Nearly 2,700 to Attend Iowa SCTP Trap Championships
Cedar Falls, IA - Starting Wednesday, June 6th the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Iowa State Trapshooting Association (ISTA) will be hosting the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) state trapshooting championship event at the ISTA home grounds just north of Cedar Falls. Middle school and elementary aged athletes will begin the competition on Wednesday with high school athletes competing Thursday through Sunday. Over 630,000 clay targets will be fired at during the five days of competition with 2,639 youth from 117 Iowa teams scheduled to participate. This week’s trap championship event is the first culminating event to a season of trap, skeet and sporting clays competitions that started last fall where Iowa teams logged 800 competition events from September 1 through the end of May. Iowa youth have fired at nearly 1.7 million clay targets in these local competitions alone. Event Details Wednesday, June 6th – Rookie and Intermediate Divisions (Grades 8 and under) Thursday, June 7th – Doubles and Handicap (i.e. added distance) Events, All Ages Friday, June 8 through Sunday June 10 – High School Divisions Iowa State Trapshooting Association Home Grounds 6138 W Cedar Wapsi Rd, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Event Program, Schedules and Results Complete event program can be found at: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/Law%20Enforcement/2018eprogram.pdf Interactive squad schedules may be viewed by going to http://shot.sssfonline.com/shot/bin/comp/report/schedule.asp?id=1724 then navigating to the event you would like to see the squad schedule for. Results leaderboards can be found at: http://shot.sssfonline.com/shot/bin/comp/report/leaderboard.asp?id=1724 Scheduled Teams and Athlete Hometown List https://sssfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Iowa_State_Trapshoot_AthleteList_2018.xlsx https://sssfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Iowa_State_Trapshoot_AthleteList_2018.pdf Media Contact Chris VanGorp, Shooting Sports Coordinator, Iowa DNR Chris.VanGorp@dnr.iowa.gov 515-313-8048 Download the complete media advisory here.
Not only was this particular camp an opportunity to train on the home range of USA Shooting’s National JO Championships as well as the SCTP’s International National Championships, it gave National Team members a chance to test their training under true match conditions. Coach DeWitt explains, “You can never quite replicate match pressure in a training environment, which is what makes ‘practice’ matches like these so valuable.” The results speak for themselves. All four SCTP National Team athletes made the finals in their respective events and two of them came away with medals; AJ Nomina took home a Bronze medal in Skeet and Tyler Theide battled his way to the Silver medal in Trap. National Team (NT) athletes earned their spot via participation and placement in the 
When describing his experience of being a part of the U.S. Junior Team that earned the team bronze in Moscow, Christman was at a loss for words. He said it was a moment unlike any other and the most rewarding moment of his shooting career. The raw emotions flooding through him described the moment perfectly. “Honestly that is the most… It’s one of the most… I was filled with the most pride when I was in Russia and our country’s flag was being raised on the pole, and you got to hear the United States National Anthem. There were so many other countries there, but yet ours was the one being played and you were one of the few wearing the colors… It was a very humbling experience,” Christman said. Christman, who competes in International Skeet (I-Skeet), began shooting when he was a freshman at Soddy-Daisy High School in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. However, now a freshman at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee, he has been shooting I-Skeet for only two years. When Christman began shooting, he did not know that he could even make Team USA or eventually compete at the Olympics. However, a chance encounter with Team USA and two-time Olympic gold medalist shooter Vincent Hancock at the 2015 SCTP National Championships in Sparta, Illinois, inspired him to give I-Skeet a try. He now competes with Hancock on Team USA, whom he has looked up to since they met in 2015. “I was late in the game as far as competition-wise. Most people start when they are a bit younger than I was. I didn’t start shooting international skeet competitively until I was a junior in high school. I was rather old for not knowing what I was doing to begin with, so I had to make a lot of progress in order to get my in,” Christman said. If his championship titles were not proof enough of his abilities, Christman has earned his place on Team USA three times now. He first received a nomination for the team after winning the silver medal at the 2017 National Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs. The same summer he medaled at the Junior Nationals and then made the Junior World Team in 2017. All three instances earned him a spot on Team USA. “I was ecstatic. I knew going into the tournament that was on the line; of course I wasn’t focusing on that, but I knew very well that that was the goal of the tournament. That was the goal of everyone there shooting,” Christman said. “[Team USA] was one of the main things I wanted from the very beginning. Even in the beginning, I really wanted to be a part of a team to just have that sense of pride in your country. That meant a lot to me.” While most members of Team USA live in different states, the camaraderie when the members shoot together is unlike anything else, Christman said. Team USA gives “the opportunity to go travel places and shoot tournaments in different places and experiences to help you grow as an athlete,” he said. 
Even as a freshman in college, Christman manages to dedicate time for both Team USA and the Martin Methodist Clay Target team, as well as himself to his education. A nursing major, Christman is determined to be a specialist in the medical field. Even being on two shooting teams on which he travels internationally through the school year, he has maintained a 3.98 GPA. Christman says it’s a challenge at times, but time management is the key to balancing his extracurricular activities. “That’s just Eli,” said Dylan Owens, a fellow competitor and friend. Emma Williams, a fellow Martin Methodist and Team USA shooter, has seen firsthand how Eli has improved and dedicated himself to the sport. “Eli has improved not only as an athlete, but a person as well since we began shooting together. He is an outstanding shot and continues to improve and work on himself every day,” Williams said. “He always pushes me to do my best and to train as hard as I can. He is one of the hardest working people that I’ve met, and that pushes me to work even harder so I can keep up with him.” Christman trains six days a week for multiple hours to prepare for his upcoming tournaments and makes sure he is the best shooter he can possibly be. Focusing on putting himself in a tournament mindset, Christman treats every practice as if he is in final shoot-offs, which have become the most important events of his tournaments. “If you can make it into the top 6 [of a tournament], it pretty much is up to the 60 targets in the finals. You have 60 targets to make it or break it, so that is what I am focusing on here lately.” Christman will compete in the 2018 World Championships in Changwon, South Korea, in September and Porpetto, Italy, on the Junior Team in preparation for the 2020 Olympics. “Tokyo 2020 is the goal,” Christman said. Christman shoots a Krieghoff K-80, which he connected with immediately. Throughout the many guns he has shot during his career, Christman said the K-80 just clicked with him. Sydney Carson, also a fellow Martin Methodist and Team USA shooter, said that shooting with Christman has made her a better shooter in many ways. His sportsmanship on and off the range pushes her to improve herself. “Eli is the kind of person who will always help you better yourself. Whether it be in training, competition, school, or even just striving to be a better person, he is always setting a great example.” Chad Whittenburg, head coach of the Martin Methodist Clay Target team, believes Christman will continue to succeed in the shooting sports no matter where he goes. “The sky is the limit for this young man. He has the drive, the passion, the resources, the coaching and the environment to achieve any goal he sets. I have no doubt we will see him as an Olympian one day.”
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.