The Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) reached a new milestone recently with the Tennessee State match, setting an attendance record for state matches. The match was a combined effort of the McKenzie (TN) Shooting team and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation (TWRF), which is the SPP State Advisor. A record-setting 119 athletes participated in the match held at the Carroll County Shooting Park (CCSP) throughout the weekend of May 2. In Junior Rimfire, the DC Steel Shooters won the 1st place title, with William Blount Squad 7 coming in 2nd. The Plateau Pistol Shooters Squad 4 took home 3rd. In Junior Centerfire, the Arnold Junior Shooters Squad White took home the Gold medal, and the McKenzie Cobras and McKenzie Cazadores took Silver and Bronze, respectively. The Senior Rimfire Division saw the McKenzie Crushers coming in 1st, the Plateau Pistol Shooters 2nd, and the Arlington Squad 2, 3rd. In Senior Centerfire, Arlington Squad 1 won the Gold, and the William Blount team won the Silver medal. Among College Division teams, Bethel University won the Gold. In addition to the SPP state match, many of the shooters also shot the Rimfire Rifle Side Match. Taking the top 3 slots in the side match were Hunter Webb, Ty Stone, and Ethan Rogan. The coaches, assistant coaches, and adult volunteers also joined in the rifle fun, with Michael Webb and Jason Pinson having the fastest times. The Carroll County Shooting Park, which is home to the McKenzie Shooting Sports team, will also host the SPP Fall Regional Match on October 23-24. “CCSP is a great example for ranges and teams across the county,” said Scott Moore, SPP National Director. “The park was a joint effort between county and state agencies and the people of McKenzie and Huntingdon, Tennessee. It has become a showplace for SPP events. We are fortunate to have such a great venue as part of SPP.”
Crow Shooting Supply, a new corporate sponsor of Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP), is offering specially discounted pricing on 9mm ammunition and some accessories for participants in the SPP program. To receive the specially discounted pricing, all orders must be placed by using a special order form and must be approved by Scott Moore or Tammy Mowry. Orders may be placed by SPP team coaches or parents/guardians to order Crow Shooting Supply items for SPP participants.
SCTP and SPP shooters enjoyed a weekend of clay targets and pistol shooting at the Midwest Regional Championship in Sparta, Illinois last month. Here are a few scenes from the competition:
SPP teams, don’t forget about the opportunities to win a random-draw prize every month just for participating in the Virtual E-Postal Match Series!
Starting in April, SPP teams participating in the Virtual E-Postal Match Series will be part of a special monthly random draw prize of a $1,000 donation to a team’s MidwayUSA Foundation Endowment account. This special event will run from April – December 2015 and is open to any team or squad that participates in the Virtual E-Postal Match Series. To be eligible, a team or squad must register three (3) scores -- but remember, the more times you enter, the more chances you have to win! In addition, we will be offering endowment donations as placement awards. This year we will be using a Lewis Class system during the Virtual Match Series. There will be two (2) Lewis classes, and endowment money will be given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in all divisions. In Class A, the donations will be 1st - $1,250, 2nd - 1,000 and 3rd - $750. In Class B, the donations will be 1st - $1,000, 2nd - $750, and 3rd - $500. Virtual E-Postal Matches are a great way for teams to compete and earn endowment funds while saving the time and expense of traveling. Don’t miss out on this additional way to come and play!
GLOCK, Inc. has made a $25,000 donation to the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) to benefit the Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP).L-R: Scott Moore, SPP National Director; R. Lee "The Gunny" Ermey; Josh Dorsey, GLOCK Vice President of Operations and Sales; and Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive DirectorThe donation was presented to SSSF at last week’s NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Nashville, Tennessee. GLOCK was one of the founding partners of the Scholastic Pistol Program when SSSF started the program in 2012 and has supported the program since with its products and participation. Ed Fitzgerald, Special Projects Manager at GLOCK, Inc., is a member of SSSF’s Board of Directors and attends many SPP matches, not only to represent GLOCK, but also to work with the athletes and coaches and to assist with the operation of the events. Fitzgerald even travels to many matches throughout the South with a complete SPP/Action Target set-up for ranges that need targets for SPP events. “GLOCK understands the importance of industry leadership in the promotion of a safe and effective way of introducing the concepts of basic competitive shooting to young men and women who are just starting out,” said Fitzgerald. “As the industry embraces this concept of supporting our young competitors, we will continue our efforts to lead the way in supporting the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation.” In addition to the growth of the national program through GLOCK’s financial support, product donations, and loaner guns, the company’s generosity makes it possible for many SPP teams to have sufficient guns for competitors’ use and to raise funds for team expenses. The company also offers special pricing for SPP teams that allows team dollars to go further. “The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is honored to receive this major gift from GLOCK,” said Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive Director. “With their support, we are able to further strengthen and grow our Scholastic Pistol Program at the grassroots level and provide local teams with the education, support, and resources to run successful programs.” To learn more about GLOCK or its products, visit us.GLOCK.com.
The Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) held its 2015 Collegiate National Championships on March 21, with nearly 20 squads from nine schools vying for titles in both the Varsity (centerfire) and Junior Varsity (rimfire) divisions. The United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) hosted the event at Fort Benning's Krilling Range in Georgia. Schools competing this year were Eastern Kentucky University, University of Kentucky, University of Florida, Florida State University, Michigan State University, Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets, Southeastern Illinois College, University of Vermont, and United States Military Academy at West Point. The Cadets from West Point took first place honors in the Varsity Division, outshooting powerhouse Texas A&M Corps of Cadets by a score of 188.04 to 190.11. The 2.07 winning margin is one of the closest finishes in SPP history and sent the coveted Daniel C. Hodne Trophy to a new home on the Hudson River. The University of Florida Centerfire Squad 1 outpaced the Kentucky Wildcats to take third place. In the Junior Varsity Division, West Point took its second title of the day over a strong runner-up Michigan State Green Squad, with Texas A&M Maroon Squad coming in third. "The United States Army Marksmanship Unit Action Shooting Team looks forward to the chance to interact with students and host the Scholastic Pistol Program's College Nationals every year,” said SFC Michael J. Buss, Action Shooting Team Chief, USAMU. “Our world-class facilities get our team ready for matches around the country, as well as sharpen soldiers' marksmanship skills through training. These young shooters are the future of the sport and only add to the excellence demonstrated every day by soldiers on Fort Benning." “The USAMU has been a great partner in helping grow SPP as well as the future of our sport,” said Scott Moore, SPP National Director. “They have been gracious enough to support SPP on several projects. Krilling Range has become a second home for us!” You can see full results from the SPP Collegiate National Championships on our Match Results page.
If your team participates in the SPP Virtual E-Postal Match Series, you now have opportunities to earn endowment funds for your team! The Scholastic Pistol Program has designated $40,000 of its 2015 endowment donations for the Virtual E-Postal Match Series participants. The Virtual E-Postal Match Series is designed so teams can compete without having to travel to other ranges. Teams can shoot on their home ranges, then submit their scores to SPP for entry into the virtual match. Beginning in April 2015, there will be a special monthly random draw with a prize of a $1,000 donation to a team’s MidwayUSA Foundation endowment account. This special event will run through December 2015 and is open to any team/squad that participates in the Virtual E-Postal Match Series in that month. In addition, we will be offering endowment donations as placement awards. This year we will be using the Lewis Class system during the Virtual Match Series. There will be two (2) Lewis classes in each division, and endowment money will be given to first, second, and third places in each class. In Class A, the donations will be $1,250 for first, $1,000 for second, and $750 for third. In Class B, the donations for first through third will be $1,000, $750, and $500, respectively. To be eligible for Virtual E-Postal Match Series Championships, a team or squad must register at least six (6) squad scores during the season.
To compete in this series, the team/squad must shoot the entire course of fire and submit their scores for registration. Just like any live match, a team/squad must have four individuals competing. The current Virtual E-Postal Series season began September 1, 2014 and has been extended to run through December 15, 2015. Eligibility for SPP Virtual E-Postal Match Series Any team/squad that is fully registered in the Scholastic Pistol Program, which includes being registered in the SHOT system, is eligible and encouraged to compete in this series. Teams must also have an endowment account with the MidwayUSA Foundation. If you don't have an endowment account, it's easy to start an account here. Submitting Scores Score sheets can be downloaded from the website. Coaches must register each score by submitting a scanned copy of the completed SPP score sheets to tmowry@sssfonline.com. The cost of registration is $5 per squad (of four) per match score. Notice: These updated rules for Virtual Matches supersede previous published editions.
