Around the ATA – November 2017

Information for Around the ATA is provided to Trap & Field by state and provincial ATA Delegates and/or their designated representatives.

Shooters and local officials: Please inform your ATA Delegate of news about shooters and clubs in your area.

Southwestern Zone

Colorado

Shooting season is winding down, and hunting season is in full swing in Colorado. We are so proud of fellow shooter from the western slope, Kathleen Starr, who bagged a really sweet bull elk. It took her 16 years to draw a tag in the Uncompahgre Plateau in western Colorado. Congratulations, Kathleen.

A big thanks to Jim and Tammye Macaluso and Jay Lundahl, who have taken the reins at Pueblo S&T. They are hosting some fun night shoots with a potluck dinner (good food). It’s a lot of fun to shoot white targets under the lights. From Pueblo’s September shoot, Tia Fields posted her first 25 straight. Congratulations, and here’s to many more, Tia.

Rumor has it that Don and Tiger Volz will be heading to Arizona as permanent residents. Don and Tiger were our Hall of Fame inductees this year; their support of Colorado shooting will be greatly missed. We will see you both down the line. Stop in and see them at Casa Grande this winter.

The Colorado zone shoot is in the books. Western zone were the winners with a total score of 1,812: Kyle Teal, Steven Digesualdo, Tim Arrasmith, Wayne Leborgne and Trina Casto. The eastern zone came in second with 1,804, and third belonged to southern with 1,790. Good shooting. Lady winner was Nikki Herman, vet winner was Don Volz, and junior went to Kameron Casto. Thank you, Grand Junction, for hosting the yearly zone event.

FYI, the state team applications are due to Ken Seidel by Nov. 30. Application is in the state program and on the CSTA website. Colorado Rookie of the Year application is also included in these areas. Target requirements: men’s team, 1,500 singles, 1,500 handicap and 1,000 doubles; women’s, veteran and junior teams, 1,000 singles, 1,000 handicap and 500 doubles. You have to participate in the state or zone shoot and register targets at at least four Colorado clubs. You must shoot the entire program for that day to receive credit for a club. New shooters, you never know, there are some great new shooters out there. Apply today.

As our registered shooting season winds down in the north, your local clubs will be having turkey shoots, and winter leagues will be starting. Contact your club and keep your shooting skills in tune for next year.

I wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Go enjoy some quality time with your families.

Please feel free to contact me with any goings-on at your clubs or some special accomplishments that you would like to share with our members. I can be reached at [email protected].

Dan Treat

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Fall is upon us, and the weather in Louisiana is fantastic. The next few months will allow for some of the best shooting days that anyone could ever hope for, especially in the hot and humid South.

Even though many clubs have gone to a winter operating schedule, most Louisiana clubs will host at least one ATA event per month, so there should be an opportunity to shoot almost every weekend from now to the end of the year at one of Louisiana’s active gun clubs.

Bridgeview GC, Port Allen, has changed shoot dates for the last few months of 2017. ATA registered shoots will be Nov. 25 and Dec. 23, which reflects their desire to move their shoots to the fourth Saturday of the month in the 2017-2018 shooting year to allow Louisiana and Mississippi shooters more opportunities to shoot registered.

For shoot schedules and contact information for Louisiana gun clubs, www.louisianatrapshootingassociation.org/index.htm.

The 2018 Louisiana State Shoot will be a four-day shoot, May 3-6 at Toby Bancroft Memorial GC in West Monroe. Please put this on your calendar and plan to attend.

I would like to remind all shooters that there are several changes to the ATA Rulebook. These were effective Sept. 1. To see the changes, visit the ATA website at www.shootata.com/Portals/0/pdf/ata_rulebook_web.pdf.

Please take the opportunity to read the book and encourage all shooters, especially new shooters, to familiarize themselves with the rules. It will make their shooting experience much more enjoyable if they understand what is expected.

By now, 2018 ATA memberships should be renewed. If you have not had a chance to renew, this can be done at the next shoot you attend. Shoot well and shoot often.

Doyle Brooks

ATA Delegate

New Mexico

Our new year has started. Make sure you have renewed your ATA membership.

Belen’s Sept. 1-3 shoot had good weather and a good turnout. The San Juan WF shoot Sept. 9-10 had about 20 shooters. Silver City shot Sept. 16-17 and had good weather and a good shoot, from what I heard.

Bob Leibel

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

Al Haws reported on Aug. 16 over 40 4‑H kids showed up to shoot at Duncan GC. We have more young kids entering the shooting sports all the time. This will be what keeps trapshooting going in the future. We need to coach and inspire them all we can.

OTSA held an end-of-the-target-year shoot Aug. 19-20. The shoot was well attended with good weather. Scores were high: Event 1 singles, Ron Bliss, 100; Event 2, Colt Quisenberry, 96; Event 3, Rick Bliss, 97; Event 4, Colt, 100; Event 5, Bob Campbell, 97; and Event 6, Rick Bliss, 98.

After losing everything in the May tornadoes, Carol Brown told me the rebuilding is going well. Carol’s winning attitude is to just start over and rebuild everything. We all wish you well. The tornadoes left a wide path of destruction in Elk City also. Phil Webb said he was spared, but neighbors and many businesses were devastated.

