SCTP Blog Archives - Page 43 of 47 - SSSF - Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation

SCTP Athletes Dominate Top Scores at Junior Olympic Nationals

Written by SSSF Staff on August 7, 2014. Posted in SCTP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

Scholastic Clay Target Program athletes have long made their mark in national and international competition, but perhaps in no year has SCTP produced as many of the top shooters in the Olympic development program as in 2014. In every discipline, SCTP was well represented among the medalists in USA Shooting's 2014 Junior Olympic National Championships held in Colorado Springs last month. In International Skeet, four of the top six women's scores were shot by SCTP athletes, while 11 of the top 16 men's scores were recorded by SCTP shooters. Among Bunker Trap shooters, nine of the top 16 women were from SCTP. Men's shooters had a similar top-16 count, with all of the top six athletes and eight of the top nine being SCTP shooters. SCTP almost made a clean sweep in Double Trap. Nineteen of the top 21 shooters and all of the top 10 are from SCTP. "We're very proud of the achievements of these SCTP members, and we're anxiously watching their progress as they follow in the footsteps of such SCTP alums as Olympic gold medalists Kim Rhode and Vincent Hancock and bronze medalist Corey Cogdell," said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. "The state, regional, and national competitions provided by SCTP allow athletes to learn their sport, improve their skills, and gain the competitive experience they need to move on to the world stage." SCTP is an official feeder program to USA Shooting for shotgun disciplines. The National Junior Olympic Program serves as an important element of USA Shooting's pipeline development system in promoting the shooting sports. The goal of Junior Olympics is to allow skilled junior athletes to obtain national competitive experience for future development. The program also serves as an opportunity to appoint the top finishers to the National Junior Team. Click here for more information on the National Junior Olympic Program.

SSSF Extends Agreement with WSRC to Host Nationals Through 2017

Written by SSSF Staff on August 7, 2014. Posted in SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation has contracted with the World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC) to hold its National Team Championships at the Sparta, Illinois facility through 2017. Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive Director, and Art Ashbrook, WSRC Executive Director, signed the agreement recently to formalize the three-year extension of the foundation's relationship with the complex. "We are pleased to call Sparta 'Home of the SSSF National Championships' and look forward to meeting our SSSF extended family there each year during the second full week of July," said Berka. "The Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex are great to work with and are committed to working together with the SSSF to accommodate our growth, both in numbers of participants and in the diversity of events we are offering." WSRA's Ashbrook echoed those sentiments. "The World Shooting and Recreational Complex and the IDNR are extremely pleased by the commitment of the SSSF to hold its National Championships here for the next three years, and hopefully for the next 100," said Ashbrook. "We think we work very well together, serving the community and young shooters alike." More than 10,000 people came to Sparta for the 2014 SCTP National Team Championship and SPP Junior/Senior National Championship at the WSRC in July, including approximately 2500 shooters plus coaches, family members, and other supporters.

SCTP Shooters Compete in International Disciplines

Written by SSSF Staff on August 1, 2014. Posted in Events, SCTP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

SCTP shooters got a taste of Olympic-style shooting last week, competing in the 2014 SCTP National Team Championships for International Disciplines at the International Shooting Park near Colorado Springs, CO. This year's competitor numbers doubled last year's totals. Bunker trap had 90 registrations, with 44 for International Skeet and 55 for International Double Trap. In addition to squad and individual awards for the three disciplines, four athletes earned positions on the USA National Junior Team as a result of their scores:

Roe Reynolds – Bunker Trap
Myles Walker – Bunker Trap
Nic Moschetti – International Skeet
Hank Garvey – International Double Trap

Almost 200 athletes, coaches, and family members attended the awards banquet at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort, where shooters received medals and awards for their accomplishments. The four athletes winning spots on the USA National Junior Team were presented blue USA Shooting jackets by Todd Graves, former Olympian and current USA Shooting National Shotgun Coach. Also attending the banquet and recognizing the shooters were Mike Theimer, USA Shooting Director of Youth Shooting; Lloyd Woodhouse, former Olympian and legendary USA National Coach; Dave Johnson, USA Shooting Director of Operations; and USA Shooting members Nick Boerboon and Morgan Craft.

