CZ-USA Renews Sponsorship with SCTP
CZ-USA announced recently that they will sponsor the SCTP again as a Platinum Level Sponsor for the 2018 shooting year! CZ-USA has developed the “SCTP Sterling” available now as well as competition type shotguns like the CZ-USA “All American Trap Combo” and the “612 Target ” for competitive shooters of all ages. People can see many of these fine firearms at our national championships being held July 14-21 at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio! “The SCTP is a world class program and understands what it takes to run a youth shooting organization!” said Dave Miller, CZ-USA’s Special Project & Shotgun Product Manager. “We believe very strongly in the SCTP’s mission and direction and are proud to support such a fine organization with our products!” CZ-USA has supported the SCTP at a very high level now for several years. They are constantly looking for ways to get more involved with both the SCTP and the SASP, both programs of the SSSF. “We are very proud to have World record holder Dave Miller and CZ-USA a part of our program!” commented Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “CZ-USA is a great friend and partner of not only our national organization but of the teams and families as well! Like many of our other sponsors, CZ-USA gets it. They understand that our youth are the future of the shooting sports and they work closely with us in developing more opportunities for them. We appreciate all they do in support of what we stand for!” Are you or your company interested in being part of or supporting the largest competitive youth shooting program in the world? Then contact Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director at twondrash@sssfonline.com or check out our 2018 Media Guide at: https://sssfonline.org/about-sssf/advertise-us/.
Bernie got his start in youth clay target sports in 2009 as the coach of the Heathwood Hall Sporting Clays team in support of his sons shooting sports interest. He left Heathwood to take on the volunteer role of youth programs director at Mid Carolina Gun Club in Orangeburg SC and starting the Mid Carolina 4-H program. He became a SCTP head coach in 2011 for the Mid Carolina Young Guns SCTP team. Bernie led the effort to bring SCTP back to SC in 2013 after a 2-year hiatus by volunteering to serve as State Advisor for SC. In 2017, he built a partnership with 4-H teams in South Carolina that has resulted in several new SCTP teams, more shooting opportunities for kids and has seen SCTP participation triple in the last year. Bernie is a 4-H State Instructor and has certified over 200 coaches in support of his passion for promoting youth shooting by equipping new teams with qualified coaches. Bernie will be working primarily from his home office in Orangeburg, South Carolina supporting the southeast states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina. Bernie can be reached at 
The Allen Eagles Competitive Shooting Team won the High Overall Team Championship by a margin of 42 targets out of 1,500 over the Southlake Carroll Target Program who earlier this year placed 1st in the North Texas League by 29 targets over the Eagles out of 4,500 shot in 9 league events. Also in the running for the HOA team state crown, 1 target separated 3rd place Red Oak High School Shotgun Team from 4th place Grace Cougars of Tyler with newcomer Keller High School Clay Target Team in 5th place by just 4 more targets. Allen and Southlake tied for the Skeet team award. But, Allen got the win in a shootoff with Southlake veterans Nicholas Godfrey and Tyler Hall demonstrating exceptional sportsmanship. The Eagles took the Sporting Clays team award by 3 targets over the Dragons. And Pleasant Grove Shotgun Club bested Allen by 1 target out of 500 for the Trap Team Championship. The level of competition just keeps getting tougher. Every year, there are more and better teams competing. “Every year, we graduate a bunch of great shooters and fool ourselves into thinking we’ve seen the best of the best. But each year, a new crop of young shooters step up to the plate and raise the bar,” noted Eagles head coach Jason Anderson. “We just reload.” Allen had a host of individual and squad award winners too! SKEET