Iowa Park GC’s Aug. 27 shoot had beautiful weather, but the north wind played with the targets all day. Pat Stacey broke 99 and 97 in the doubles for champion. Terry Johnson won A with 183. While making improvements to the club, they poured an 18-inch concrete pad in front of the 16-yard line for the voice pull stands to sit on. This worked very well, keeping the stands from teetering on the grass or bunched-up cords.

Ada’s Aug. 29 evening fun shoot was won by Colin Rindal with 46. Lowell Leach broke the only green bird, which paid him $8. He said Jerald Ford is doing well after his heart operation. Joe Medlock is doing better and even shot a couple rounds.

Tyler Rindal has agreed to be the new Oklahoma AIM director. Young shooters who wish to get involved in the AIM program can contact Tyler at 405-444-0592. Ron Bliss resigned after two very successful years of AIM leadership and hard work. In 2016 the Oklahoma Dusters junior team won a national title, and in 2017 the Oklahoma Dusters sub-junior team won one also. Ron, we all appreciate the commitment of you, the coaches and parents who have made the AIM program so successful in Oklahoma.

On Sept. 1, I called Marie Ketchum and visited with her. She is doing well but misses the farm. She also misses involvement in the trapshooting community. After 34 years of helping coach young shooters, she said that was the hardest to give up. She and Jack are part of trapshooting history in Oklahoma. She told me she still takes Trap & Field and reads my articles, so I better be careful what I say here. You can call Marie at 580-467-1658. She is always glad to hear from us. With Christmas just around the corner, we can send her a Christmas card at Golden Oaks, 5505 W. 19th, C-2, Stillwater, OK 74074.

Shawnee Twin Lakes TR had great weather and good attendance for their first shoot of the new target year. On Sept. 3 Robert Rimer’s 96 was high in doubles, and Mike Grove’s 100 straight won the singles. In the handicap, Billy Pierce and I broke 94s for the high score. With the flip of a coin, Billy won champion and I won mid yardage.

Anthony (KS) GC held their Labor Day Shoot with the same great weather. On Sunday they shot 300 doubles, where Rusty Schurter and Tex Hollis tied with 284s. On Monday’s first 100 singles, Grove, Rich McAllaster, Jeff Cuer and Larry Schmidt all broke 99s. On the second 100, Grove broke another 99. Kyler Acord broke 95 to win the handicap. Sid ran a great shoot. They are also making some nice improvements to the club with the city’s help. All the pictures were down and boxed up for safekeeping. Foam insulation was blown and the ceiling was painted brown. A new handicap facility was installed inside. There are still windows to install and painting to finish outside. I always enjoy shooting at Anthony. Many years ago Phil Arnett started taking pictures of every new shooter, and Sid has continued this. So if you are attending the club for the first time, expect to have your picture taken and added to the hundreds already on display.

Ada’s Sept. 5 fun shoot was won by Grove with 49. On Sept. 9-10, OTSA held their Red Earth Handicap. Belt buckles were awarded to all winners. On Saturday’s 500 doubles marathon, Rick Bliss was champion with 482. Woody Barnes won AA with 458; A, Mike Grove, 463; B, Bill Dean, 453; C, Tim Mount, 445; and D, Dennis Patrick, 426. Champion on the 200 singles Sunday was Grove with 199. In the handicap, sub-junior Jacob Diller broke 98 while running his first 75 straight. New shooter Daniel Shoof ran his first 100 straight in the singles for 197 and won short-yardage handicap with 97. Kevin Nanke also broke 97 in handicap.

Ada’s Sept. 12 fun shoot was won by Grove with 50 straight. Duncan’s Sept. 17 shoot had beautiful weather. Grove won the singles with 97, Mike Cook won the handicap with 93, and Ron Bliss, along with Grove, broke 96s for the doubles. Duncan had some nice new cones being used as the traps were being loaded.

Stan Stramel, the ATA IT manager, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 13. This will affect the day-to-day operations of the ATA office, and they need our patience and help as they work through the effects. Our sincere condolences go out to his family.

Ada’s Sept. 19 fun shoot was won by Colin Rindal with 50 straight. Congratulations to Robert Rimer on reaching 75,000 handicap targets, and Rob Daughhetee and Ken Isenberg on 25,000 handicap.

Shelby Skaggs has hit the big time with her picture on the cover of the September Trap & Field. Ashton Huffstutlar is pictured on Page 24, and Ron Bliss is pictured on Page 29. Good going, all!

Duncan GC’s Oct. 15 shoot will be in honor of Ronney Koch and is their annual fish fry shoot. They have added money and are expecting a crowd.

In September 3,500 more American troops were deployed to Afghanistan. There are 2,000 Oklahoma 45th Division Army National Guard members deployed to help our neighbors in Texas overcome the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. Let’s keep them all in our prayers and help where we can.

 Tim Deister

 ATA Delegate

Texas

Princess and I just got home from the zone III shoot at the Iowa Park GC. The shoot was originally scheduled to be held at Abilene CS. Abilene has construction delays and was not going to be ready to host. The people at Iowa Park agreed to host, with about five weeks’ notice. The volunteers did a fantastic job. That club is a perfect example of what people volunteering and working together can get done. I wish all our clubs in Texas had this git-r-done spirit. Thanks for a great shoot.