The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit hosted the Scholastic Pistol Program's Southwest Regional Match on Saturday, February 7 at the Gun Smoke Range in Snook, Texas. This first regional match of 2015 saw 27 squads comprising 115 athletes from 12 teams from around the country. Sending squads for the match were the Alabama Privateers (AL), CC Top Shots (TX), Dripping Springs (TX), North Texas Hot Shots (TX), Red Dawn Raiders (TX), South Texas Shooters (TX), Southeastern Illinois College (IL), Straight Shooters (AZ), Team Gotta (WA), Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit (TX), U.S. Military Academy – West Point (NY), and the U.S. Naval Academy - Annapolis (MD).See our photo gallery of the Southwest Regional Match below The match included some special events in keeping with being hosted by a military unit. BG(R) Joe E. Ramirez, Jr., Commandant of Cadets, started the match by signaling the firing of the Corps' new 105mm howitzer. During the lunch break, athletes and guests were treated to a show of force by three AH-64 Apache helicopters. The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets successfully defended their title to repeat as College Centerfire champions, while the team's Maroon squad took the College Rimfire title. South Texas Shooters Squad 1 won the Senior Centerfire title, and Team Gotta (WA) won Senior Rimfire. Among Junior squads, South Texas Shooters (TX) squad 3 were the winners. Divisional winners include: College Centerfire:1st – TAMU Corps of Cadets (CCMU) (TX)
2nd – USMA (West Point) (NY)
3rd – USNA (Annapolis) (MD)College Rimfire:1st – CCMU Maroon
2nd – CCMU WhiteSenior Centerfire:1st – South Texas Shooters (TX) squad 1Senior Rimfire:1st – Team Gotta (WA)
2nd – South Texas Shooters (TX) squad 2
3rd – Dripping Springs (TX) MaroonJunior Rimfire:1st – South Texas Shooters (TX) squad 3
2nd – South Texas Shooters (TX) squad 5
3rd – Red Dawn Raiders (TX) StrikersHigh Overall AwardsJunior Rimfire - Ethan Inocando, South Texas Shooters 3
Senior Rimfire - Adam Thomas, Team Gotta 1
Senior Centerfire - Domingo Quintanilla, South Texas Shooters 1
Collegiate Rimfire - Chandler Lewis, CCMU Maroon
Collegiate Centerfire - Anthony Veith, West Point CWT
Junior Rimfire High Lady - Katy Allen, South Texas Shooters 5
Senior Rimfire High Lady - Annie Unsell, Alabama Privateers
Senior Centerfire High Lady - Abigail Hanna, South Texas Shooters 1
College Rimfire High Lady - Naomi Boyer, CCMU Maroon The Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit (CCMU), at Texas A&M University also created a new trophy to be presented each year at the SPP Southwest Winter Regional for the top high-scoring Service/Senior Military Academy centerfire team. The trophy will be known as the Easley "Deadeye" Award, which is named in honor of A&M graduate Brig. General Claudius M. Easley, US Army. Our thanks to Mary DuBuisson for sharing her photos of the event.
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) and National Rifle Association (NRA) invite all qualified 2015 Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) athletes to apply for the SSSF / NRA All-Scholastic Team. “The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation promotes youth development and well-rounded student athletes through our SCTP and SPP programs, and this is just another way we like to recognize our athletes for performance on the range AND in the classroom,” said Ben Berka, SSSF Executive Director. Please note that the application deadlines and some requirements have changed. Requirements for application are as follows:
Must be 2015 registered athletes in good standing with SCTP or SPP
Must have a cumulative 3.0 grade point average. Applications must include transcript through the last grading period ending on or before April 1, 2015.
Must meet one of the following shooting qualifications: SCTP (skeet or trap) – achieved 190/200 targets (or equivalent in lesser target format) in a competition between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015 OR SCTP (sporting clays) - achieved 170/200 targets (or equivalent in lesser target format) in a competition between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015 OR SCTP (bunker trap, international skeet, or international doubles trap) – achieved 110/125 targets in a competition between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015 OR SPP – achieved a total match score of 75 seconds or less in an SPP match between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015
Must supply two letters of recommendation from a coach, teacher, or adult third party
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to providing shooting-sports education and opportunities to school-age youths around the United States to encourage young athlete personal growth and development. Tax-ID number 20-8484121.
The Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) reached a new milestone recently with the Tennessee State match, setting an attendance record for state matches. The match was a combined effort of the McKenzie (TN) Shooting team and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation (TWRF), which is the SPP State Advisor. A record-setting 119 athletes participated in the match held at the Carroll County Shooting Park (CCSP) throughout the weekend of May 2. In Junior Rimfire, the DC Steel Shooters won the 1st place title, with William Blount Squad 7 coming in 2nd. The Plateau Pistol Shooters Squad 4 took home 3rd. In Junior Centerfire, the Arnold Junior Shooters Squad White took home the Gold medal, and the McKenzie Cobras and McKenzie Cazadores took Silver and Bronze, respectively. The Senior Rimfire Division saw the McKenzie Crushers coming in 1st, the Plateau Pistol Shooters 2nd, and the Arlington Squad 2, 3rd. In Senior Centerfire, Arlington Squad 1 won the Gold, and the William Blount team won the Silver medal. Among College Division teams, Bethel University won the Gold. In addition to the SPP state match, many of the shooters also shot the Rimfire Rifle Side Match. Taking the top 3 slots in the side match were Hunter Webb, Ty Stone, and Ethan Rogan. The coaches, assistant coaches, and adult volunteers also joined in the rifle fun, with Michael Webb and Jason Pinson having the fastest times. The Carroll County Shooting Park, which is home to the McKenzie Shooting Sports team, will also host the SPP Fall Regional Match on October 23-24. “CCSP is a great example for ranges and teams across the county,” said Scott Moore, SPP National Director. “The park was a joint effort between county and state agencies and the people of McKenzie and Huntingdon, Tennessee. It has become a showplace for SPP events. We are fortunate to have such a great venue as part of SPP.”
