DeWitt named as SCTP National Team Head Coach
The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) has formalized an agreement to name Terri DeWitt as the 2017/2018 Head coach of the newly developed SCTP-USAS National Team! DeWitt, a 20 year member of the US Army Marksmanship Unit’s shotgun team and 1996 Olympian in Woman’s Double Trap has agreed to head up the 12 person team (6 men / 6 ladies) that formally starts September 1st 2017 and runs through August 31st of 2018. Team members must earn their way on to the team by placing in the top 3 positions in Bunker Trap and International Skeet at the SCTP’s International National Championships held at the US International Shooting Park in Colorado Springs, CO. each year.
“The SCTP National Team will provide young shotgun athletes an amazing opportunity to enter the Olympic pipeline with support and guidance!” Said Terri DeWitt, Head Coach – SCTP National Team. “I’m tremendously excited to be a part of this program and look forward to working with these talented and highly motivated athletes. Congratulations to the SCTP, its sponsors, and to USA Shooting for making their shared Olympic vision a reality.” Terri’s 4th place finish in the ‘96 Olympics, 5 time National record holder, earner of 6 National Championship Titles and 16 World Cup & World Championship medals certainly make her more than qualified to lead this team! “We couldn’t be more proud to name Terri as the head coach!” Said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “This opportunity for SCTP athletes has been in consideration for several years now and with the help from USA Shooting we are extremely happy to get it off the ground. Opening doors and helping define a clearer path to the Olympic dream is what the SCTP is all about!” Terri is also a Level 3 NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor and is finishing her Master’s degree in sport coaching as well as attending the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) Coach School to attain international certification. Most recently, Terri served as the MidwayUSA Foundation Program Manager for the eastern U.S. SCTP National Team Sponsorship opportunities are also available, if interested please contact Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director at twondrash@sssfonline.com
“The SCTP National Team will provide young shotgun athletes an amazing opportunity to enter the Olympic pipeline with support and guidance!” Said Terri DeWitt, Head Coach – SCTP National Team. “I’m tremendously excited to be a part of this program and look forward to working with these talented and highly motivated athletes. Congratulations to the SCTP, its sponsors, and to USA Shooting for making their shared Olympic vision a reality.” Terri’s 4th place finish in the ‘96 Olympics, 5 time National record holder, earner of 6 National Championship Titles and 16 World Cup & World Championship medals certainly make her more than qualified to lead this team! “We couldn’t be more proud to name Terri as the head coach!” Said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “This opportunity for SCTP athletes has been in consideration for several years now and with the help from USA Shooting we are extremely happy to get it off the ground. Opening doors and helping define a clearer path to the Olympic dream is what the SCTP is all about!” Terri is also a Level 3 NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor and is finishing her Master’s degree in sport coaching as well as attending the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) Coach School to attain international certification. Most recently, Terri served as the MidwayUSA Foundation Program Manager for the eastern U.S. SCTP National Team Sponsorship opportunities are also available, if interested please contact Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director at twondrash@sssfonline.com
The 2017 Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) National Championships brought together competitive shooters, ages 8 to 23, from 32 states to compete for national titles in the shotgun disciplines of American Trap, Handicap Trap, Bunker Trap, Trap Doubles, Skeet, Skeet Doubles and Sporting Clays. Pistol and rifle competitors competed for steel shooting titles in Rimfire Pistol, Centerfire Pistol, Iron Sight Rifle and Optics Rifle divisions. “Go545.com is our website and our motto,” said David Richman, coach of the Lake Country Action Shooters and father to two of the team’s top shooters, Dylan and Teagan. “We encourage our shooters to focus on control and accuracy in order to improve their overall speed. We want them to hit 5 targets with 5 bullets…as in Go 5 for 5!” “Our team has been very fortunate and successful over the past five years, said Richman. “Part of the foundation of each of those championship teams were Dylan and Teagan Richman along with the contributions of other excellent athletes. These athletes have graduated and are no longer with us but they were part of our success. Currently there are 3 athletes part of our team since its inception (2012-13 season) they are: Dylan Richman, Teagan Richman and Alex Matson. Two athletes, Dylan and Teagan have been part of every varsity championship win. Alex was part of the varsity team for this year’s win. We currently have new athletes that are working on building their own future on the LCAS team.” The Lake Country Action Shooters had two squads compete in four disciplines at the 2017 SASP National Championships. 
Varsity Squad: Dylan Richman, Teagan Richman, Alex Matson, James Van Gilder
Junior Varsity Squad: Tarek Powell, Jonathan Steffel, Dylan Lenz, Jack Gerstmeier The LCAS Team results were as follows:
Centerfire Pistol
LCAS V CP 177.83 1st
LCAS JV CP 297.21 1st 1911
LCAS V 1911 188.05 1st
LCAS JV 1911 426.46 2nd Optics Rifle
LCAS V OR 151.6 1st
LCAS JV OR 209.75 1st Iron Rifle
LCAS V IR 164.37 1st
LCAS JV IR 223.07 1st Individual CP Awards/ placements:
CP Men
Dylan Richman - 2017 Senior Division Pistol High Male Centerfire
1st Dylan Richman
5th James Van Gilder
6th Alex Matson
36th Dylan Lenz
38 th Jack Gerstmeier
41st Jonathan Steffel
55th Tarek Powell CP Women
1st Teagan Richman - 2017 Senior Division Pistol High Female Centerfire
When combined with all shooters Teagan placed 3rd overall. Individual Rifle Awards/ placements:
IR Ladies
1st Teagan Richman 39.26
OR Ladies
1st Teagan Richman 39.46 Teagan Richman - 2017 Rifle High Female Overall" According to Richman, the team got together for weekly practices during the two months leading up to the SASP National Championships. “Sometimes we shoot live rounds and sometimes we get together for dry-fire practice in one of the kids basements or garages. The parents and families are as big a part of this team as the athletes themselves,” said Richman.