I still want to mention to you about releasing saved squads if you find yourself unable to attend. Don’t trust your buddy to tell them when they get there. Call the club yourself and release the positions you are not going to use. This way you know it’s done. It’s just the courteous thing to do.

I know I talk about this every column, but if you are an 18- or 19-yard shooter and you’re having trouble squadding, you may call me (or e-mail, or any other way you want to contact me) and request a yardage increase. In fact, you can receive a yardage increase all the way to the 25-yard line if you desire. The only thing to remember is that if you receive a requested yardage increase, you will not receive a 1,000-target review reduction for a period of two years.

Our Rulebook clearly states that a shooter must present a current, up-to-date card when they classify. Please note the words “current” and “up-to-date.” This is not a suggestion; it is a rule. Just because you printed it from the ATA website before you left for the shoot does not mean it is up to date. It is your responsibility to see that all scores shot are on that average card. The ATA does a fantastic job of posting scores very soon after they are received from local clubs, but the average card could still be two or three weeks out of date.

As I have mentioned before, the most misunderstood rule is the doubles misfire rule. The simplified version is on the ATA website. It is very clear and easy to understand (I did say “understand” and not “remember”). If you don’t want to go to that much trouble, let me know and I will e-mail or snail mail it to you.

I want to remind you that San Angelo Claybird Association is throwing registered trap targets again. They are planning to have a registered shoot once per month. Check texastrap.com for the dates. If you are close enough to attend their shoots, please do so. We need all the clubs we can get.

I would like to congratulate Patrick Hopson on his selection as one of two trap captains at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO. Patrick is a very fine young man and a huge asset to our sport.

I want all of you to know how sorry I felt for Princess. She had taken the line at Iowa Park to shoot doubles. Lo and behold, her gun would not fire the second shot. She came to me in a panic. We got the gun fixed in a matter of seconds, and back to the line she went. I may have to change her nickname after the language she used, but if you want to know what happened, you’ll have to ask her.

If you have news, please let Princess or me know. I can’t print what I don’t know. You can reach me at 806-679-6889. And by the way, read the Rulebook. You might learn something.

Till next time, y’all shoot well, y’all shoot often, and y’all have a great time.

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Western Zone

Alaska

I am pleased to announce the 2017 state all-star teams based on 2017 composite averages: Open first—Brian (Stubby) Hughes, .9232; Steven Brown (junior), .9047; Gerald Atol, .8977; Pete Hudson, .8959; Wally Smith, .8942. Open second—Brian Stoa, .8937; Robert Setren, .8909; Ken Kemmerer, .8877; Charles Scherer, .8735; Jon Hayes and Cassandra Saum (lady), .8690. Women’s—Saum, .8690; Angelina Monfrey (junior), .8408; Evie Seymore, .8036; Jen Geary, .6745. Junior—Brown, .9047; Monfrey, .8408.

High volume leaders: singles, C. W. Floyd, 5,050, and Geary, 2,625; doubles, Don Heavilin, 4,950, and Saum, 3,050; handicap, Heavilin, 4,450, and Geary, 2,625.

Dave Kaiser

ATA Delegate

Arizona

We’re off! The birds—warblers, sparrows and many of the snow variety—have arrived, and we hope they stay for the entire winter. What do we have to offer? How about warm weather, a warm welcome and red-hot shooting? You can’t top Arizona when it starts to get cold up north. The Autumn Grand American should be wrapping up now, and the next batch of shoots are at Mohave (Kingman), Casa Grande, Rio Salado, Double Adobe (McNeal), Tri-State (Bullhead City), Lake Havasu, Ben Avery (Phoenix), Tucson and Cochise (Sierra Vista). Casa Grande will have almost continuous registered targets Dec. 22-31 (no birds on Christmas Day), and it is one of Karen’s and my favorite ways to bring in the New Year. It’s also the official start of the Arizona Chain.

Please plan on joining us for the Hall of Fame Shoot Jan. 10-14 at Ben Avery. The first three days are part of the Chain, while Saturday and Sunday celebrates our Hall of Fame and the new inductee. Hint: it’s a guy with the initials DS. All are most welcome.

Around the state: Tucson held their monthly shoot on Sept. 10, and Robert Hammond started the 2018 shooting year off right with 100 in the singles. He was closely followed by Jay Alderman at 99. High gun in the ’caps went to Doug Sims, with Danny Treanor and Ken Mlynarz right on his heels. Danny then won the doubles with a fine 98. Doug and Jay were not far behind at 96.

Flagstaff held their third annual Buckle Shoot Sept. 16-17. The opening singles was highlighted by 99s shot by Scott Skaggs, Len Sullivan and Steve Bell. Next was the handicap, with Scott and Richard Camp finishing on top with 94s. Scott took long-yardage and Richard the short-yardage, while Steve was right behind at 93, winning mid-yardage. Len then came through with a 96 in doubles, easing out Levi Franklin by one. On Sunday Scott’s 99 was high in doubles, which he followed up with 98 for high singles. Len was next at 98. Levi then finished with a strong 95 in the ’caps. Buckle winners were Skaggs, all-around; Sullivan, singles; Bell, handicap; Steve Long, doubles; Greg Holden, vet; Kathy Sullivan, ladies’; and Franklin, junior.

