2021 National Championships Break Multiple Records

Each year in July, thousands of youth shooting sports athletes converge at the Cardinal Shooting Center for their National Championship. To support the monumental ten-day event, team coaches, adult volunteers, family members, sponsors, program staff, vendors, and others all do their part to ensure each youth shooting team's Nationals experience is unforgettable. Affected by an abbreviated close to last year's season, the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) both saw the prestigious National Championships come roaring back, with teams from 33 different states setting all-time records for attendance. A new bar has been set and the outlook for youth shooting sports is looking brighter than ever.

On the front end of Nationals were the international events of Bunker Trap, International Skeet, Air Pistol, Air Rifle, and Sport Pistol. As the Official Youth Feeder Programs for USA Shooting, the SCTP and SASP provide many opportunities for competition and development for athletes chasing their Olympic dreams. The American sports of Action Shooting, Skeet, Trap, and Sporting Clays followed with a 10-day event schedule.

Just over 2,700 SCTP athletes competed in their respective clay target sports, totaling 7,658 entries. These participation numbers clearly solidified 2021 as the largest SCTP National Championship to date. To put this into perspective, over 1.4 million White Flyer clay targets were thrown at the 2021 National Championship events with an additional 357,000 targets thrown during sponsor demos, shoot offs, last competitor standing, practice, and side games. That is 10 semi-tractor loads, stretching beyond the length of a football field!


On the pistol and rifle side, the SASP opened up with international events with the 2020-2021 season being the first to offer the international disciplines of 10 Meter Air Rifle, 10 Meter Air Pistol, and Sport Pistol. The expansion of shooting disciplines offered by the SASP realizes the SSSF's mission to serve as a feeder/pipeline for organized, sanctioned shooting organizations and teams. 2021 saw SASP's record for the largest action shooting event in the world definitively set for the third consecutive year. Over 700 participants competed in a staggering 2,000 entries where well over 320,000 rounds were fired in competition and over 180,000 additional rounds were fired at sponsor side matches, demos, and practice bays. To accommodate this spike in participation, the Cardinal Shooting Center expanded its action shooting facilities from eight to a total of twelve shooting bays in anticipation of another world record event taking place.

After the final shots were fired at the 2021 National Championships, it would not only set program records but it would also go down as the largest shoot in the history of the Cardinal Shooting Center. Youth shooting sports bounced back from 2020 and we look forward to the new season in August.

2021 Nationals Podcast Series

Catch up on special guests from the 2021 Nationals on the SSSF Rangetime Podcast, available on popular platforms, including Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Athletes, Alum, and Staff represent at Tokyo Olympics

Although the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics did not allow in-person spectators, the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) had a lot to cheer about. Program alumnus, current athletes, and staff were among the incredible lineup of USA Olympic shooting athletes on the big stage in Tokyo. These representatives of Team USA and USA Shooting competed in their particular disciplines of International Skeet, Bunker Trap, 10 Meter Air Pistol, and 10 Meter Air Rifle. These sports are also practiced in the respective team-based youth shooting sports programs of the SCTP and SASP. With 3 Gold medals, 2 Silver medals, and 1 Bronze for USA in Tokyo 2020 Olympic shooting events, let's take a look a deeper look at each:


William Shaner - Gold, Men's 10 Meter Air Rifle

The 20-year old air rifle athlete from Colorado Springs headed to the final on July 25th after placing 3rd in the qualifier earlier in the day. His sixty shots scored for a 630.8, just 1.9 points behind the #1 qualifying athlete. William went on to set a new Olympic Record in the Finals, with his 24 shots scoring a 251.6 to edge out China's Lihao Sheng by 0.7 points. The University of Kentucky student previously won Gold at the 2021 ISSF World Cup in Croatia and as part of the Men's air rifle team at the 2021 ISSF World Cup in New Delhi.

Amber English - Gold, Women's Skeet

1st Lt. Amber English of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, is also a Colorado Springs native. Growing up in a shooting family, Amber began shooting at the age of six. Program representatives recall that 1st Lt. English attended early Scholastic Clay Target Program training camp events on her way to her destiny of becoming an Olympic Gold athlete. On day 1 and 2 of the Women's Skeet Qualification, Amber put up impressive scores before heading to the final on July 26th. There, she set a new Olympic Record of 56 targets, dethroning 2016 Olympic champion Diana Bacosi.

