden Tornado has won three of the last five titles, and now owns trophies from 1988, 1993, 2020, 2023, and 2024.
 
Butler had six of its eight scorers registered tallies of 100, with Nathaniel Aaron recording a perfect 100-10x. Hayleigh Gorog (100-09x), Luke Frazier (100-09x), Madison Krainbucher (100-08x), Tabitha Burke (100-08x), and Grace Seybert (100-07x) scored 100 as well, with Shayna Fleeger (99-07x) and Alyssa Miller (99-06x) rounding out the Golden Tornado’s top eight. Lucas McConnell (98-07x) and Lauren McKean (96-06x) also competed for the Section IV champions.
 
Trinity (13-1, 10-0 Section II) had six 100-point scorers as well, with Ava Montgomery (100-09x) and Bo Schury (100-09x) leading the way. There were 30 student-athletes in all that recorded scores of 100, with the aforementioned Aaron and two-time WPIAL individual champion Riley Dunn of McGuffey each registering a perfect 100-10x.
 
Hempfield Area (796-56x) placed third overall, followed by Armstrong (796-50x), Mt. Lebanon (794-49x), West Greene (791-45x), Washington (789-43x), McGuffey (786-53x), and Bethel Park (783-34x).
 
This was the ninth time since 2000 that the team championship came down to x’s, with the 7x difference being the eighth closest over that period.
 
Prior to announcing the results, section plaques were distributed to Butler (Section IV champion), McGuffey (Section I champion), Hempfield Area (Section III champion), and Trinity (Section II champion).
 
The WPIAL Rifle Individual Championships will be held on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 10:00 a.m. from Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club in Canonsburg.
 
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