Gage Yarborough is a tenth-grade honor student at Chester
Senior High School in Chester, S.C and a member of the Lewisville High School
Sporting Clays Team. He is also an active member of the Beta Club. At just
sixteen years old, he has competed in numerous competitions.
His love for sporting clays began in 2020. After being
quarantined at home for so long during Covid, his parents encouraged him to
take up a sport to get out of the house and be more active. He had already
tried baseball, soccer and karate but never had the passion for any of them. He
has always enjoyed hunting (deer, ducks, turkey, quail, etc). After finding out
there was a local sporting clay team, his dad reached out to the head coach to
get the details. Gage attended one practice to see what it was all about and
the rest is history. He now competes year-round, not only in youth events with
his team (SCYSF, SCTP, and SCDNR), but also in registered events such as NSCA,
NSSA and ATA. He shoots all three disciplines of shotgun sports Skeet, Trap,
Sporting Clays, and recently tried FITASC for the first time.
Photo Credits: Sarah Whitesides Photography, Little Trapper inc., Brian and Sherri Yarborough, and Tracey
One of Gage Yarborough's favorite quotes... “It’s hard to beat a person that never gives up”
-Babe
Ruth
He started his first year shooting a Beretta A300 but decided he wanted an over-under before his first Junior US Open event that summer. He moved on to a Beretta 686 silver pigeon which he put several thousand rounds through until he recently got a Krieghoff K-80 Sporter for Christmas this past year. Gage’s journey to finding his long-term competition gun came slowly. He had spent time demoing the well-known brands and models like the Beretta DT-11, Blaser F3, and others. While in Texas at the National Sporting Clays Championships, he demoed the last gun he would need to for a long time, he picked a Krieghoff K-80 Sporter and knew after the first event he shot with it that it would be the tool he wanted to continue his shooting journey with. Upon return from Texas, he linked up with Mike Luongo of Rocky Creek Sporting Clays and Gage had one in his hands before Christmas that year. Along with his Rhino chokes and Remington Nitros, he has made great strides in competition. Some of his most recent accomplishments include:
Youth Events
2023 SCTP Nationals - JV 3rd place sporting clays
and All-State team member
2023 SCDNR - Skeet, Trap and Sporting Clays state
champion
2023 SCYSF - JV state champion
2023 SCTP – cumulative overall champion (Skeet, Trap and
Sporting Clays)
2022 & 2023 SC/GA Border Skirmish - cumulative
champion
2024 SCDNR - SV trap champion
Registered Events
2023 ATA – sub-junior SC state trap champion
2023 Gator Cup – second place sub-junior prelim and third
place A-Class super sporting event
2023 SC State Championship – third place sub-junior
2023 NSCA Nationals – 3rd place sub-junior AA-Class
2023 SCSCA – overall points champion
2023 NSCA – all-state team member
2024 Seminole Cup – AA-Class champion, second place
sub-junior, and 20 gauge sub-junior champion
2024 Gator Cup – second place sub-junior main event,
second place sub-junior FITASC and 20 gauge HOA champion
2024 Southeast Regional – fourth place sub-junior, 20 and
28 sub-junior champion and top ten AA-Class finish
Photo Credits: Sarah Whitesides Photography, Little Trapper inc., Brian and Sherri Yarborough, and Tracey
Gage is also a three-time SCTP all scholastic team member
and part of the Rhino Chokes Influencer Program. Gage loves Jesus, his family,
and his pets. Always smiling, Gage is a compassionate, hard working and humble
kid who is always ready to help others. He has made many friends in the
sporting clay community throughout these last four years and always enjoys
meeting new people. Although he knows he has been blessed with a lot of natural
ability, his parents point out that his determination and work ethic on the
course is what’s helped him to excel. Besides a busy competition schedule and
practice regimen, he also maintains a 4.87 GPA, which is amongst the top in his
class.
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You will also often find him working part time at his
home course, that he loves, Rocky Creek Sporting Clays, where he is always
ready for advice from his mentor, Mike Luongo, who has taught him much about
this sport. Gage would like to thank everyone who offers him support including,
Rhino Chokes, PMS Firearms, BAREPELT, Cole Gunsmithing, and Rocky Creek
Sporting Clays and the many people who have helped him along the way. Gage
points out that none of this would be possible without the support of his parents.
He thanks them for fully supporting and backing him on this journey.
Photo Credits: Sarah Whitesides Photography, Little Trapper inc., Brian and Sherri Yarborough, and Tracey
“G” is always looking forward to his next big event !
