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Tag: National Team

SCTP National Team Conducts Training Camp at John A. Halter Education Center

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

Hillsdale, MI - Members of the 2019 SCTP National Team (NT) met in Hillsdale, Michigan over the Columbus Day weekend for their first training camp together. The camp was a short two days but that may have been a blessing as weekend temperatures failed to reach 50 degrees in the face of steady 10-15 mph winds. The 2019 NT athletes attending this camp were: Preston Bailey, Josh Corbin, Madeline Corbin, Kyle Fleck, Ella McLerran, Alexa Paxson, and Jordan Sapp. Also attending were Quinn Schuppner, Hamilton Spieth, and 2018 NT alumni Matthew Wells.

Back row, left to right: Quinn Schuppner, Hamilton Spieth, Jordan Sapp, Josh Corbin, Alexa Paxson, Ella McLerran.
Front row, left to right: Madeline Corbin, Preston Bailey, Kyle Fleck, Matthew Wells.

Utilizing some indoor time, Coach Terri DeWitt introduced the athletes to stretching and circuit training exercises designed to strengthen core muscles and improve stability and SSG Dustan Taylor, member of the US Army Marksmanship Unit Skeet Team, introduced the skeet athletes to new drills and training techniques. Coach Taylor noted that while the high winds made training difficult, it helped build confidence in the end. “I believe the camp was a complete success,” he stated. Skeet athlete Preston Bailey agreed. “I liked working with Coach Dustan and being able to train with the other team members. Most of the time I train by myself, so this was a productive weekend for me,” Bailey said.

“I’d like to thank the staff at the John Halter Shooting Sports Education Center here at Hillsdale College for their generous hospitality in hosting our training camp. Bart, Jim, and Judy made sure we had everything we needed. This is a first-class facility that has some exciting things in store for it,” stated Coach DeWitt.

The SCTP NT will get together again December 28-30 in Tucson, AZ. They will have an opportunity to train on the same fields that will be used to select the 2020 US Olympic Shooting Team at Olympic Trials Part 2 which starts February 25, 2020.

The SCTP National Team is selected from and based on the top 3 finishes for male and female athletes at the SCTP International National Championships (in International Skeet and Bunker Trap) held each year at the end of July. The national team seats from Sept. 1st through August 31st each year and athletes are invited to attend various camps and competitions throughout the year. These athletes receive Winchester ammunition, a Castellani national team vest sponsored by Ultimate Shooting accessories , entry fees and many other support materials entitled to membership on the team!

SCTP National Team Members Compete at US Olympic Trials – Part 1

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

After fifteen hot, dusty days in Kerrville, TX, USA Shooting has completed the first half of its process to select the 2020 Olympic Shooting Team. For most of the SCTP National Team (NT) trap and skeet athletes who took part in the competition at the Hill Country Shooting Sports Center, this was their first experience with an Olympic team selection.

2019 SCTP National Team Skeet athletes with Olympians Kim Rhode and Frank Thompson.

“It’s really hard to recreate the kind of pressure an athlete will feel in a match like this,” explained Head Coach Terri Dewitt. “It just feels different. More intense. Which makes the experience of competing here invaluable. I’m incredibly proud of these athletes and their performances.”

SCTP National Team Trap athlete Peter Meola.

Participating in the U.S. Olympic Shooting Trials Part 1 were current SCTP NT athletes Preston Bailey, Camron Burks, Sydney Krieger, Erin Lokke, Ella McLerran, Peter Meola, Jordan Sapp, and Kevin Whitehead. SCTP NT “alumni” were here as well: Heather Argue, Maddy Bernau, Meredith Bernau, Jay Bible, Heather Broski, Jack Brosseau, Emilio Carvalho, Monica Dale, Chris Freeman, AJ Nomina, Mark Shields, Madeline Taylor, and Matthew Wells.

SCTP National Team Skeet athlete Jordan Sapp breaks his first 25-straight in competition.