“It wasn’t easy to find a place to get together to shoot live rounds for the first year or two,” stated Richman. “But two shooting clubs in our area took us in and gave us a place to practice. I’d like to thank the Oconomowoc Sportsman's Club and Stonebank Sportsmen's Club for giving us that opportunity.” “We’re also extremely appreciative and thankful for the major support from the ACME Bullet Company and Jagemann Sporting Group for their sponsorship and dedication towards our team year after year.” I asked Richman how he felt about his team winning its 4th consecutive National Title and what he had this to say, “I have been coaching for over 30 years in different sports. I am extremely proud of my athletes that I have been able to coach over these past five short years. Each athlete has made an impact and contributed in the direction and success of the Lake Country Action Shooting program. The hard work, dedication, and camaraderie that these athletes exhibited this year were outstanding. With all of these components together it has made this year very special for me. The results truly speak volumes of this team.”
Name: Drew Beeler State: Tennessee Program: SCTP and SASP Team: McKenzie Shooting Sports How the SCTP and SASP have helped me as a young person: Both the SCTP and the SASP have helped me learn to focus and have more self discipline to achieve personal goals and accomplishments. About the NRA/SSSF 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 
scholarships totaling $83,000. Prior to SSSF, many students never or had only rarely shot a gun. Feeder organizations such as 4H and the Boy Scouts gave them opportunities to try. Many parents asked SSSF to help their children get involved in shooting. The children loved the sports, become members and gained deeper knowledge about shooting. I learned many teams were created by the desire of a parent to enable their child to shoot responsibly and routinely. Young shooters told me the attractions of these sports: they love to shoot, they value opportunities to improve, they welcome challenges, they can be competitive or just have fun, and, unlike most sports, they can participate throughout their lives. The vast property was lush and green with stands of hardwoods and cornfields, the earth’s fragrance more alluring than the finest perfumes. The range was a beehive of activity. Electric carts darted about like bugs on a pond and hundreds of shooters carried shotguns as nonchalantly as if holding bags of popcorn. Anna Van Nostrand, instructor and CZ representative, crafted a beautiful insightful phrase: “This is an environment of positivity.” I arrived on Wednesday, the CZ-USA recognition day. Dave Miller, CZ’s shotgun manager and exhibition shooter, was my host. Dave shot his way into the Guinness Book of Records by breaking 3,653 clays in 60 minutes! CZ has been a Platinum sponsor of this event for five years. Dave tutored me on the sporting clays, make-or-break and crazy-quail disciplines. He even taught me to break targets shooting from my hip! These programs require great effort. Ben Berka, President/Executive Director of SSSF, and Louise Terry, Chairman of the SSSF Board, told of the thousands of hours of organizing the event and the engagement of hundreds of volunteers. But it’s all worth it, they said. The youngsters are learning skills, get outside away from iPhones and, most significantly, develop a dedication to the American heritage and an appreciation for individual liberty. “The SSSF is about more than just breaking pieces of clay,” Louise told me. Support for SSSF signifies a commitment to shooting’s future. Companies such as CZ-USA, Hodgdon Powder and Fiocchi USA routinely make substantial financial commitments. Observing this championship, I am comforted that the future of shooting looks bright indeed. Michael Sabbeth is a lawyer and writer in Denver, Colorado. Please see his book The Good, The Bad & The Difference: How to Talk with Children About Values. Now in an eBook, available at Amazon.com 
“Our team grant cycle plays a key role in achieving our mission and we are thrilled more teams continue to take advantage of our program. We are funding almost 100 more youth shooting teams this June than June of 2016 and we have high hopes that growth will continue,” said MidwayUSA Foundation Executive Director, Randy Moeller. Teams with a balance in their Team Endowment are eligible to apply for a team grant once per year by completing the MidwayUSA Foundation grant application. Youth shooting teams can receive 5% of their endowment balance to use for team expenses, such as ammunition, travel, entry fees, uniforms, targets, and more. Right now, over 2,500 teams have a balance, totaling over $96 Million. The next deadline to apply for a team grant is December 15. Teams interested in their eligibility can email 
Name: Lydia Koetting State: Missouri Program: SASP Team: Arnold Junior Shooters How the SASP has helped me as a young person: The Scholastic Action Shooting Program has helped me develop as a young person by allowing me to express who I am through the sport I love competing in. It helps me with my social skills, team work skills, and allows for me to expand my knowledge and help to teach others what I know. About the NRA/SSSF 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 