See Photos from National Championships for International Disciplines

Gold Medal winners include:

International Skeet

Squad - Open		Tampa Bay Clays (FL)
Squad - Senior		Des Moines Clay Crushers (IA)
Individual Men's Collegiate	Clayton Moniot	Kansas City Crushers (KS)
Individual Boys Senior	Nic Moschetti	TSSC Bears (CO)
Individual Boys Intermediate	Dillon Romero	Cody Clay Crushers (WY)
Individual Girls Senior	Molly Sheehan	Minute Man Sharpshooters (MA)

International Trap Doubles

Squad - Open		Arizona Outdoor Sports (AZ)
Squad - Senior		Minute Man Sharpshooters (MA)
Individual Men's Collegiate	Jordan Hintz	BHS Demons (WI)
Individual Boys Senior	Hank Garvey	Minute Man Sharpshooters (MA)
Individual Boys Intermediate	Sam Lama	Centerburg Youth SS (OH)
Individual Girls Senior	Madelynn Bernau	Waterford H.S. Trap Team (WI)

Bunker Trap

Squad - Open		U.S. Clay Target Academy (FL)
Squad - Senior		CTC-Tennessee Blue (TN)
Individual Men's Collegiate	Myles Walker	BHS Demons (WI)
Individual Boys Senior	Roe Reynolds	Central Ark. Shotgun Team (AR)
Individual Boys Intermediate	Gabriel Shandles	U.S. Clay Target Academy (FL)
Individual Boys Rookie	Joshua Vega	U.S. Clay Target Academy (FL)
Individual Girls Senior	Grace Hambuchen	Central Ark. Shotgun Team (AR)
Individual Girls Intermediate	Logan Smith	U.S. Clay Target Academy (FL)

See full scores and results.

Kim Rhode to Serve as Honorary Fundraising Chairperson

Written by SSSF Staff on July 31, 2014. Posted in SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

Five-time Olympic medalist is SCTP Alumna

Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is pleased to announce that Olympic Gold Medalist Kim Rhode will serve as its Honorary Fundraising Chairperson for 2014-2015. Kim is an alumna of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), having been involved in the earliest days of SCTP.

“SCTP was very important to me as I began my competitive shooting career, and I am very pleased to lend my support to promote its ongoing growth,” said Rhode. “Kim represents the best attributes of our program and is a tremendous role model for our youth, not only as an Olympic athlete, but also now as a hard-working mom,” said Louise Terry, Chairperson of the SSSF Board of Directors. “Her extraordinary success in her career is due to her dedication to our sport and to her persistent pursuit of her personal goals. We are very proud of Kim and her outstanding achievements.” Kim Rhode starting shooting skeet at age 10 and won her first World Championship in American skeet only three years later. She won her first Olympic gold medal in women’s double trap at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, making the 17-year-old the youngest female gold medalist in the history of Olympic shooting. Kim followed this performance with a bronze at the Sydney Games in 2000 and another gold medal in double trap in 2004 at the Athens Games. When women’s double trap was eliminated from the Olympics following the 2004 Games, Kim refocused on international skeet, winning the silver medal in 2008 in Beijing and her third Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Games, equaling the world record of 99/100 targets and making her the most decorated Olympic female shooter in history. In addition to her five Olympic medals, Kim has won 13 world championships, plus two ISSF World Cup wins in 2014 as she prepares for her sixth Olympic appearance in Rio in 2016. “Kim is also a Charter Member of the SSSF Champion’s Roundtable for major supporters,” said Dan Hathaway, Director of Foundation Development. ”Her leadership is most welcome as we embark on our new fundraising efforts.”

How to Get Photos from the National Championships

Written by SSSF Staff on July 23, 2014. Posted in SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

Those of you at the National Championships last week saw our photographers shooting photos on the ranges, at awards ceremonies, and pretty much wherever something was happening. Many of you asked how you could have access to those photos. We are still working our way through the volume of photos but will soon have them posted online where you can view them. You will be welcome to download any of those photos and may print or share them in social media. (This will not include the photos you may have arranged to have Elite Images shoot for you.) Photos posted online will be compressed into smaller sizes, but some of the photos will be available in a larger size. Once all the photos are sorted and posted, we will give you information in this space about how you may view them and request high-resolution digital versions. We will not offer printed photos. In the meantime, you can view the photos posted thus far on our Facebook pages. Keep checking back, as we will be posting hundreds more over the next several days. Any you see there may be downloaded for your personal use. By the way, you do not have to have a Facebook account to view our pages.

