Who Will Take Top Gun Honors in 2018?
The Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program are excited to announce a new event at this year’s National Championships - the Top Gun Challenge. Over the years we have watched the increase in athletes shooting multiple disciplines in both our programs at nationals. We wanted to find a way to recognize the commitment and stamina these athletes have shown competing in so many events, over the course of the week of nationals. CZ-USA, a large sponsor of both SCTP and SASP heard us talking about wanting to start some kind of “Top Gun” competition and graciously offered to sponsor the top prize for the winner. CZ-USA will be donating a Shotgun, a Rifle and Pistol to SCTP/SASP and we will be awarding all three prizes to the High Overall Top Gun Challenge competitor. With CZ’s support here is what we have come up with for the 2018 SCTP/SASP Nationals. Top Gun Challenge Eligibility Criteria, Scoring and Prizes
- Athletes wishing to compete in the Top Gun Challenge must be current team members in the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) AND the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP).
- Athletes wishing to compete in the Top Gun Challenge must be pre-registered to shoot the following events at the 2018 National Championships:
- 16 Yard Trap
- Skeet
- Sporting Clays
- Rimifre Rifle (irons or optics)
- Centerfire or Rimfire Pistol
- Each athlete wishing to compete in the Top Gun Challenge must complete a registration form in person at either the SASP or SCTP registration desk located at the Cardinal Center Central Entry Building prior to competing in their first event. Athletes will then shoot all competition events as usual.
- We will compile scores from your events and calculate the winners. Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays is easy you will get the total number of birds you break in each discipline, so a possible 600 points. Since SASP is based on time and not total targets hit, it will be done a little differently. We will take all participants and rank both their rifle times and their pistol times fastest to slowest.
- The fastest in each discipline will get 200, second place 199, third place 198 and so on down the line until everyone has a score. We will add all those points together and the athlete with the most points out of the possible 1000 will win.
- Every Athlete who competes in all the events and signs up, will receive a Top Gun Challenge challenge coin just for participating and showing your shooting stamina.
- 1st prize – CZ USA 612 Target Shotgun, CZ 75 SP01 Phantom Pistol and a 512 American Rifle
- 2nd Prize – CZ Drake 12ga. Over/Under
- 3rd Prize – Certificate for a GLOCK Pistol
- 4th Prize – Mossberg Blaze .22 Rifle
- 5th Prize – Case of Aguila shotgun shells and 1000 rounds of Federal Premium Hunter Match .22 ammo
- 6th Prize – Walker’s electronic hearing protection, Certificate for XX2I glasses
- 1st Prize Mossberg Blaze .22 Rifle
- 2nd Prize Certificate for XX2I Glasses
- 3rd Prize Browning Range Bag
SCTP and SASP want to thank all of our sponsors for their support of our programs and the Top Gun Challenge!
Over 230 student athletes from 25 states have been named to the team this year and will be recognized at the opening ceremonies of the SSSF/SCTP/SASP Team Championship event on 
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.
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.