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.

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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

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!!!

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!

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this month’s episode, we have back-to-back interviews! First, we recap some SASP news from the World Speed Shooting Championship. Then, we speak with SCTP athlete, Jake Deane to talk about what to expect at SCTP Nationals, the college selection, and practicing on a small ammo budget. Robbi Vincent of College Shooting Sports Recruiting calls in to talk to us about how making a shooting sports profile can make signing with a college team a breeze.

Start listening now on Anchor or on your favorite listening platform by searching for the SSSF Rangetime Podcast

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), a 501(c)(3) public charity responsible for all aspects of the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) and Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), is proud to announce the athletes of the 2021 SSSF College All-American Pistol Team. With the recent selection of the SASP as the national governing body by college coaches, the SSSF is proud to continue the All-American Team and has established its first College All-American Pistol Team. These high-performing athletes are honored as All-Americans, meeting stringent score cut-offs.

INTERNATIONAL AIR PISTOL
1ST TEAM

Katelyn Abeln, Sophomore, The Ohio State University

Sara Choe, Freshman, United States Coast Guard Academy

Matthew Donze, Junior, United States Military Academy

Samuel Gens, Senior, The Ohio State University

Henry Leverett, Freshman, The Ohio State University

Jackson Leverett, Freshman, The Ohio State University

Maria Tsarik, Freshman, The Ohio State University

Benjamin Waalkes, Junior, United States Coast Guard Academy

2nd Team

Luke Braun, Sophomore, United States Military Academy

Georgia Eddy, Senior, Texas A&M University

Carrie Haltiwanger, Junior, Presbyterian College

Crystal Kim, Freshman, United States Coast Guard Academy

Con Marrinan, Senior, The Ohio State University

Bernard Melus, Senior, The Ohio State University

Jay Palacios, Texas A&M University

Jared Zollner, Junior, North Dakota State University

Honorable Mention

Amanda Ackerman, Sophomore, The Ohio State University

Benjamin Bryant, Graduate, Texas A&M University

James Burroughes, Sophomore, United States Military Academy

Esther Choe, Senior, United States Coast Guard Academy

Pierce Garver, Sophomore, United States Military Academy

Alexa Hannahs, Junior, North Dakota State University

Steven Jones, Junior, The Citadel

Grace Seong, Sophomore, United States Military Academy

Kaitlin Slaubaugh, Sophomore, North Dakota State University

STANDARD PISTOL
1ST TEAM

Katelyn Abeln, Sophomore, The Ohio State University

Sarah Choe, Freshman, United States Coast Guard Academy

Henry Leverett, Freshman, The Ohio State University

Jackson Leverett, Freshman, The Ohio State University

Benjamin Waalkes, Junior, United States Coast Guard Academy

2nd Team

Samuel Gens, Senior, The Ohio State University

Cade Haiby, Junior, The Ohio State University

Steven Jones, Junior, The Citadel

Bernard Melus, Senior, The Ohio State University

Jared Zollner, Junior, North Dakota State University

Honorable Mention

Jay Palacios, Texas A&M University

INTERNATIONAL SPORT PISTOL
1ST TEAM

Katelyn Abeln, Sophomore, The Ohio State University

Sarah Choe, Freshman, United States Coast Guard Academy

Matthew Donze, Junior, United States Military Academy

Henry Leverett, Freshman, The Ohio State University

Jackson Leverett, Freshman, The Ohio State University

Bernard Melus, Senior, The Ohio State University

Maria Tsarik, Freshman, The Ohio State University

Benjamin Waalkes, Junior, United States Coast Guard Academy

2nd Team

Amanda Ackerman, Sophomore, The Ohio State University

Luke Braun, Sophomore, United States Military Academy

James Burroughes, Sophomore, United States Military Academy

Esther Choe, Senior, United States Coast Guard Academy

Cade Haiby, Junior, The Ohio State University

Chia-Chi Hu, Junior, United States Military Academy

Jay Palacios, Texas A&M University

Jared Zollner, Junior, North Dakota State University

Honorable Mention

Isabella Firenzi, Junior, United States Coast Guard Academy

Steven Jones, Junior, The Citadel

Crystal Kim, Freshman, United States Coast Guard Academy

Soraya Nevin, Sophomore, North Dakota State University

2021 ALL-AMERICAN SCORE CUT-OFFS:
INTERNATIONAL AIR PISTOL
1ST TEAM

Men: 569.00 – 554.13

Women: 559.14 – 546.00

2nd Team

Men: 552.60 – 545.50

Women: 537.82 – 528.40

Honorable Mention

Men: 542.88 – 538.88

Women: 524.75 – 520.00

INTERNATIONAL SPORT PISTOL
1ST TEAM

Men: 567.50 – 559.88

