| Nation's Largest Youth Shooting Competition Crowns Team Champions
SPARTA, Ill.―Youth baseball has the Little League World Series. Youth trapshooting has the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) National Championships.
More than 1,500 youth trap shooters from 26 states converged on the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill., Tuesday and Wednesday for the SCTP nationals. The two-day team competition, held in conjunction with the world's largest shooting competition―the Grand American World Trapshooting Championships―crowned national champions from five states in SCTP's five divisions.
"It's amazing to see what these young athletes can do when challenged on a national stage," said Zach Snow of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, national coordinator of SCTP. "A remarkable 304 shooters broke 190 targets or more out of 200. That's one in five shooters at this competition, and to do be able to do that at such a young age, and at a national competition, is astounding."
"Some of these teams' scores could stand up at the college level," remarked NSSF's Bill Christy, a former Virginia Tech clay target team coach.
Walking away as national champions were teams from Tennessee, California, Missouri, South Dakota and Ohio. But all didn't do it with ease. Three of five division titles were decided by just two targets, another by just three.
Across the country, more than 8,000 students in 41 states are now active in SCTP trap, skeet and sporting clays. The program has grown tremendously since its inception in 2000. Last year alone, SCTP grew by more than 50 percent, not to mention an 84 percent increase in female participation. In 2006, that growth continued, with over 2,000 more youths taking part in the program.
With four top-three teams, Tennessee had the competition's highest medal count, claiming the national championship in the rookie division and placing third in the rookie, junior novice and senior novice divisions. Tennessee's Chester County rookie team finished well ahead of the competition in the rookie division, nearly 50 targets ahead of the second-place team. The team includes Zeke Yeager of Corinth, Blake Carnell of Henderson, Dalton Mitchell of Luray, Kurt Lecornu of Henderson and Brandon Hughes of Reagan.
Said Chester County coach Janice Cooper: "Yesterday I had three boys that struggled. They shot in the 80s and were kind of getting down on themselves. I said, 'Well, the other boys picked you up and tomorrow is your time.' And today, those three guys shot in the 90s. They were terrific. They did it together. If you saw them on the line, they were encouraging each other and telling each other 'we need you.' It was exciting."
The competition's most remarkable feat may have been accomplished by 18-year-old Foster Bartholow of Rapid City, S.D., who didn't miss, hitting a perfect 200 of 200 targets. His performance helped propel South Dakota's Straight Shooters to the national championship in the senior experienced division. The team, which also includes, Donny Quinn of Hermosa and Rapid City's Matt Bartholow, Matt Ziegler and Weston Kintigh, all shot 190 or more targets only to edge another Rapid City-area South Dakota team by two targets.
"We've been working with this group for four years, and they work very well together as a team," said Straight Shooters coach John Bracken of Rapid City. "If one of them is off a bit, the other four pick him up. The next time, someone else picks the other up. Just like this week. I think they shot so well because they just love shooting, and they've got two good coaches."
A high school team from Missouri were crowned national champions in the senior novice division. With a 973 total score, the team from Steelville finished just three targets ahead of a high school team from Wisconsin. The lowest score on the Steelville team was a remarkable 193 out of 200. The team includes Coty Stites of Cherryville, Travis Caringer of Davisville and Steelville's Jeremy Jaycox, James Montgomery and Kyle Wallen.
"The only thing I can say is they did it," said Steelville coach Allan Stites. "The parents were behind them 100 percent, the school was behind us. They're country boys. We practice on a farm. We have a homemade thrower, turkeys and chickens running around, and a dog that chases the lost birds. They deserve it all. They were great."
The A&A Shooters from California's Amador County claimed the national title in the junior novice division, hitting 924 of 1,000 and besting their closest competitor by two targets. It was a team effort for A&A, which includes Cameron Warmby of Wilton, Jake Arthur of Ione, Bret Johnson of Pine Grove, Patrick Lindecker of Volcano and Patrick Teixeira of Jackson.
"They improved their score on the second day, which is what they had to do," said A&A coach Richard Lynch of Amador County. "That's how they won the state championship―by shooting better in their second 100. I think that's a testimony to the way these kids respond to what they're taught. The first thing we try to teach them is gun safety and etiquette, the second thing is marksmanship and the third is how to be a competitor. They're all very good students, and I'm just gratified."
In the junior experienced division, Ohio's Sportsman's Club Clay Crushers also held it together to defeat their nearest opponent by two targets. The team of Nathan Waldock of Attica, Matthew Ritz of Attica, Alisha Lutz of Attica, Joshua Reed of Willard and Clay Mesnard of Bloomville broke an impressive 956 of 1,000 targets.
"They shot better than they ever have. This is their best score yet," said Sportsman's Club coach Ron Waldock of Attica. "Last year they took second at the Grand and missed first by one bird, so they were after it this year. They're a team. These guys started with me when they were rookies, and they have just grown and grown."
