Paul Menjik is constantly looking for and trying to mold straight shooters.

Menjik, 84, has coached the Central Square High School rifle team for the past 54 years. It’s a squad that has earned a host of state aand national team and individual championships – including a state team championship last year. One of the walls at this Oswego County school’s high school gymnasium wall is covered with banners honoring the team’s accomplishments.

Coach Paul Menjik, 84, has coached the Cenarstral Square High School team for 54 years. His teams have won numerous state and several national awards.

Now retired from teaching, Menjik was the business course instructor at the high school when he began coaching the team.

“The guy who started it as a rifle club transferred to a local state college to be an English prof,” he said. “The principal came and put the bite on me, telling me ‘I’d like you to take the rifle team.’

“I did have some previous shooting experience growing up, but I didn’t know anything about coaching. The principal said, ‘You’ll do just fine.’ ”

Judging by the number of banners in the high school gymnasium and the multitude of ribbons, trophies and plaques won by his teams, Menjik and his teams have done more than just fine over the years.

There’s a long-standing tradition and immense pride associated with his team in the district. Many of the kids Menjik is now coaching had parents who competed under him. Lynn Tennant, his assistant coach, was an individual state champion on his team in 1989. Back then, she shot a .22 caliber rifle in competition.

The Central Square Air Rifle Team has 12 members: 8 girls and four boys. The three captains are, L-R, Kamille Zakrzeski, Maryann Sobel and Elise Penrod. They're the top shooters on the team.

When Menjik started as coach, the sport of rifle shooting in high schools across the state was all about using.22-caliber rifles. Then, .177-caliber air rifles, which shoot metal pellets, were eventually phased in. And at one point, there was a local league in the Central New York/Southern Tier area of 10 high school teams and competitions were held for both types of rifles.

In 2016, New York State Public High School Athletic Association, which governs the high school sports scene, eliminated the .22 rifle shooting events. Today, only pellet-shooting air rifles are used for high school competitions.

In addition, a number of schools in recent years have dropped out of the competition.

Today, there are just 29 varsity high school air rifle across the state. There are also two JV teams and two modified teams. In total there are 336. There are teams in Sections 2, 3, 5,6,7,8 and 10, according to NYSPHSAA spokesman Chris Watson.

Members of the Central Square HIgh School air rifle team shoot in a recent match.

Currently in Section III, only Central Square and South Lewis high school in Turin field air rifle teams. And due to the overall lack of teams, NYSPHSAA classifies the final championship match at West Point as a regional championship, although the schools themselves still call it the state championship.

The air rifle season begins just after election day in November and continues until the final championship shoot at West Point. This year’s championship is set for March 7.

This reporter stopped in to view the Central Square team during a recent shooting match against Hoosick Falls in Rensselaer County. Like most of the team’s competitions, it was a “postal match,” in which the team shoots and then sends their targets and scores to the other team by mail. (Central Square won.)

The following are excerpts from an interview with Coach Menjik:

Describe your team this year.

“We have 12 members – eight girls and four boys, in grades 7 to 12. he squad that competes consists of our top seven shooters and we only count the top four scores each time for the team score. Right now, on that squad there are five girls and one boy, Ian Shaw, a junior. Our top shooters are usually one of our three captains, who are all juniors: Kamille Zakrzewski, Maryann Sobel and Elise Penrod. Also on the competing squad are Lauren Foland, Carolyn Lederer and Charlotte Van Toledo, 17, an exchange student from the Netherlands.”

What makes a good shooter?

“The ability to concentrate and focus on what they’re doing and to develop a solid position (while shooting).”

Emily Sobel, 12, the youngest member on the team, proudly shows her target.

Describe the two categories of shooting events in air rifle competitions. How many times does your team compete each year.

“There’s 3-Position, in which the shooter is allowed 10 shots each from prone, kneeling and standing positions. Also, All-Standing or Offhand, which is 10 shots from a standing position. Competitors are allowed 10 minutes to take their 10 shots from the prone and kneeling positions, 15 minutes from the standing position. They are shooting at targets 10 meters (33 feet) away.

“We have about 16 matches each season, culminating with the state championship shoot at West Point.

What kind of rifles do team members shoot? Who supplies them?

“There are .177 caliber air rifles, which vary in weight from 8-12 pounds, and shoot metal pellets. Some are supplied by the school. Other times, we’ve had to scrounge around for a few, some have been donated, some shooters in the past have bought their own rifles and we’ve obtained a few from grants from Friends of the NRA. In addition, this year we just got a new rifle from the school district.”

What’s with the uniforms (special tops and bottoms) team members wear while shooting? Some are red-colored; others, blue? Why do they wear them?

“The uniforms offer support and stability while shooting. Members of our first team of shooters are called “red coats” and wear red jackets and pants, earned by shooting a 90 or higher in a standing position. (A perfect score with all bullseyes, is 100). The rest of the team wears blue coats while shooting.”

Charlotte Van Toledo, an exchange student from The Netherlands, is member of the Central Square High School air rifle team. She has shot well enough to earn a red jacket.

Talk about safety.

“We’ve had a number of people come in who’ve never seen or handled a rifle, or seen an indoor range. First thing, we explain our procedures and rules about safety. Team members need to be mature, reliable. Ifili anyone is clowning around or looks like they’re a safety hazard, they’re not here anymore, When not in use, the rifles are put in lockers with a padlock on each locker, with an additional safety bar spanning all the lockers that’s also secured with a lock as an additional precaution. There has never been a reportable injury to a rifle competitor in this state since NYSPHA authorized it to be a high school sport in 1958.”

In your 54 years of coaching, what’s the highlight of your career?

“Every time, watching an individual give their best performance.”

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