Betty Sackett has announced that she is stepping down as our webmaster. I could fill up three or more pages listing Betty’s contributions to Arizona trapshooting, both as a competitor and as the go-to person behind the scenes. She set the standard for the ladies in Arizona. Her 100 from the 27 has not been forgotten at Prescott, and her 200 at the state shoot still stands alone as high lady in the Singles Championship. A few years ago I started talking to some other shooters on my bench at the Grand, and when they found out I was from Arizona, the first thing that they asked was, “Do you know Betty Sackett?” That was quickly followed by, “Boy, did we hate to lose her.” Georgia’s loss was Arizona’s gain. Thanks a million, Betty, for everything, and please don’t be a stranger.

See you on the line.

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

Fourteen-year-old Samantha Hawley carded her first 50 straight during the Clay Target Championship at the Grand.

Utah

The Grand has come and gone, and it was, as its name implies, grand. Weather was pleasant, with temps in the mid 80s and tolerable humidity. A couple of our sub-junior shooters (Hayden VanDam and Grayson Stuart) each put up 97s in separate handicaps during the week, and both won hardware. Grayson earned honorary yardage, while Hayden was punched to the 25-yard line. Austin Kinder broke 98 in one of the ’caps, was moved to 26.5, and also trophied. Nice shooting, guys.

During prelim week, Sean Hawley and Sharred Oaks each won a bunch of trophies. Sean posted a 99 in the TrapshootingUSA Handicap and took fourth. He also won numerous doubles trophies and one or two singles awards along the way. Sharred had a 200 in the NRA Singles, winning junior honors, and a 100 in the Wenig Doubles and was the event champion after carding another 100 in carryover.

During Grand Week, Hawley, Oaks and Scott McKinnon all had good showings in several events. In the DownRange Manufacturing Doubles, Sharred won junior champion with another 100. Sean took first in the Kubota Doubles, Scott took third (both with 100), and Sharred broke 99, taking third in junior ranks. All three broke 100 in the championship doubles. The shootoff was of epic proportions, with Sean and Sharred being among the last three standing out of 20 perfect scores. Sean had a goose egg late in the ninth extra round (179×180), and Sharred missed the last target in the 10th (199×200), which relegated him to junior champ and Sean to event runnerup (same finish as he had last year). This was a very exciting shootoff to watch. There are not enough superlatives to describe the accomplishments of these guys!

In the Clay Target Championship, Sean broke all 200 and captured AAA third, and Sharred won junior runnerup after breaking 199 in the program and shooting 299 overtime targets.

White Flyer was offering a 4×4 pickup truck for anyone breaking 400×400 in the All-Around. Sean was one of seven in contention after 300 targets (singles and doubles), but alas, no one could close the door. Fantastic shooting nonetheless.

Speaking of Sean, he told me that his 14-year-old daughter Samantha (aka Sam) competed in the Clay Target Championship and put together her first-ever 50 straight. Sean was beaming over this accomplishment and stated that she had never been so thrilled while shooting! Watching young shooters achieve personal bests is what I enjoy, and this will hopefully keep them coming back for more. You can check out all the scores on the ATA home page at shootata.com.

I want to congratulate one of my squadmates, Steve Williamson (CA), who shot at and broke his 800,000th registered ATA target. That is a lot of targets, but mere child’s play compared to our other longtime squadmate Charlie W. Long (TX), who has over 1,100,000!

The Western Zone and the Delegates/Board of Directors meeting at the Grand were both very informative. Western Zone dates were set for July 20-22, 2018. I am currently trying to nail down a site in Utah. The 2017 Western Zone numbers were down a little from 2016, but not enough to be troubling. The Zone budget and trophies for next year will be the same as 2017. Jim Jones, Western Zone Vice President, was elected as ATA President for 2018.

The ATA as a whole had a very good year and made a profit on the shooting side of the house. New memberships really aid in this effort, and the AIM shooters are a big part of this success. The ATA’s investment portfolio is very well positioned and has had a very profitable year.

One major change coming at the larger shoots is that a trophy will not have to be given away in order to win All-American points. Thus the need for points pins will no longer be an issue.

Once again I would like to thank Bill and LeeAnn Martin for their generosity in being signature sponsors at the Grand once more.

August had three clubs (Helper, Cedar City and Spanish Fork) throwing targets for the last month of the target year. Weather was beautiful at all of these shoots, and all three clubs had good attendance. You can visit the USTA website to view the scores.

On a sad note, it is time to bid farewell to Magna GC. Urban sprawl has taken its toll on one more club. Magna GC has been around for a little over 48 years, and as of Sept. 15 no more targets will be thrown . . . at least at its current location. A big thanks to the directors and officers who helped make the club a successful and fun place to shoot. Magna had a great following, and I will always have fond memories of the time I spent shooting there.

Ed Wehking

ATA Delegate

Washington

Hello again from the state of Washington. We hope you are all enjoying the fall season and getting a chance to break some clay at one of your favorite clubs.

