The current week is a big one for the Emmaus rifle team. After its “toughest match of the season,” according to coach Peter Chromiak, which came at the beginning of the week against East Stroudsburg South, a number of Hornets sought to qualify for the individual state championships on Tuesday.

It’s been an eventful February for Emmaus so far, one that capped off a successful regular season on the range. But the Green Hornets have become accustomed to that rich tradition over the years.

Last season, Emmaus finished second in the Northeast Pennsylvania Scholastic Rifle League in the regular season and playoffs, while placing fourth at states. The Hornets have finished as a top five team at states each of the past three years.

“Each season progresses very quickly but rifle is a sport of patience, precision and mental training,” Chromiak said. “At the very beginning of the season, I saw scores from returning and new competitors in the high 90s, indicating that we had another powerful team this year. We have 10 varsity competitors that are all capable of delivering high-90 targets, indicating that we have a deep team of competitors we can rely on.”

This year was no different. Emmaus went a perfect 9-0 in the regular season and finished as the only unbeaten team in the 10-team league. It has eight of the top 20 shooters in the NEPARL in terms of scoring average.

Leading the way is senior Alex Baksa with a 96.6 average out of a possible 100 points, the second-highest average in the league. Junior Lindsey Miller (fourth in league with 96.3 average), senior Tucker Danish (seventh at 96.1) and the duo of Amber Ziegler and Jacob Baia (tied for eighth with a 96.0 average) are all in the top 10.

“Individually, each shooter delivered the best they could offer at each match,” Chromiak said. “It was not an easy undefeated season by any means because East Stroudsburg South has an excellent team, and several other teams have broken the 480 barrier for team scores. We pulled together when we needed to and delivered winning match scores one match at a time.”

A total of 10 individuals qualified for the individual state championship on Tuesday, and Emmaus had plenty of participants at that level. Results were not available at time of press.

Many of Emmaus’ shooters have been with the team for four years now under Chromiak. The results have been consistently successful, and the participants have increased their scores from opening day. Many of them practice once a week year-round at the Lehigh Valley Prone League. In season, participants practice three hours a day, five days a week.

“Most of the top competitors have started with the team as freshmen,” Chromiak said. “A few started their sophomore year. It typically takes several years and lots of range time to develop the skills to become a skilled marksman.”

The Hornets have also dealt with the difficulty of adapting to a new home range four times in recent years.

“We were forced to relocate our home range four times in the last five years,” Chromiak said. “This is an amazing accomplishment in itself. The support from the athletic department, school board, coaching staff, the Borough of Emmaus, Emmaus Police Department, the NRA, Youth Shooting Sports Alliance Grants and the Unami Fish and Game Club all have contributed to this accomplishment.”

In rifle, participants are awarded a possible total score of 100 (10 points per each bulls eye on the target). Using 22-caliber rifles, 10 shooters participate at each match, with the top five scorers rounding out the team scorer.

But more importantly, the sport of rifle focuses on the students improving their patience, mental focus and calmness.

“Students are reminded to remain focused on their academics and work on homework during practice when they are not on the firing line,” Chromiak said. “Students are also instructed on safe handling of the rifle and safety procedures at the firing line. I stress to competitors that this sport is 90 percent mental. Preparation and visualization of the shot routine are key skills and are very important to the success of the competitor.”

The state team championships will be held next week and Emmaus looks to produce another unforgettable trip.