Significant results by SCTP NT athletes:

Trap
Heather Broski (2017 NT) – Junior Women, Gold
Meredith Bernau (2018 NT) – Junior Women, 6th
Emilio Carvalho (2018 NT) – Junior Men, 6th; High J2
Maddy Bernau (2017 NT) – Open Women, 5th; High Collegiate

Skeet
AJ Nomina (2017 NT) – Junior Men, Bronze
Gracin Anderson (2018 NT) – High Collegiate

USA Shooting will complete its Olympic Team selection with Olympic Trials Part 2 beginning at the end of February 2020 in Tucson, AZ.

About the SCTP NATIONAL TEAM
The SCTP National Team is made up of 15 athletes chosen annually from the SCTP International Championships. Twelve athletes, 3 girls and 3 boys from Bunker Trap and 3 girls and 3 boys from International Skeet plus 3 additional athletes chosen by the Head Coach and National Director make up the 15 SCTP National Team members.

The 2019/2020 SCTP National Team is sponsored by Winchester Ammunition.

Each SCTP National Team Athlete receives:

  • A custom made Castellani Shooting Vest (Castellani is the official vest supplier of the SCTP National Team)
  • Winchester “Goodie Bag” including hats, towels and other items
  • 2 Winchester Ammunition Shirts, 1 Polo and 1 T-Shirt
  • 7 cases of Winchester Ammunition
  • Fall Selection Match Fees paid and Ammo provided
  • Invitation to participate in 3-5 Training Camps lead by National Team Head Coach, Terri DeWitt.

2019 International Championships Registration Open June 15

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

The SCTP is hosting the Scholastic Clay Target Program’s International Style National Championships on July 22-27, 2019 in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the International Shooting Park on the Ft. Carson Army base. Registration by SCTP team coaches opens on Saturday, June 15 in the SHOT System.

Here is the event schedule for the competition:

Monday July 22rd – Open Training for Bunker and Skeet

Tuesday July 23rd –Open Training for Bunker and Skeet

Wednesday July 24th – I-Skeet Competition 75 Targets

Thursday July 25th – I-Skeet Competition 50 Targets & Finals

Friday July 26th – Bunker Trap 75 Targets

Saturday July 27th- Bunker Trap 50 Targets & Finals

*There will be an awards ceremony and banquet being held at the Hotel Elegante on Saturday, July 27th starting at 6:00pm following the Bunker Trap portion of the National Championships. Please contact Amanda Wondrash at awondrash@sssfonline.com to make reservations and confirm your attendance. Parents and kids 12 years of age or older are $20 and kids under 12 are $10. Participating athletes and coaches are free!

Coaches: The competition registration will open on June 15th for this tournament. You will need to squad your athletes prior to Thursday, July 19th so that they can be placed on random shooting squads for the competition. Walk on’s will generally not be allowed unless there is room available.

Top 3 placing athletes in Men’s and Ladies Bunker Trap as well as top 3 placing athletes in International Skeet (12 total athletes) will earn a spot on the 2019 SCTP National Team. Athletes must meet a minimum qualifying score (MQS) of a 90 x 125 or better in the qualification rounds, regardless of finals placing, in order to be eligible for a National Team spot.

If all athletes in the final have achieved the MQS, then finals placement will determine the top 3 athletes. However, if there are athletes in a discipline final who have not attained the MQS, those athletes will not be eligible for the National Team, regardless of finals placement. At their discretion, The Head Coach and National Director will then fill any open Team slots with eligible athletes.

A limited block of hotel rooms has been secured and are available for immediate booking at the Hotel Elegante’ – Colorado Springs. Room rates are $99 for a single or a double. Please contact the Hotel Elegante’ directly at 1-719-576-5900 or 1-800-981-4012. When making your reservations, please reference “USA Shooting / SCTP Nationals”, code #2392040. (this includes breakfast) The cutoff date is July 1st but we would not recommend waiting that long as these rooms will fill up fast, especially at these prices! You can upgrade to different rooms at additional price. See additional information for booking your room and about the Hotel Elegante.

Hope to see you all in Colorado Springs in July!!