As this goes to press, the date for the WSTA annual directors meeting will be set, and we’ll be planning for the 2018 state shoot and tossing around ideas for dates and new shoots for the 2018 calendar year. Clubs wishing to hold ATA shoots, please contact our secretary Bruce Skelton and let him know the dates you are thinking about. Clubs that haven’t held a shoot for a while or wishing to for the first time are encouraged to do so and are welcome to join in supporting the WSTA and ATA. We are willing to help if you want to get started. Contact information can be found at shoot.wsta.com.

Registered shoots drop off here until February, when the Colton GC traditionally throws a one-day shoot for those brave enough to endure the elements. In the meantime, many of our clubs will be holding turkey and games shoots, which can be a great way to keep the cobwebs from settling in your barrel and getting someone to the range for the first time. Winter telephonic leagues will be starting up in January. We are proud of the Spokesman-Review Shoot, which is one of, if not the oldest, telephonic shoots of this kind in the country. Clubs have inter-club as well as intra-club competition, and many shotgunners have gotten their start this way, including myself.

I am looking forward to arriving in Tucson for the last four days of the Autumn Grand. It will be my first time, and I hope to meet a lot of shooters from other states who might be reading about Washington in these pages. Our ATA Delegate George Seubert as well as several WSTA directors are planning some shooting in Arizona this winter. We’ll all be happy to fill you in on things happening here and hope you’ll follow us north for some ATA competition next spring and summer. I mentioned our website earlier, but I also wish to plug our Washington State Trapshooters page on Facebook. As schedules shape up, information will be posted there also. Clubs are especially encouraged to post your ATA activities there. It is fun to post photos of your members in their trap endeavors.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

I can be reached at [email protected].

Sean Lewis

ATA Alternate Delegate

Jason Hassler fired at his 25,000th ATA doubles target on Sept. 17 at Darien SG. His uncle, Wayne Hassler (not pictured), turned 70 on the same day.

Central Zone

Illinois

First off, I want to apologize for not having articles in the last couple magazines. I was having some issues with my e-mail and didn’t realize it until recently. I do implore you to check out the ISTA website illinoistrapshooters.org. It’s full of information.

The northern zone shoot was a couple weeks ago at Downers Grove, and they had a great turnout and wonderful weather. There was a vote for a new zone director. Frankie Bentley III decided not to run again, and Stanley Systo won the vote to replace him. Congrats! Bentley ended up winning the singles with the lone 199. Jeremiah Schultz topped the doubles with a lone 98. Jack Anderson was the handicap champion with 97. The all-around champion was Brad Bomkamp with 386. Tough shooting by everyone! I also have to brag about a shooter from the southern zone, Elise Baker, who went up to compete. She won the handicap non-resident with 97 and proceeded to win the all-around with 385. Anyone who shot all 400 targets at this match meets the zone requirement for the state team. The southern zone shoot is Memorial Day weekend, May 26-27, at Brittany SP, and the central zone shoot is in Peoria May 19-20.

The Illini Indians’ Pow Wow was the first weekend in September. There was a great turnout and great weather. It was divided into three shoots—the Indian Summer Shoot, the Pow Wow and the Silver Dollar. The first two days, Jeff Fricke won both of the handicaps. Two of the days, Norm Gilmoure was the high score for the doubles events. Chloe Turasky broke her first 100 straight in the singles that weekend. There were a lot of people who had some phenomenal scores. I hope to see that continue throughout the year!

Please do not hesitate to contact me with anything you would like to see in the next article.

Lauren Mueller

ATA Delegate

Indiana

Greetings, shooters! I hope everyone was able to take advantage of the great weather we had in September and you were able to get your 2018 target year off to a great start!

Unfortunately I had to miss one of my favorite shoots of the year, but it sounds like the Shoot for the Cure at Fall Creek CC was a major success. They had 89 shooters over the two days, and they were able to add a miss-and-out event, thanks to contributions from many sponsors. Ron Ballenger took home the first-place prize, with Blair Brimmer taking second and Kenneth Heathcoate third. In Saturday’s singles, C. W. Arnett was the champion with the lone 200 straight. Sunday’s handicap resulted in Kaleb Lanoue as champ with 97, followed by Brian Ingle and Rachel Budreau with 96s. In doubles, champ went to Cody Sullivan and Ryan Clark runnerup with 97s. Kenneth Heathcoate took home all-around honors with 383. Congrats to all, and a special thanks to Dan and Desira Fesler for making this shoot a tradition while raising funds to fight such a worthwhile cause.

I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. May you enjoy this holiday while taking time to appreciate all you have to be thankful for.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything or would like to have anything included in this monthly report. My e-mail is [email protected].

Jason Barnett

ATA Delegate

Iowa

Greetings, all Iowa shooters; I hope fall weather is good as you read this month’s articles in Trap & Field. At this writing, I just got home from the Minnesota State Shoot. Weather was good for most of it, targets were set very well, and some Iowa shooters shot well. In the next few articles, I will have a list of Iowa shooters who took home trophies at various shoots. Iowa made a good showing at Missouri state: Ron Flake, Mike Jackson, Danny McCoy, Tim Groves, Bev Dominacki, Robert Blin, Shelly Heitner, Jim Vorwerk, Dave Bessine, Richard Jones, Clarence Bahmler, Lori Glasgow, Steve Glasgow, Mason Moore, Randy Wolf, Ilene Jones, Andy Johansen, Edward Karn and even I were lucky enough to get on the winners’ list.