Also putting in top-three performances at the event were teams from Illinois, Wisconsin and Alabama.
Other states represented at the SCTP national tournament included SCTP teams from Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Washington.
The top three teams in each division received college scholarship awards in the form of savings bonds, with first-place teams receiving $1,000.
SCTP was developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to offer young men and women in grades 12 and under an opportunity to compete as a team in trap, skeet and sporting clays. The program is administered in partnership with the national governing bodies for each of the three shotgun disciplines, the Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association. The ultimate goal is instilling in young participants a commitment to safe firearm handling, teamwork and leadership.
For more information, visit www.nssf.org/sctp.
Results
SCTP National Trapshooting Championships
(held Aug. 8-9, World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta, Ill.)
Senior Experienced Division (Grades 9-12)
First Place—Straight Shooters (S.D.), 979 of 1,000 targets: Foster Bartholow of Rapid City, Donny Quinn of Hermosa, Matt Bartholow of Rapid City, Matt Ziegler of Rapid City, Weston Kintigh of Rapid City.
Second Place—Ziggy's Straight Shooters (S.D.), 977: Ryan Temme of Rapid City, Matt Jones of Rapid City, Brian Bormes of Rapid City, Skyler Burke of Rapid City, Adam Girtz of Black Hawk.
Third Place—Quincy Gun Club Sr. Claybusters (Ill.), 973: Brigham Vonder Haar of Quincy, Reagan Ruths of Quincy, Shelby Ruths of Quincy, Andrew Ludwig of Quincy, Jesse Wegs of Quincy.
Senior Novice Division (Grades 9-12)
First Place—Steeleville FFA (Mo.), 947 of 1,000 targets, plus 118 of 125 in shoot-off tiebreaker: Coty Stites of Cherryville, Jeremy Jaycox of Steeleville, James Montgomery of Steelville, Kyle Wallen Steeleville, Travis Caringer of Davisville.
Second Place—Burlington High School Demons (Wisc.), 947, plus 116 of 125 in shoot-off tiebreaker: Jon Ebbers of Burlington, Taylor Kojis of Burlington, Jared Wieners of Burlington, George Haubert of Burlington, Jake Wedmen of Burlington.
Third Place—Shelbyville Central High School (Tenn.), 940: Josh Phillips of Shelbyville, Clint Nichols of Shelbyville, Justin Gordon of Shelbyville, Nick Brown of Shelbyville, Robert Collins of Shelbyville.
Junior Experienced Division (Grades 6-8)
First Place—Sportsman's Club Clay Crushers (Ohio), 956 of 1,000 targets: Nathan Waldock of Attica, Matthew Ritz of Attica, Alisha Lutz of Attica, Joshua Reed of Willard, Clay Mesnard of Bloomville.
Second Place—Waterfall Valley (Ala.), 954: Stephen Mitchell of Russellville, Kollin Hester of Tuscumbia, Jacob Gist of Russellville, Alex Pounders of Russellville, Blake Reed of Spruce Pine.
Third Place—Southwest No. 1 (Mo.), 951: Charly Phillips of Seligman, Matthew Snyder Washburn, Brittany Wright of Washburn, Jason Cockrum of Washburn, Alan McNabb of Seligman.
Junior Novice Division (Grades 6-8)
First Place—A&A Shooters (Calif.), 924 of 1,000 targets: Cameron Warmby of Wilton, Jake Arthur of Ione, Bret Johnson of Pine Grove, Patrick Lindecker of Volcano, Patrick Teixeira of Jackson.
Second Place—Cranberry's Clay Crushers (Ohio), 922: Nate Sherman of Cardington, Garret Nigh of Galion, Kyle Gray of Edison, Art Bowersmith of Cardington, Shelby Shirley of Galion.
Third Place—No Fly Zone (Tenn.), 917: Kayla Watkins of Puryear, Drake Williams of Paris, Matthew Laxton of Buchanan, Garrett Page of Paris, Dillon Beloate of Puryear.
Rookie Division (Grade 5 and Under)
First Place—Chester County (Tenn.), 905 of 1,000 targets: Zeke Yeager of Corinth, Blake Carnell of Henderson, Dalton Mitchell of Luray, Kurt Lecornu of Henderson, Brandon Hughes of Reagan.
Second Place—Valley Busters (Calif.), 856: Jake Wilks of Ballard, Ashley Carroll of Solvang, Justin Mortensen of Santa Ynez, Jordan Puccinelli of Santa Ynez, Wyatt Caldera of Santa Ynez.
Third Place—Jefferson County (Tenn.), 838: Alex Swanger of Dandridge, Michael Hammer of Dandridge, Mason Shepard of Russellville, Hunter Davenport of Bean Station, Mason Thornton of White Pine. | |
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