Vincent Hancock - Gold, Men's Skeet

Vincent Hancock, an athlete alumnus of the Scholastic Clay Target Program set a new Olympic Record of 59 targets and became the first Olympic athlete to have won three gold medals in skeet. Hancock attended the very first SCTP training camp on his way to becoming an Olympic athlete. In 2005, at age of 16, Hancock won his first World Championship title in Men's Skeet and went on to win the prestigious International Shooting Sport Federation's Shooter of the Year award.

Hancock's shooting career continued on a path to Olympic gold after participation in the SCTP youth shooting sports program. At the age of 20, Hancock won the Gold Medal in the World Championships in 2009 and continued on to serve in the Army's coveted Marksmanship Unit.

As a proud alumnus, Hancock has conducted training clinics for SCTP members and made appearances at National Championship events to meet and support the next generation of young athletes. His Gold medal victory in Tokyo provided a clean sweep for USA in the Skeet events after Amber English's respective Gold medal performance earlier that day.

Kayle Browning - Silver, Women's Trap

Kayle Browning began her journey in sporting clays where she made the open All-American Team at just 12 years old. The following year, she attended a Junior Olympic Development Camp where she became focused on bunker trap when she realized it was a sport at the Olympics. In 2007, won the bronze medal in the National Junior Olympic Championships. Her performance in Tokyo secured a Silver medal for the US, breaking just one target less than the event leader from Slovakia.

In response to International events being held on the front end of Nationals, Kayle attended the 2020 SCTP National Championship to provide coaching for youth athletes focused on Bunker Trap. Kayle covered the National Championship in her podcast, Beyond The Podium. Listen to the episode here: Beyond The Podium: SCTP Nationals

Madelynn Bernau, Brian Burrows - Bronze, Mixed Team Trap

Madelyn or "Maddy" Bernau began her path to becoming an Olympian when she joined the Waterford Wolverine Shooting Team, participating in the Scholastic Clay Target Program. In the Spring of 2014, Maddy attended an SCTP development camp as a team member on the SCTP International Team, held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The camp was designed to introduce young SCTP athletes into the Olympic disciplines of shotgun sports by subject matter experts, including team coach, Olympic trapshooting medalist Terri DeWitt.

Madelyn (center) with fellow SCTP International Camp members in 2014

"We try to provide a structure and open doors for all our athletes," said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. "Maddy has walked through that door and climbed to a new level. She's setting an outstanding example of where our kids can go."

Madelyn's Bronze medal came after a heartbreaking qualification round of Women's Trap, missing the cutoff by one clay behind her USA teammate, Kayle Browning. For the Mixed Team event, Bernau was one of only two shooters to break all 75 targets. Alongside Team USA and event teammate, Brian Burrows, a shootoff against Slovakia came down to a dropped target that opened up the opportunity for Maddy. A brief moment of performing her pre-shot routine was all she needed to execute, breaking the next target and securing Bronze for the US.

Mary Tucker, Lucas Kozeniesky - Bronze, Mixed Team 10 Meter Air Rifle

After placing 6th in their respective 10 Meter Air Rifle events, Mary Tucker and Lucas Kozeniesky competed in the Mixed Team event on July 27th. With both US mixed teams making it to the second stage of qualification, Mary and Lucas went on to the final with a score of 418, outshooting the ROC for Silver.

James Hall - 10 Meter Air Pistol

The Scholastic Action Shooting Program’s own Director of Development for International Disciplines, James Hall represented Team USA in the 10 Meter Air Pistol and Mixed Team events. Hall’s journey to the Olympic stage began at Jacksonville State University, where he was a four-time All American, Team Captain, and USA National Rifle Team Member. Hall secured the first U.S. quota spot in air pistol for the Olympics in Tokyo with his Gold medal at the 2018 Championship of the Americas. James was just one point from making the 10 Meter Air Pistol final and shot more x’s than all but two athletes in the qualifier. Hall placed 10th in the mixed team event alongside teammate Sandra Uptagrafft.