Next month I will put a list of our winners from Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and the Grand. It will give me some material to write about for the winter months when not much is going on around Iowa. I hope you all shot well at state and the Grand; I’m looking forward to meeting more of you! Best of wishes. I can be reached at 712-830-2612 or [email protected].

 Heath Kasperbuaer

 ATA Delegate

Michigan

Don’t blink! Seriously, I blinked, and the Michigan AIM season was over. It came and went that fast, but what a wonderful season it was! I would like to extend a heartfelt “job well done” to all the new shooters who stepped up to try competitive trapshooting this year. Think of all that is yet to come!

Superb shooting to all those who placed at the Michigan AIM Championships.

2017 Michigan AIM team awards: sub-junior champion, Monroe Pride, 913, S. Clark, J. Hicks, T. Tillman, B. Tillman, J. Sorkel; junior third, Oak Hill, 907, S. Wilson, D. Platte, J. Stockwell, P. Platte, J. McComb; junior runnerup, SHFC, 920, G. Falk, E. Falk, M. Gavin, A. Falk, C. Creswick; junior champion, Linden, 934, T. Kemp, S. Bundy, P. Bundy, S. Christian, T. Johnson; junior gold third, Linden, 862, J. Jankowski, R. Haynes, Z. Jobe, M. Ostapchuk, C. Purzycki; junior gold runnerup, Linden, 875, B. Emmons, N. Persails, V. Doyle, K. Banner, A. Daly; junior gold champion, Monroe Pride, 900, D. Kane, B. Shipp, J. Delucia, K. Bristoll, A. McMullen.

2017 Michigan AIM 200 singles awards: pre-sub third, Dakota Acosta, 164; runnerup, David Guaresimo, 167; champion, Joey Bruesch, 180. Sub-junior fifth, Peyton Platte, 188; fourth, Gianni Bordogna, 188 plus reverse score; third, Samantha Wilson, 189; second, Christian Scott, 192; champion, Skylar Clark, 196; high lady, Ava Larson, 192. Junior fifth, Lucas Bristoll, 191 plus reverse score; fourth, Thomas Kemp Jr., 192; third, Joey Lietke, 194; second, Evan Falk, 195; champion, Thomas Gunst, 197; high lady, Elizabeth Wesner, 187. Junior gold third, Kyle Bristoll, 187; second, Alex McMullen, 191; champion, Dylan Kane, 192; high lady, Lexi Kocsis, 188.

2017 Michigan AIM handicap awards: pre-sub runnerup, Joey Bruesch, 75; champion, David Guaresimo, 85. Sub-junior fifth, Ava Larson, 91; fourth, Ty Tillman, 92; third, Branson Tillman, 92 plus reverse score; runnerup, Peyton Platte, 93; champion, Skylar Clark, 95. Junior fifth, Jonathan Stockwell, 93; fourth, Lucas Bristoll, 94; third, Evan Falk, 95; runnerup, Justin Cobb, 96; champion, Matthew Beebe, 98. Junior gold third, Kyle Bristoll, 91; runnerup, Lexi Kocsis, 93; champion, Alex McMullen, 94.

2017 Michigan AIM doubles awards: pre-sub champion, Joey Breusch, 69. Sub-junior third, Samantha Wilson, 90; runnerup, Skylar Clark, 93; champion, Peyton Platte, 93 plus reverse score. Junior third, Glen Falk, 86; runnerup, Justin Cobb, 93; champion, Lucas Bristoll, 95. Junior gold runnerup, Alex McMullen, 78; champion, Kyle Bristoll, 92.

2017 Michigan AIM teams (in random order). A huge shout-out to our 2017 Michigan AIM team award sponsor Pacific Shooting Sports East. Each 2017 Michigan AIM team member received a leather belt buckle in addition to their yearly certificate, thanks to Pacific’s generosity.

Pre-sub—Wyatt Fields, Dakota Acosta, Griffin Howe, Preston Lanehart, Parker Lanehart. Sub-junior—Joshua Bell, Anne Falk, Skylar Clark, Peyton Platte, Lucas Bristoll, Parker Bundy, Jonathan Stockwell, Samantha Wilson, Gianni Bordogna, Hannah Doyle, Jacob McComb, Jonathan Seifert. Junior—Brendan VanSyckle, Joseph Lietke, Robert Haynes, Thomas Kemp Jr., Matthew Beebe, Spencer Bundy, Thomas Gunst, Jamie Stilianos, Evan Falk, Brock McCrumb, Amanda Crouch, Brandon Emmons, Alex McMullen, Glen Falk. Junior gold—Lexi Kosis, Matthew Davis.

Special recognition: Pacific Sporting Arms East, J. B. Lewis, Dr. and Ginny Abraham, Darryl Hayes.

It’s been a wonderful season watching our youth shooters grow, not only in their shooting skills but also in positive sportsmanship. I’ve watched older youth take on leadership roles within their programs and mentoring new shooters. Michigan AIM coaches have taken notice of all the great things happening, and so have our MTA leaders. Michigan trapshooting has a bright future, thanks in great part to the outstanding leadership and mentoring from our MTA board members, directors and ATA Delegate.