Team: GOLD-Trevor Christensen, Morgan Scott, Nick Welch
Varsity Squad: BRONZE-Morgan Scott, Robert Beach, Sean Packer
Varsity Lady: GOLD-Morgan Scott, BRONZE-Bailey Finnelly
JV Squad: Trenton Christensen, Meredith McCarty, Garrett Koch
Intermediate/Advanced Squad: SILVER-Owen Lyons, Riley Showah, Brandon Martin
Intermediate/Advanced Athlete: GOLD-Owen Lyons
Intermediate/Entry Squad: GOLD-Nick Welch, Dylan Little, Tyler Stelmach
Intermediate/Entry Athlete: GOLD-Nick Welch, SILVER-Dylan Little TRAP
Team: SILVER-Robert Beach, Bailey Finnelly, Sean Packer, Morgan Scott, Kaleb Carper
Varsity Squad: GOLD-Robert Beach, Bailey Finnelly, Morgan Scott, Jackson Harper, Jake Lundberg
& SILVER-Sean Packer, Kaleb Carper, Thomas Keele, John Lyons, Grant Stelmach
Varsity Lady: SILVER-Bailey Finnelly, BRONZE-Morgan Scott
JV Squad: SILVER-Ellie Moeller, Oliver Harrison, Presli Richmond, Hunter Rhodes, Joseph Showah
JV Lady: BRONZE-Ellie Moeller
Intermediate/Entry Squad: GOLD-Dylan Little, Nick Welch, Tyler Stelmach, Brett Windham, Luc Tomczak & SILVER-Austin Hodge, Alex Martin, Connor Bowles, Alex Bull, Samantha Gott & BRONZE-Hudson Cooper, Logan Martinez
Intermediate/Entry Athlete: BRONZE-Hudson Cooper
Intermediate/Entry Lady: BRONZE-Samantha Gott SPORTING CLAYS
Team: GOLD-Sean Packer, Grant Stelmach, Thomas Keele
Varsity Squad: GOLD-Sean Packer, Grant Stelmach, Thomas Keele
Intermediate/Advanced Squad: SILVER-Owen Lyons, Brandon Martin, Riley Showah
Intermediate/Advanced Athlete: GOLD-Owen Lyons
Intermediate/Entry Squad: GOLD-Nick Welch, Dylan Little, Tyler Stelmach & BRONZE-Austin Hodge, Brett Windham, Luc Tomczak
Intermediate/Entry Athlete: SILVER-Nick Welch HIGH OVER ALL H.O.A. Team: GOLD-Allen Skeet: Trevor Christensen, Morgan Scott, Nick Welch, Grant Stelmach, Sean Packer Sporting Clays: Sean Packer, Grant Stelmach, Thomas Keele, Kaleb Carper, Nick Welch Trap: Robert Beach, Bailey Finnelly, Sean Packer, Morgan Scott, Kaleb Carper H.O.A. Varsity Athlete: BRONZE-Sean Packer
H.O.A. Varsity Lady: SILVER-Morgan Scott, BRONZE-Bailey Finnelly
H.O.A. Intermediate/Advanced Athlete: GOLD-Owen Lyons
H.O.A. Intermediate/Entry Athlete: SILVER-Nick Welch, BRONZE-Dylan Little
H.O.A. Intermediate/Entry Lady: BRONZE-Samantha Gott
were slowly getting easier. Knowing how important it is to be active and involved he was approached by his dad and asked if he had any interest in trap shooting. His grandparents had been league trap shooters at the Waukesha Gun Club while his dad was growing up. He was excited to give it a try. He was ready to find something he could be good at with or without diabetes. Fast forward 3 years, Jack is now a varsity trap shooter for Poplar Creek Claybusters. He started at the intermediate level while in 8th grade. He traveled throughout southeastern Wisconsin shooting in tournaments and improving his skills that season. On June 26, 2016, he went to Rome, Wisconsin to shoot in the SCTP State Trap Tournament. He participated in the 21yd intermediate handicap and took 3rd place. This was a huge accomplishment for him in year one. While continuing to shoot trap for a second season, he was asked to tryout for a pistol and rifle team. He joined Lake Country Action Shooters (LCAS) in late May, 2017. He immediately began practices and on June 11, joined LCAS at State in Sturgeon Bay, WI. This would be his first pistol and rifle competition and the weather provided him a great challenge. Many of the teams opted to wait out the storm. Jack's coach insisted they persevere, if they could shoot in this they could shoot in anything. The team walked away with two 1st place ribbons for center fire pistol and optic rifle. It was quite an accomplishment in the few weeks he was with the team. Just a short 6 weeks after state, LCAS traveled to SASP Nationals in Marengo, Ohio. With a few additional weeks of practice for Jack, his JV squad walked away with three 1st place ribbons in optic rifle, iron rifle, and center fire pistol and a 2nd place in 1911. He returned to Marengo again in October this time as a member of the varsity squad and came home with four first place medals. To improve upon his success from the year before with Poplar Creek, Jack’s JV Squad took 1st place in the NWCTC Eastern