SCTP National Team Competes at USA Shooting’s Spring Selection Match

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

Sunny skies and warm temperatures greeted members of the SCTP National Team attending USA Shooting’s Spring Selection Match in Tucson, Arizona. While the weather was a respite for competitors arriving from the more frozen parts of the country, these athletes did not have vacationing on their mind; they knew that the results of this match would be used to determine who would be traveling to this year’s Pan American Games, World Championships, Junior World Cup, and the two remaining 2019 ISSF (International Shooting Sports Federation) World Cups.
SCTP National Team – trap athletes: (left to right) Jack Olsen, Peter Meola, Matthew Wells, Monica Dale, Heather Argue, Meredith Bernau, Emilio Carvalho (back right)
“There are two ways to look at these last 11 days of shooting,” Coach Terri DeWitt began, “One way is to consider that we that didn’t place an SCTP National Team athlete on one of the World teams this year. But that’s not really the big picture. Another way to look at the past two weeks is to see the really stellar performances we did have! I’m so proud of all of these athletes for their perseverance, their positive attitudes, and their commitment to this journey. We will build on this experience and we’ll be back.”
SCTP National Team men’s skeet athletes randomly squadded together: (left to right) Chris freeman, Josh Corbin, AJ Nomina
A couple of those stellar performances came from Matthew Wells and Erin Lokke. Matthew Wells was one target short of earning a spot on the Junior Men’s trap team which will travel to Lonato, Italy for the Shotgun World Championship and to Suhl, Germany for the ISSF Junior World Cup; Matt finished in third place after the junior men’s final concluded, but because of the point system selection process which uses an athlete’s qualification score as well as finals placement, he actually finished fourth overall in Junior men’s trap. Only the top three are selected. On the skeet side, Erin Lokke posted her first ever 25-straight in an International Skeet competition, her new Winchester hat taking the brunt of that success. And to top that off, she’s been invited to attend the ISSF World Cup in Al Ain, U.A.E. as an MQS athlete. This essentially means that, while Erin will be competing at the World Cup as a U.S. athlete, her scores will not be eligible for a medal finish. “An MQS is the Minimum Qualifying Score that every shooting athlete must achieve at least once at an ISSF event sometime in the three years leading up to the Olympic Games in order to be eligible to go to the Olympics. Right now, a Women’s Skeet MQS is 92 out of 125 targets,” explained Coach DeWitt.
Erin Lokke wearing the brand-new Winchester hat that was shot in celebration of her first 25-straight in International Skeet competition.
“I am very blessed to have this opportunity to go overseas and shoot at my first World Cup. It has been thrilling to see how the training has been paying off and knowing that I can go much further,” Erin comments. “Coming off of a challenging event at (USA Shooting) Nationals (last year) pushed me to try new things and train in conditions that have been both mentally and physically difficult. At Spring Selection, I put my hard work to the test and learned new things to prepare for my next step.”
SCTP National Team – skeet athletes: (left to right) Josh Corbin, AJ Nomina, Jay Bible, Chris Freeman, Erin Lokke
Erin is the second SCTP National Team athlete to travel overseas as a U.S. National Team member; Maddie Bernau, 2017 SCTP National Team member, won gold at the Junior Grand Prix in Porpetto, Italy last year. About the SCTP NATIONAL TEAM The 2019 SCTP National Team is made up of 15 athletes chosen from the SCTP International Championships. 12 Athletes, 3 girls and 3 boys from Bunker Trap and 3 girls and 3 boys from International Skeet plus 3 additional athletes chosen by the Head Coach and National Director make up the 15 2019 SCTP National Team. The 2019 SCTP National Team is sponsored by Winchester Ammunition. Each SCTP National Team Athlete receives:
  • A custom made Castellani Shooting Vest (Castellani is the official vest supplier of the SCTP National Team)
  • Winchester “Goodie Bag” including hats, towels and other items
  • 2 Winchester Ammunition Shirts, 1 Polo and 1 T-Shirt
  • 7 cases of Winchester Ammunition
  • Fall Selection Match Fees paid and Ammo provided
  • Invitation to participate in 3-5 Training Camps lead by National Team Head Coach, Terri DeWitt.
You can follow the 2019 SCTP National Team including training progress, match schedule and results by clicking on the SCTP tab of the www.sssfonline.com website and on SCTP Social Media.