Toni Falk

AIM director

Ohio

The Labor Day Invitational held at the Cardinal Center had a total of 667 entries for the three-day shoot. I would like to congratulate the winners: singles, Tony Gioffre; handicap, Roger Peterson; doubles, Richard Zombek; and all-around, Austin Jacob.

I hope everyone had a good time at the Fall Festival at the Middletown SC Sept. 21-24. I was unable to attend this year due to the fact that my wife and I were to be in Sarasota, FL, seeing how our grandkids weathered hurricane Irma. We are taking a few things they requested because the stores are just starting to get supplies and restock.

I hope everyone had a great 2017 shooting season and is looking forward to the 2018 target year. Middletown Fall Festival, Dixie Grand at Bostic, NC, and the Missouri Fall Handicap are a few of the shoots early in the new season. I know several Ohio shooters were planning on attending the Dixie Grand.

I will try to give you a report on Middletown in my next article. I am sure Mike Erter will be full of knowledge that he would like to share. ATA Alternate Delegate Mike Blair will be able to share some information on this shoot also.

I will leave you with the words of a good friend: keep your head down, follow through and “bust ’em.”

Roger McNamer

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

As I sat having coffee at a local restaurant, an older gentleman sat down next to me, and we started to visit. He proudly said that he was 91 and has been married for 69 years. I said with wide eyes, “That is so amazing. What do you say is why you have stayed married for 69 years?” His response was, “Keeping your mouth shut.” I asked him, “But don’t you want to express your feelings?” He repeated, “Keeping your mouth shut.” Rex also told me about his four sons and their non-involvement in his life. His sons have expressed that they want his farm, etc., and Rex told me his lawyer knows otherwise. I am writing this for a couple reasons.

Taking time to listen to older people is such a blessing, especially if they are your parents. Also, the last word is not everything; listening is more important.

I received a call from Chops saying you always want something to write about; would you write about Wisconsin shooters at the Heartland Grand? Thank you, Chops, for reminding me to brag about the great shooters we have. Thirty-one from Wisconsin shot at the Heartland Grand. Listed are the Wisconsin shooters who won trophies; please forgive me if I missed anyone or have total trophies incorrect: Kevin Doerring, Kyle Sacia (six), Robert Hittle, Steven Keeley (five), John Duwe (two), George Hass (seven), Jay Nigbor (three), Dan Horkan (three), Gerald Demulling, Tim Mackey (two), Joseph Schepper, Mike Bloesl, Cheryl Demulling, James Gurkowski (two), Peter Lantvit, Carol Keeley (two), Jerry Vanderwerff, Dwight Paulin, Kevin Moldenhauer and Mark Sacia.

Be looking for winter shoots in your area. Good luck to shooters attending the Tuscon Autumn Grand. Also, please be safe hunting this fall. We want to see your smiling faces at the shoots.

Eau Claire R&GC held its annual Geezer Shoot and had 90 shooters attend. It was not a registered shoot, but it was a shoot for ATA and non-ATA shooters to get together and have a fun day of competing. Those of you turning 60 (youngsters under 60 cannot attend, your turn will come soon enough), plan to attend next year.

Winter is coming, and your local club needs volunteers to get ready for winter. Please ask what you can do to help.

Remember to smile; it looks good on you and is received well from others. E-mail me about happenings at your club, a member who has done a wonderful thing, or any newsworthy information you want me to share with our readers. I can be reached at [email protected].

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Eastern Zone

New Jersey

Record-setting temperatures in the 90s were recorded at the 2018 New Jersey northern zone shoot held in Fairfield, with satellite shoots in Howell and Berlin.

It seems the NJSTA has decided not to have presquad.com handle pre-squadding for the 2018 New Jersey State Shoot May 30-June 3 at Pine Belt SC in Shamong. Please let Rudy Torlini know your opinion ASAP, since our 2018 program is going to the printer in December. He can be reached at [email protected].

Pine Valley held their club shoot Sept. 2-3. Carlos Gomes took the champion singles trophy with 194. This year’s honoree was Paul Dimeglio; he can be seen at the club driving the forklift delivering targets to the traps, loading the houses, scoring rounds, and anything that needs taking care of in running a shoot. Paul is also a director in the NJSTA. We thank him for his contributions to the sport.

On Labor Day the Lady Bird Shoot was held at Pine Valley. Michelle Major led the women with 97, Patricia Slimm was second, Lori McClure third, Heather Delaney fourth, Rachel Osterhoudt fifth, Kimberly Armstrong sixth, Shannon Leah seventh, and Cathy Rea eighth. In the handicap, Rachel led the field of women shooters, and in the doubles Tony Pietrofitta took the top award.

The following weekend the Westy Hogans was held in Elysburg, PA. Eighty-two New Jersey shooters made the trip. Leading the trophy winners were Rick Batesko with four; Angelina Moir with three; George Wright with two; and David Brader, Joe Sissano, Vic Savoia, James Lavelle, Mark Wade, James Shire, Steve Carfaro and Tony Pietrofitta with one each. Carfaro’s win was in Sunday’s main handicap, where his 95 was the second-high score and after the shootoff came in third in the event. You can go to rjstuart.com to see who won what and where.