As the official youth feeder program for USA Shooting, Hall quickly established and continues to expand the SASP’s new international disciplines of 10 Meter Air Rifle, 10 Meter Air Pistol, and Sport Pistol.

Jackson Leverett and Henry Leverett - Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol

Scholastic Action Shooting Program athletes, Jackson Leverett and Henry Leverett are sophomores of the Ohio State University Pistol Team. Prior to joining the pistol team at Ohio, Leveretts set four USA Shooting national records in junior men’s Rapid Fire and junior men’s Sport Pistol. Henry won the U.S. Olympic Rapid Fire quota spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after placing 5th in the 2019 World Cup Bejing, while Jackson helped Team USA win gold medals in Air Pistol and Rapid Fire in the 2018 Championship of the Americas. As current SASP athletes, both Jackson and Henry are SSSF College All Americans, having secured their spots on the 1st teams for international air, sport, and standard pistol. Henry and Jackson Leverett placed 22nd and 25th in the 2nd qualification stage, respectively.

Hunt Giant Whitetails in Iowa – Nonresident Tag Auction

Iowa is considered by many to be one of the premier white-tailed deer hunting destinations in the United States. Dreams come true in the Hawkeye State every year as hunters consistently harvest mature, corn fed bucks that reach well over 200". Getting a tag, however, is easier said than done. Now you can guarantee your tag and promote state and local conservation efforts through the Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program Non-Resident Deer Tag Auction, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

This auction is for One Iowa Special Non-Resident Deer Tag, good Statewide for Archery, Gun season one, Gun season two, or the Late Muzzleloader season during either 2021 or 2022 Iowa deer season (hunter's choice). The deer tag includes 1 'any sex' deer and 1 'antlerless' deer. For seasons and hunting information, go to: http://www.iowadnr.gov/

This Iowa tag is currently open for pre-registration and preview. The auction will begin on July 31st at 12:00PM CST and ends on Friday, August 13 at 12:00PM CST.

The winner of the auction receives a tag that includes 1 any-sex deer and 1 antlerless deer. This non-resident deer tag is good statewide; however, Landowner Permission is required before hunting on private land. The winner of the auction is required to purchase an Iowa nonresident hunting license and pay the non-resident habitat fee.

The tag may be used either in the coming 2021-2022 season, or next year in the 2022-2023 season. The hunter must declare which year and one of the following standard seasons at the close of the auction and no later than September 25th, 2021.

2021-2022 season dates can be found at https://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Deer-Hunting. 2022-2023 dates have not been confirmed at this time but will be similar to 2021-2022 dates.

Youth Shooting Sports Loses Jack Fishburn

With very heavy hearts we write this tribute to Jack Fishburn. The world has lost a great man. As the owner of the Cardinal Shooting Center, Jack Fishburn supported the Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program like no other.

He was very instrumental in making sure our programs had a place we could call “home”. From the additions of the action shooting bays, to the grand project of the new skeet and bunker fields, Jack wanted to keep building it and growing the youth involvement.

We will miss him tremendously but his legacy will live on in the Cardinal Shooting Center that Jack built. Nationals is confirmed to be the biggest year yet for both programs and we know Jack would be proud.

2021 All Scholastic Team Announcement

Congratulations to our shooting sports athletes of the 2021 Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation All-Scholastic Team!

The All-Scholastic Team recognizes the top student-athletes in the SSSF’s Scholastic Clay Target and Scholastic Action Shooting Program for their achievements in the classroom, on the range, and in their communities. Through an application process, 2021 All-Scholastic Team Members have proven academic excellence by posting 3.0 or better grade point averages, shooting excellent scores in recent competition (95% in trap or skeet, 85% in sporting clays, 80% in international trap/skeet or 65 seconds or less for SASP) and by demonstrating outstanding community involvement.

All Scholastic Team Members attending the 2021 National Championships will be honored with a certificate, pin, and be listed on the All Scholastic Team banner in front of the Central Events Building at the Cardinal Center.