Winchester Announced as Official Ammunition of the Scholastic Clay Target Program

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

Winchester Ammunition, a long-time sponsor and supporter of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) has agreed to a three-year sponsorship at the “Red Diamond” level, the highest level of sponsorship available to those interested in supporting the program. “We are elated to have Winchester Ammunition as the Official Ammunition of SCTP and the SCTP National Shooting Team,” said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Executive Director. “Our athletes and coaches on the SCTP National Team are excited to have the Winchester Ammunition brand and products as part of the team’s events and camps as well as at the USA Shooting Spring and Fall Selection Matches and State and National Junior Olympic matches across the country. We value the confidence that Winchester Ammunition and companies like them place in us!” Beginning with the 2019 season, Winchester Ammunition will be designated as the “Official Ammunition Sponsor” of the SCTP and the SCTP’s National Team. “Winchester is focused on the growth in youth shooting sports participants across North America and we are extremely proud to be aligned with SCTP and their efforts,” said Matt Campbell, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Winchester to work with an organization that helps thousands of coaches and athletes participate in the youth shooting sports each year.” The SCTP National Team’s first competitive match for 2019 is the USA Shooting’s Spring selection match being held at the Tucson Trap & Skeet range in Tucson, Arizona, March 4-10.

SCTP National Team Trains in Ohio

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

The 2018 SCTP National Team recently completed its fourth training camp at Fairfield Sportsmen’s Association in Cincinnati, Ohio.  This was the last scheduled training camp for the team and team members Madeleine Taylor, Mark Shields, and Trevor Evelhair (not pictured) took advantage of one last opportunity to work with coaches Terri DeWitt and Joe Buffa. Because not all of the SCTP National Team members could attend this 3-day training camp, available training spots were filled with local (and not so local) athletes coming from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Montana. Next up for most of these international trap and skeet competitors is the USA Shooting Junior Olympic Championships in Colorado Springs.  July will see them back in Colorado Springs for the SCTP International National Championships where the 2019 SCTP National Team will be selected.

International Championships Registration Open June 15

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

The SCTP, in conjunction with USA Shooting, is hosting the Scholastic Clay Target Program’s International Style National Championships on July 22-27, 2018 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Registration by SCTP team coaches opens on Friday, June 15 in the SHOT System. Here is the event schedule for the competition: Sunday July 22nd – Open Training for Bunker and Skeet Monday July 23rd – Open Training for Bunker and Skeet Tuesday July 24th – I-Skeet Competition 75 Targets Wednesday July 25th – I-Skeet Competition 50 Targets & Finals (followed by awards) Thursday July 26th – Bunker Trap 75 Targets Friday July 27th – Bunker Trap 50 Targets & Finals (followed by awards) Coaches: The competition registration will open on June 15th for this tournament. You will need to squad your athletes prior to Thursday, July 19th so that they can be placed on random shooting squads for the competition. Walk on’s will generally not be allowed unless there is room available. Top 3 placing athletes in Men’s and Ladies Bunker Trap as well as top 3 placing athletes in International Skeet (12 total athletes) will earn a spot on the 2019 SCTP National Team. Athletes must meet a minimum qualifying score (MQS) of a 90 x 125 or better in the qualification rounds, regardless of finals placing, in order to be eligible for a National Team spot. If all athletes in the final have achieved the MQS, then finals placement will determine the top 3 athletes. However, if there are athletes in a discipline final who have not attained the MQS, those athletes will not be eligible for the National Team, regardless of finals placement. At their discretion, The Head Coach and National Director will then fill any open Team slots with eligible athletes. Due to USA Shooting’s scheduling of the Fall Selection match immediately following the SCTP Nationals, we will not host an awards banquet following this year’s International Nationals to allow athletes time for travel to the Fall Selection. We will award all medals/trophies at the range following the events. Hope to see you all in Colorado Springs in July!! A limited block of hotel rooms has been secured and are available for immediate booking at the Hotel Elegante’ – Colorado Springs. Room rates are $99 for a single or a double. Please contact the Hotel Elegante’ directly at 1-719-576-5900 or 1-800-981-4012. When making your reservations, please reference “USA Shooting / SCTP Nationals”, code #2226494. (this includes breakfast) The cutoff date is July 1st but we would not recommend waiting that long as these rooms will fill up fast, especially at these prices! You can upgrade to different rooms at additional price. See additional information for booking your room and about the Hotel Elegante. Hope to see you all in Colorado Springs in July!!