Division Conference. Jack continued to improve, putting up some personal bests. With all the successes with his shooting teams last season, in August, 2017 Jack received the “artificial pancreas”. This is still not a cure for type 1 diabetes, but definitely a game changer for him. His continual blood sugar roller coasters have almost disappeared. His new pump, regulates his blood sugar with the use of a continuous glucose monitor that gives his pump blood sugar readings every 5 minutes and decides to give or not give him insulin based on the numbers. He is finally starting to feel “normal” again, thanks to the latest and greatest in medical technology. He is off to a great start again this year with both Poplar Creek Claybusters and Lake Country Action Shooters. For the first time in 2 years, he has had two 24/25 rounds this week. He is aiming for that 25/25 perfect round. He continues to work on reducing his time with pistol and rifle as he shoots at the varsity level this year. He looks forward to finishing this season strong in both disciplines, while looking ahead to the future. He continues to manage type 1 diabetes through technology and self discipline and is not going to let it stop him from achieving his goals. Jack credits the SCTP and SASP organizations for providing alternative sports for today’s youth. The coaching he has received in both disciplines and his continued development has given him a new level of confidence. His coaching and training along with his new pump allow him to walk up to the line not as a diabetic but as a competitor just like everyone else.
Young Guns, Lake Oconee, Forest City and Central Georgia represent 4 of the top 5 winning teams at the 2017 SCTP National Championship out of over 200 teams nationwide. Andrew Weiche and Tate Skipper, both of Macon, led the charge for Central Georgia Elite and ended up tied for the High Over All individual honor which was settled by a shoot-off that went Weiche’s way. Ambus Powell of the Worth County Shotgun Team finished third overall. Reanna Frauens of Coral Gables, Florida, won Ladies HOA shooting for the Young Guns at Quail Creek followed by Alexis Eidson and Dallas Ward for Central Georgia Elite. Men's Sporting Clays ended in a tie between perennial Georgia powerhouses Aaron Copelan of Lake Oconee and Kevin Bandt of the Brookine Top Shots. Copelan won the shoot-off to take the title. Andrew Weiche finished 3rd. The Ladies sporting champion was Central Georgia's Alexis Eidson followed by Reanna Frauens. Ashley Blenker of Quail Creek and Camryn McCraney of Etowah Valley tied for 3rd. Sunday’s Skeet event ended with three perfect scores of 100 by Tate Skipper, Reanna Frauens and Buford’s Camryn McCraney, who shoots for the Etowah Valley Mambas. Skipper eventually won the event via shoot-off, and then Frauens defeated McCraney to win the Ladies Division. Lake Oconee Collegiate shooter Tyler Hyatt also shot a perfect 100 straight. Forest City Gun Club has a busy competitive calendar in 2018. In addition to this SCTP Regional, they hosted the 2018 NSSA Krieghoff MASTERS Skeet tournament May 3-6. In June, they will hold the Georgia State Sporting Clays Championship and in September, they will host the NSCA Southeastern Regional Championship for a field of over 600 shooters. Article by Lee Summerford, Forest City Gun Club.
ious special needs at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields in Fairfield, Ohio. The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields at Hatton Park are the realization of one of several charitable works envisioned by the late major league pitcher and Reds broadcaster Joe Nuxhall. Encounters with service organizations dedicated to helping children and adults with disabilities, as well as his association with amateur sports organizations of all kinds, led Joe to the realization that no baseball diamonds existed to facilitate unrestricted play for people with physical and mental challenges. He developed a resolve to provide such a ballpark for his community. The Ohio Steel Stingers were partnered with individual players to help them hit the ball, run the bases, field the ball or just have fun. Smiles were seen throughout the park from the players and their new buddies.