Women: 568.50 – 552.67

2nd Team

Men: 558.14 – 553.75

Women: 540.67 – 526.71

Honorable Mention

Men: 549.11

Women: 524.67 – 523.50

STANDARD PISTOL
1ST TEAM

562.67 – 545.83

2nd Team

540.33 – 532.00

Honorable Mention

530.00

When clay target coaches begin with a new athlete, they often begin with fundamentals of eye dominance. During the first day of St. Mary’s Trap Team practice for Emily Ferguson, she promptly told her coach she was left-eye dominant. When questioned her confidence in that answer before the drill had even begun, she playfully replied, “I only have one eye, trust me on this one.”

Fast forward to present day, Emily Ferguson’s many accomplishments include High Overall Grand Champion of the SCTP Tennessee Trap State Championship, shooting a 199/200 at Nationals 2019, and winning the Rudy Cup, an award only given to the top shooter from Tennessee at Nationals, becoming the first female in history to claim the title. These incredible accomplishments demonstrate the truly level playing field that shooting sports offers young athletes.

As a young adult trying to make sense of her interests and future career choices, she is turning to her own incredibly difficult, yet inspiring experiences. Emily has triumphantly beat cancer three times. Retinoblastoma at just eighteen-months old required removing the right eye to help prevent chance of metastasis. Later at the age of eleven, Ewing sarcoma occurred in Emily’s ribs and part of her lung, with a recurrence requiring treatment five years later. Emily is thankfully in remission and after spending an immeasurable amount of time at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, she has found inspiration in prosthetic design. “Traditional prosthetic limbs are not typically aesthetically pleasing. I found resources online that inspired me to look into unique prosthetic design. I think what I want to do is create unique designs where people want to show them off rather than wearing long sleeves and pants year-round.”

Known on the St. Mary’s Trap Team as “Ace” and team captain, Emily Ferguson embraces her role as a leader for the sport and the SCTP. “I am an introvert by nature, but with my team out on the field, I’m in my element. This is definitely what I love to do and I’m even a certified coach now. It doesn’t feel like work to me and coaching is really something I hope I can continue to do in the future.”

A YOUNGER EMILY FERGUSON COULDN’T HAVE KNOWN THAT STUMBLING UPON SHOOTING SPORTS WOULD BE CHANGING THE TRAJECTORY OF HER LIFE IN SUCH A MEANINGFUL WAY.

Derby Day, as it’s called at St. Mary’s in Memphis, Tennessee, is typical of activity fairs seen throughout the country. At a booth promoting clay target sports is where this soon-to-be champion began her path to development as an athlete and young adult.

“I came out of an all-girls middle school, as a shy, awkward thing. I couldn’t hold a conversation to save my life and wouldn’t look people in the eye. My dad hunts a lot and I saw shooting sports as something to do with dad. My dad has been my one and only financial sponsor in this game since day one. I joined the trap team and in my first year after the SCTP Tennessee State Championship, the team promoted me to varsity. Now I am the Team Captain. I feel a lot more confident in myself. Getting involved in shooting sports and the SCTP, more specifically, has definitely changed my life for the better.”

Away from the line, Emily can be seen laughing and having a good time with the St, Mary’s Trap Team, but in the moments before a shoot, she peels away to compose her mental focus. Those who observe the all-ladies trap team in a competition notice Emily’s leadership and the young athletes shooting together like a well-oiled machine. Quiet fist bumps are exchanged between each station and it’s back to laser-focused performance. Now having graduated from high school, Emily’s time on the St. Mary’s Trap Team has come to an end but she will always be known as “Ace”.

When asked what is next for the champion from Tennessee, she laughed and replied, “I’ll be taking a gap year, but when I go to college something that’s non-negotiable for me is finding college with a shooting team. I want to switch gears to bunker trap. It’s really exciting that bunker is getting more popular. The rest of the world shoots bunker, but no one else in the world shoots American trap!”

For those interested in trying out shooting sports, Emily has very simple advice. “Just try it out. Most people at gun clubs are so helpful and encouraging. You may not even have to buy a gun on the spot. Everyone I’ve met in this sport is so incredibly supportive. Although you do compete against each other, we want each other to be the best out there. I never thought that this would turn into such a big thing for me and here I am doing an interview at the National Championship with the SCTP.”