2021-AST-Print-1

SASP ATHLETES SET WORLD RECORDS AT THE 2021 WORLD SPEED SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIP

WITH OVER 23 NEW WORLD RECORDS SET, SASP ATHLETES TURNED HEADS IN NEARLY EVERY DIVISION AT THE 2021 WORLD SPEED SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIP! THESE JUNIOR SHOOTERS TRAVELED TO THE CMP MARKSMANSHIP PARK AS INDIVIDUAL COMPETITORS AND RETURNED HOME TO THEIR SASP TEAMS WITH 64 DIFFERENT PODIUM FINISHES BETWEEN THEM.


Congratulations to SASP Athlete and SASP 2020 National Champion Nate Gibson. Nate set a new Steel Challenge world record for Rimfire Pistol Iron with a total time of 69.05 and the previously listed record was a 71.86. That may sound like a slim margin, but in the world of action shooting, Nate SHATTERED that record!

Nate Gibson:
3rd Place, Master class Carry Optics
World Champion, 1st Place Junior, Rimfire Pistol Iron
2nd Place, 1st Place Junior, Rimfire Pistol Open
2nd Place, 1st Place Junior, Rimfire Rifle Iron
2nd Place Junior, 3rd Place, Rimfire Rifle Open

Another HUGE win at the World Speed Shooting Championship by a SASP athlete! Emily Cunningham’s performance in Rimfire Rifle Open claimed the World Lady Championship Title! Emily also placed at World’s in the following: Carry Optics 3rd place Lady, Rimfire Rifle Iron 2nd place Lady, Rimfire Rifle Open 3rd place Junior & 1st place Lady, PCC Iron 2nd place Junior & 2nd place Lady, PCC Open 2nd place Lady, Open 1st B Class and 3rd place Lady

Emily Cunningham:
Rimfire Rifle Open World Lady Champion
Carry Optics 3rd place Lady
Rimfire Rifle Iron 2nd place Lady
Rimfire Rifle Open 3rd place Junior & 1st place Lady
PCC Iron 2nd place Junior & 2nd place Lady
PCC Optics 2nd place Lady
Open 1st B Class and 3rd Lady

Congrats to SASP athlete, Bridget Cunningham for her record-breaking performances at the World Speed Shooting Championship! Bridget not only won FIVE Lady World Championship titles but also set FIVE new Lady World Records, along with SEVENTEEN Lady World Record Stage Times. Bridget’s long list of podium performances include:-Pistol Caliber Carbine Open 2nd place Junior and 1st place Lady-Pistol Caliber Carbine Iron 2nd overall, 2nd place GM, 1st place Junior, and 1st place Lady-Rimfire Rifle Open, 2nd place Lady-Rimfire Rifle Iron, 2nd place Junior and 1st place Lady-Rimfire Pistol Open, 3rd place Junior and 1st place Lady-Rimfire Pistol Iron, 3rd place Junior and 1st place Lady-Production 3rd place B, 2nd place Junior, and 3rd place Lady

Bridget Cunningham:
PCC Open 2nd place Junior and 1st place Lady-PCC Iron 2nd overall, 2nd place GM, 1st place Junior, and 1st place Lady-Rimfire Rifle Open, 2nd place Lady-Rimfire Rifle Iron, 2nd place Junior and 1st place Lady-Rimfire Pistol Open, 3rd place Junior and 1st place Lady-Rimfire Pistol Iron, 3rd place Junior and 1st place Lady-Production 3rd place B, 2nd place Junior, and 3rd place Lady

Connor Knapp from the Boone/Hartford Hotshots decided his first Steel Challenge match would be the World Speed Shooting Championship! Of course, being a SASP athlete, he pretty much cleaned house in U Class! Way to go Connor!

Connor Knapp: 1st Place U Class Rimfire Rifle Open 1st Place U Class Rimfire Pistol Open 1st Place U Class Pistol Caliber Carbine Open 1st Place U Class Rimfire Rifle Iron

SASP athlete, Kylie Wells of the KC Steel Raiders put on quite a show at the World Speed Shooting Championship! Kylie came home with the following honors: 1st High Overall (HOA) B class, 1st HOA Rimfire Rifle Iron B class, 2nd HOA A class, 2nd HOA Pistol Caliber Carbine Open, 2nd Rimfire Pistol Iron A Class, and 2nd Lady Rimfire Pistol Open!

