Earning many top finishes at the Brown County Statewide Shoot in De Pere, Wis., were members of the Channing-based Big Shooters. From left, in back, are Bo Glasheen, Alexander Erickson, Vandan Pezzullo and Willow Glasheen. In front is Jonas Eloranta.

CHANNING — Five members of the Big Shooters Club based at the Sagola Township Sportsmen’s Club earned top medals at the Brown County Statewide Shoot in De Pere, Wis.

Shooters were challenged to test their skills against the best in Wisconsin in various events, including .22 pistol, .22 rifle target, .22 rifle silhouette, air rifle target, air rifle silhouette, air pistol target, recurve target archery, compound target archery, and various shotgun events.

The event hosted by the Brown County 4-H Shooting Sports Club was held May 30-31.

The junior member (ages 9-11) of the Big Shooters in attendance placed in three categories. Jonas “The Golden Boy” Eloranta earned second with his compound bow in the target category. He swept the air rifle categories, claiming first place in both air rifle target and air rifle silhouettes.

In the intermediate category (ages 12-14) Big Shooters entered two members. The brother and sister team of Bo and Willow Glasheen came home with a combined nine medals of first through third.

Veteran shooter Bo Glasheen earned four second-place medals. They were in .22 pistol, .22 rifle target, .22 rifle silhouette scoped, and the shotgun event of “hunt and cover.” Bo Glasheen earned his gold medal in the air rifle silhouette open sight division.

Willow Glasheen gave brother Bo a run for his money, earning a third place in .22 pistol just behind Bo. She also came in just behind Bo’s first place performance, earning a second in air rifle silhouette open sight division.

Willow did get even by besting Bo with a first place performance in both the .22 silhouette scoped division and .22 rifle target. Both of her first place positions had brother Bo just behind her score.

“They are going to be a team to watch,” said coach Tony Erickson. “They train a lot and have fun doing it. They push each other in the very productive way,” Erickson said.

In the senior category (ages 15-19) two veteran shooters represented the Big Shooters. Fifteen-year-old Vandan Pezzullo was the youngest in the senior category. He earned a second place in .22 rifle silhouette scoped and a second in “hunt and cover” with his partner Bo Glasheen.

Alexander Erickson earned the top spot in .22 silhouette rifle. This is his third year in a row dominating that category. In 2023, Erickson shot 11 of the possible 40. In 2024 he set the event record with a 17 of 40 performance. This year he once again set the bar even higher with a 24 of 40 score.

“It seemed really easier this year,” Alexander Erickson said. “I have been training so hard for nationals and shooting silhouettes with my pistol, that when I switched back to the rifle for this event it seemed a lot easier than my pistol.”

Erickson also placed second with his Smith & Wesson model 41 in the .22 pistol division.

After the final medals were presented, it was pointed out that the Big Shooters club earned first and second in both the intermediate and senior age groups for rifle silhouettes. With only one shooter in the junior division, Jonas Eloranta’s first place finish made it a perfect sweep of all the silhouette events.

The Big Shooters club is celebrating its 20th year teaching youth firearms safety and competitive shooting. The club regularly competes in Florence County 4-H, the Civilian Marksmanship Program, American Legion, and many other events and postal shoots throughout the year.

The Big Shooters club meets regularly at the Sagola Township Sportsmen’s Club in Channing. Meetings are at 11 a.m. on the first Sunday of the month. Membership is open to any youth.

For more information about the Big Shooters or the Sagola Township Sportsmen’s Club, please contact Tony Erickson at 906-396-1119.