SCTP Conducts Olympic Development Camp

Written by SSSF Staff on . Posted in Events, SSSF News and Information, Uncategorized.

The May 24-28, 2018 Scholastic Clay Target Program Junior Olympic Development Camp was a huge success seeing 25 athletes and 7 coaches from 17 states across the country! This joint venture between the SCTP and USA Shooting is designed to grow and feed the pipeline for the US National & Junior Teams as well as introducing a new clay target discipline to many athletes that have never tried it. The 5-day athlete camp and 7-day coach camp is dedicated to the learning of the International Clay Target disciplines of International Skeet and Olympic Bunker Trap. Athletes and coaches all stay at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO and travel each day to the International Shooting Park located on the Ft. Carson military base. Athletes are immersed in a training regimen, taught the basic skills of their disciplines and presented with discussions from current National team members, coaches and staff. Lance Bade and Joe Buffa headed up the camp’s lead coaches for the week. The athletes and coaches were also treated to a field trip to the “Cave of the Winds”, a local attraction and camp favorite visited by thousands each year! “Over the years, we have seen hundreds of athletes and coaches attend the Junior Olympic Development Camps or JODC’s” said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “These camps have been very influential in developing and promoting the international shooting disciplines as well as providing a clearer path for our athletes wanting to make the SCTP National Team and possibly a US National Team!” Currently, approximately 75% of the athletes on the US National JR. team have come up through the SCTP. Opportunities like this have been the platform of what the SCTP stands for.

SCTP National Team Trains in Colorado

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

The first weekend in May, four of the SCTP’s National Team members – AJ Nomina, Mark Shields, Madeleine Taylor, and Tyler Thiede – met coaches Terri DeWitt and Joe Buffa in Colorado Springs for the third National Team training camp this year.  This camp was intended to coincide with the Colorado State Junior Olympic (JO) Championships in order to offer National Team members an opportunity to compete in a training match. 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 2017 Scholastic Clay Target Program International Championships held July 23-29, 2017. 2018 national team members receive ongoing coaching in the international shooting disciplines, a USA Shooting jacket, paid fall selection match fees and ammo, along with an SCTP National Team vest, five cases of NobelSport Quattro Finest International ammunition and more! The 2019 National Team will be selected based on scores from the 2018 Scholastic Clay Target Program International Championships to be conducted July 22-27 in Colorado Springs.

SCTP and USA Shooting Announce 2018 International National Championship Dates

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

The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) has received official notice of dates for its 2018 International National Championships from USA Shooting. This event will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the International Shooting Park, Ft. Carson. The dates and course of fire are as follows: July 22-23: Open Training both days, 9am – 4pm July 24-25: Skeet Championships 125 targets July 26-27: Bunker Trap Championships 125 targets All teams must register via the SHOT system which will open on or around June 1st. Individual medals and team trophies will be awarded to the top three in each category. The 2019 SCTP National Team will be decided by this tournament with the top three women and top three men in both categories of International Skeet and Bunker Trap forming the new team for next year. SCTP would like to thank USA Shooting for its continued support and dedication as their official youth feeder program to the US National team and Olympic dream! Dates for the SCTP’s 2018 Junior Olympic Development Camp and availability will be published shortly. Teams and coaches with any questions may contact SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash at twondrash@sssfonline.com We look forward to seeing everyone in Colorado Springs this summer!