SCTP Facebook Page

SPP Facebook Page

SCTP and SPP Make History with National Championships

Written by SSSF Staff on July 23, 2014. Posted in Events, SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

More than 2500 young shooters, along with thousands of coaches, family members, and supporters, descended upon the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill. last week for the largest youth shooting event ever held, the SCTP and SPP National Championships. The July 14-19 event saw significant increases in virtually every metric over 2013's record-setting Nationals. In the SCTP event alone, competitors shot 715,000 targets, a 35% increase over last year. Shooters from 175 SCTP teams came from 26 states. SPP also saw its own increases. In only its second Junior/Senior National Championship, SPP experienced an increase of 62% in participant numbers, hosting 326 shooters representing 39 teams from 15 states. Earlier this year, SPP hosted a separate Collegiate National Championship with close to 100 shooters from 24 squads.

See National Championship Scores and Results

With the largest contingency of shooters, Trap had almost 1900 participants, a 19% increase. A total of 736 shooters shot Skeet for a 29% growth, and the 677 Sporting Clays shooters represented a 30% increase. Of the 2180 SCTP shooters, 1818 were male and 361 female. "An event of this magnitude could only take place so successfully with a great deal of hard work and dedication from our student athletes, coaches, parents, team volunteers, and our own staff," said Ben Berka, President and Executive Director of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), which powers SCTP and SPP. "We are especially grateful to our many sponsors and benefactors who make it possible for us to create an unforgettable experience for our athletes. We also owe kudos to the World Shooting and Recreational Complex, a remarkable venue that hosted our thousands of shooters and spectators with ease. We look forward to hosting our 2015 National Championships there."

Coach Joe Meis Death

Written by SSSF Staff on July 22, 2014. Posted in SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

On behalf of the Scholastic Pistol Program / Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, we are saddened to announce the death of longtime SSSF supporter Joe Meis. Joe was on his way to the SPP Nationals in Sparta, IL on July 19 and was involved in an automobile accident. Joe was one of the founding coaches of the Arnold Junior Shooters (Missouri) SPP and SCTP teams. He also assisted many other teams in the area. "Joe was greatly respected in the Eastern Missouri/Western Illinois shooting family and was responsible for several generations of shooters," said Scott Moore, SPP Director. "We are very grateful for all he gave to youth shooting sports. He will be missed."

Potterfields Visit with Shooters at Nationals

Written by SSSF Staff on July 22, 2014. Posted in Events, SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

Larry and Brenda Potterfield, founders and owners of MidwayUSA and founders of the MidwayUSA Foundation, spent last Thursday at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex with SCTP and SPP shooters, touring the National Championship event and even taking time to shoot a round of trap with three lucky SCTP competitors. Anticipating the visit, many teams brought along autographed photos, cards, and other gifts -- including a pair of letter sweaters -- to express their appreciation for the Potterfields' generosity to SSSF programs.

The Potterfields watched teams shoot, talked with shooters and coaches, posed for photos, and demonstrated the warmth and interest in young shooters for which they are known. SSSF also had a presentation to Larry and Brenda, a pair of hand-engraved leather shooting bags, in recognition of their being named "Founding Life Diamond Members" of the Champion’s Roundtable, which recognizes donors who have made major contributions to our mission. They are also Charter Members of the SSSF Legacy Society, which honors our donors who have included SSSF in their estate plans through deferred gifts. See more photos on our SCTP Facebook page and SPP page.

Dan Rex Is Krieghoff K-80 Winner

Written by SSSF Staff on July 22, 2014. Posted in SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

Congratulations to Dan Rex of Audubon, Penn., drawn as winner of the Krieghoff Vintage Scroll K-80 shotgun worth more than $20,000. The drawing was held last Saturday night during the National Championships. Raffle tickets for the gun drawing were sold for $50 each to raise money for the SSSF Scholarship Fund. SCTP and SPP teams also had the opportunity to sell the tickets to earn endowment funds. Our congratulations to Mr. Rex!

Get Your Nationals T-shirts

Written by SSSF Staff on July 22, 2014. Posted in Events, SCTP Blog, SPP Blog, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

You left Sparta without buying an official event t-shirt, or you liked them so much you want one in another color -- or even if you missed the event but don't want to miss the t-shirt -- no worries! The Great Outdoors Company at the WSRC still has a limited supply of shirts available.

The black shirt has the full, colorful design on the back, with the World Shooting and Recreational Complex logo on the front left chest.

Black t-shirts are available in Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2XL, and 3XL. The other t-shirt style has the entire event design on the front and is offered in four colors in the sizes indicated:

Price for the t-shirts is $15.99 each with free shipping in the contiguous 48 states. For credit card orders, call The Great Outdoors Company at 888-529-5130.