Kylie Wells:
1st High Overall (HOA) B class, 1st HOA Rimfire Rifle Iron B class, 2nd HOA A class, 2nd HOA Pistol Caliber Carbine Open, 2nd Rimfire Pistol Iron A Class, and 2nd Lady Rimfire Pistol Open

Another huge win at the World Speed Shooting Championship by SASP athlete, Kaylee Shaner from LCSA Young Guns! WORLD CHAMPION, Rimfire Rifle Open, B Class 3rd Place Overall B Class out of 120 competitors, 4th Place, Rim Fire Rifle Iron, B Class

Kaylee Shaner:
1st Place Rimfire Rifle Open, B Class
3rd Place Overall B Class out of 120 competitors
4th Place, Rim Fire Rifle Iron, B Class

Congrats to Bailey of the COAHC Lead Slingers for her performance at the World Speed Shooting Championship! Bailey is the 3rd place lady for Rimfire Rifle Iron, IN THE WORLD!!!

Bailey Gallagher:
3rd place lady for Rimfire Rifle Iron

Tanner Gibson from the William Blount Shooting Team set some personal goals for the World Speed Shooting Championship and crushed them! Congratulations on a 2nd place B class Rimfire Rifle Iron finish!

Tanner Gibson: 2nd place B class Rimfire Rifle Iron

More athlete success at the World Speed Shooting Championship! Cody Kenon from Team Rio won 1st place A class in the Single Stack division! Congratulations Cody!!!

Cody Kenon: 1st place A class Single Stack

SASP athlete, Tristan Krauss of the Ballisticrats won 1st place A class Rimfire Rifle Open at the World Speed Shooting Championship!

Tristan Kraus: 1st place A class Rimfire Rifle Open

Congrats to Dustin Duhamel of Team Rio for his 3rd Place B Class award in the Carry Optics division!!!

Dustin Duhamel: 3rd Place B Class Carry Optics

Alora Hager from Team Rio performed at the World Speed Shooting Championship, bringing back some serious hardware! Way to go Alora!!! 2nd Place Master Class Rimfire Pistol Iron 1st Place B Class Pistol Caliber Carbine Iron

Alora Hager:
2nd Place Master Class Rimfire Pistol Iron
1st Place B Class Pistol Caliber Carbine Iron

Gabe Berger of Tulsa SASP came home from the World Speed Shooting Championship with a medal in each hand! Way to go Gabe!!! 2nd place A Class Rimfire Pistol Iron, 3rd place Master Class Rimfire Rifle Iron

Gabe Berger:
2nd place A Class Rimfire Pistol Iron
3rd place Master Class Rimfire Rifle Iron

Timothy Guerrero of the South Texas Shooters performed on the big stage of the World Speed Shooting Championship! This Intermediate/Advanced SASP athlete came in 1st place for B Class Rimfire Pistol Iron 1st place A class Rimfire Pistol Open 1st place Master Rimfire Rifle Iron 2nd place (by a mere two-hundredths of a second) Master Rimfire Rifle Open 1st place A class Pistol Caliber Carbine Open

Timothy Guerrero:
1st place for B Class Rimfire Pistol Iron 1st place A class Rimfire Pistol Open 1st place Master Rimfire Rifle Iron 2nd place (by a mere two-hundredths of a second) Master Rimfire Rifle Open 1st place A class Pistol Caliber Carbine Open

Sydney Vavroch from the Steel Shooters of Traer ruled with iron sights and came back from the World Speed Shooting Championship with some hardware! 2nd B, Rimfire Pistol Iron 2nd A, Pistol Caliber Carbine Iron

Sydney Vavroch:
2nd B, Rimfire Pistol Iron
2nd A, Pistol Caliber Carbine Iron

© Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to providing shooting-sports education and opportunities to school-age youths around the United States to encourage young athlete personal growth and development.
Tax-ID number 20-8484121.