SCTP Expands National Championship Events With Incredible Success
Over the course of 10 days, SCTP athletes converged on the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio for the much anticipated 2020 National Championship. This year's event was different for many reasons but was resoundingly welcomed by athletes, coaches, families, and sponsors in the midst of an unusual season. After careful consideration and advisement from the Ohio Department of Health, Cardinal Shooting Center, and medical professionals, the SCTP went forward putting on the National Championship on July 9th through the 18th.
Kicking off the event at the Cardinal Center were the SCTP International Championships, which historically had been held in Colorado later in the year.
Encouraging growth and awareness for the International disciplines of International Skeet and Bunker Trap, the SCTP held the International events on the front end of the National Championship in 2020. "This gave the opportunity for more athletes to participate in the International disciplines while relieving families from the burden of additional travel costs from a separate event," said SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. "By having our International events as part of the National Championship, awareness and participation for these disciplines have increased considerably. This year our Bunker Trap entries doubled and we had many athletes who were competing in events later in the week come by to watch the International competitions. Many of those athletes will be coming back to compete in the International disciplines next year! Our International Championship was a wonderful success thanks to Promatic, The Potterfield family, and the Cardinal Center staff. Everyone worked incredibly hard on a very tight deadline to construct the new bunker fields for this event."
Following the International competitions were the familiar 8 days of the SCTP National Championship, where thousands of athletes, coaches, families, and sponsors participated in and supported the disciplines of Skeet (Singles/Doubles), Trap (Singles/Doubles/Handicap), and Sporting Clays.
To accommodate teams unable to travel due to unusual restrictions in the 2020 season, the SCTP held a Virtual National Championship, which was open to all registered teams across the country. Held in conjunction with the in-person National Championships schedule at the Cardinal Center, athletes participated at their home ranges, accounting for over 1,000 event entries. "Many of our teams were very excited and thankful for the opportunity to compete for the National Championship virtually from their home range this year," said Chet Tuinstra, SCTP Eastern Director of Development. "There are many aspects of the 2020 National Championship that had never been done before. We are incredibly proud of how this all came together and are very thankful for the volunteers, sponsors, and Cardinal Center staff who helped make this such a success."
Over 2,000 athletes from nearly 300 teams participated in the 2020 SCTP National Championships, representing 37 states. Youth athletes participating in many other sports throughout the country were faced with disappointment this spring from altered and even canceled seasons. "Our team put in many, many hours considering how to handle an event as large as Nationals in the midst of an unusual season," said Jeff Morrison, SCTP Western Director of Development. "By June, we moved forward with hosting Regional events and the National Championship. As soon we put the word out, we got many excited messages from the teams and even encouragement from our sponsors."
By the close of Nationals, over one-million clays were thrown at the Cardinal Center and all over the nation from team home ranges," beamed Amanda Wondrash, SCTP Administrative Coordinator.
"The SCTP National Championship is an incredibly large and prestigious event, regarded highly by so many teams, families, and supporters who believe in the future of shooting sports.We are so thankful to have received an overwhelming amount of praise and appreciation for not just going forward with Nationals, but for also having the determination to adapt and even expand the event this year."
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For scores and leaderboard information from the 2020 SCTP National Championship, please see the following link: https://app.sssfonline.com/nationals/2551