Wilson Hall's Blankenship takes aim at state titles, Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

Wilson Hall senior Ann Weathers Blankenship had her sights set on a pair of titles when the Barons took part in the SCISA and SCDNR skeet and trap state championships this weekend.

Check and check.

Not only did Blankenship lead the Barons to state titles in each event, but she was also nearly perfect in the process. Her performance was also enough to earn recognition as the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week.

"It's wonderful," Blankenship said of the support of the Baron faithful. "They've always supported me whether it was for the school or it was with the national side of the tournaments. They've really been lenient with my absences from school and just supported me all the way.

"I was absolutely feeling a lot of gratitude toward the weekend because I had constant text messages and phone calls wishing me good luck."

Blankenship was on fire, missing just two targets in 100 attempts. In the eyes of head coach Brent Hiott, it was par for the course for his spectacular senior, who claimed her ninth state title with the finish.

"I think everybody wanted it for her. She just gets laser focused, and it just worked for her. Anything could've gone wrong, but everything just went right," Hiott said. "The targets were good, and the weather was even better. She was just focused, and she was shooting not only with her squad, but another top-level squad on the same field on skeet, and that just brings the best out of her. You always shoot up to the level you're competing against, and she just knew what she needed to do and did it."

Blankenship said she typically feels some nerves when competing, even if Hiott rarely sees the signs. But she felt an overwhelming sense of support during the weekend, which washed those emotions away.

"Normally I get really nervous when I shoot, but I turned around on my second round, and I saw about 45 of my close friends and family members and teammates watching me shoot my final round as a senior," she said. "That provided a lot of support and calmed my nerves. Instead of feeling nervous, I felt grateful and supported.

"Win or lose, I always know that my friends and family are going to love and support me no matter what. I always pray a lot, so that always helps."

Hiott was especially proud to see Blankenship compete at such a high level in her final skeet and trap events as a Baron.

"I always like to see the seniors go out on a winning note. I started with her when she first started, and to see her progress through the years is real special," Hiott said. "That's her ninth state championship, and it was real special because it was the best she's shot in a state championship."

Of Blankenship's nine state titles, these were two of her three that came at the mixed varsity level. Her first six came in ladies before making the shift. She takes pride in showing that the ladies are just as talented as the guys, which makes this set of championships even more meaningful.

"My goal ever since I started competing was always to push the younger girls to really try and win," Blankenship said. "A lot of the time, it's said that the girls aren't as good at shooting as the guys, so my focus is always empowering the younger generations of girls. I really wanted to show them they could do it and push them to be the best they could be in the sport."