Pine Belt held their club shoot Sept. 16-17. Dan Brandreth led the Singles Championship with 198 and the Doubles Championship with 90. John Martin was high in the club Handicap Championship.

Sept. 16 the Mallard TC held their club shoot—35 turned out to compete. Greg Menshoff defeated Steve Siegert, 22-21, after tying with 95s. Steve fell back to Class A; the open champion was Doug Bracher. Class B victor was Steve Lokos, C winner was Sal Schiavo, and Ken Radzinanonski won D class.

The Northeastern Grand was also going on during these two NJ club shoots. Twenty shooters from the Garden State attended. Last year I had commented that the weather at the shoot was the mildest I had seen. This year’s NEG was the warmest and driest I had ever experienced in the middle of September in Cicero! Angelina Moir and Robert Malmstedt led the field with four awards each, followed by George Wright with three, Sue Emma with two and Emily Malone, Joe Sissano and Justin Malone with one each.

Just a reminder that Langhorne will be having their annual Lions Club Shoot for Sight Nov. 5. It’s a 200-bird 16-yard shoot, and your entry covers door prizes, food and beverages throughout the day.

The Mallard TC will be having their annual Thanksgiving Pie Shoot. It’s a real favorite, so get there early and enjoy.

If you have a question or an idea for an article, I can be reached at 732-546-7910 or [email protected].

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and warm. If you went hunting, I hope you were successful.

The 32nd annual Northeastern Grand American is now history, and we are happy to say that we had an excellent shoot. Weather was warm and beautiful. Attendance was up from last year. We threw 330,000 targets.

During the Singles Championship, three 200 straights and eight 199s were posted. Bob Malmstedt took the title, John Kirksey was runnerup, and Jake Levin took AAA honors. In the Doubles Championship, 99s were entered by John Federici, Greg Tartick and Bradley Heath. Federici took the championship, Tartick runnerup and Heath AAA. In the Handicap Championship, two 98s were posted. Todd Hosbach took the championship over Dan Gris, who won sub-veteran honors. Frank Pascoe was the all-around and high-over-all champion with 393×400 and 967×1,000. Trophy winners can be viewed on our webpage www.nysata.com and in Trap & Field.

The annual meeting of the New York State ATA was held Sept. 14 during the Northeastern Grand. After business was conducted, election of officers and directors took place. Tim Herbstsommer is the new president of the NYSATA. Cathy Flint and Sam Bonetto were reelected as secretary/webmaster and treasurer. Jonathon Karp was reappointed as legal counsel. From the eastern zone, Dennis Hart is vice president, and directors are Michael Waschitz, Keith Miranda and Robert Oswald. From the central zone, Jim Wright is vice president, and directors are Sue Barney, Jeff Bell and Joe Macewicz. From the western zone, Larry Daigler is vice president, and directors are John Fassbaugh, Todd Hosbach and Mike Manzo. Ken Davis will return as the director of camping. During the 2017 state shoot, Susan Gullotta and Travis Dann were elected as ATA Alternate Delegates and myself as Delegate.

We must all thank retiring association president Jim Davis for all his hard work and direction during the past five years. Prior to his presidency, Jim served on the board of directors for four years. In my opinion, Jim did an excellent job. Thank you, Jim. Enjoy your retirement with your wife Tammy.

Thanks must be given to all the folks who worked so hard to make our shoots at the homegrounds in Cicero this past year successful. Thanks to the cashiering staff, kitchen help, trap setters and scorers, line supervision led by Dale Dupre, classification committee, target-setting committee, shootoff committee, Delegate Emeritus Brian Whalen, Bonnie Whalen for handling the trophies, and all the officers and directors from the NYSATA. Special thanks must be given to ATA Past President Wayne Morris and his wife Joyce plus Central Handicap Committee member Ray Greb for all their help and guidance.

Dates for next year’s shoots at the homegrounds at Cicero were announced. First up will be the Empire Grand American May 9-13. The state shoot will be held July 10-15. The Eastern Zone will be following close behind July 18-22. Finally, the Northeastern Grand American will be Sept. 11-16. We hope you all plan to attend.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday season that is coming upon us. See you all soon, and good shooting. God bless.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada. One of our OPTA directors, Beau Douglas, has been a tremendous help in tracking and collating shoot results for our Ontario Delegate and Ontario category Delegate teams. Ontario shooters should be aware that for the first time, the 2018 Ontario Delegate category team (based on results for the target year ending Aug. 31, 2017) will include all eight categories. Results will be announced shortly.

As I write this article in late September, I am making preparations for attending the (new) Dixie Grand in North Carolina. I have been looking at long-term weather forecasts. Weather reports, good or bad, are unlikely to deter most serious shooters. I will share with you a story about a “weather report” that involved my profession. A few years ago, a judge exercised some leniency in sentencing a convicted felon. “I’ll let your client off this time with a $100 penalty, but next time it’s prison.” The convict’s lawyer quipped, “You mean my client gets the ‘weather report?’ ” The judge asked the lawyer to explain what he meant. “Yes, Your Honor, the weather report—fine today, cooler tomorrow.”

Have a great fall, everyone.

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Pennsylvania

Welcome to November! As we get closer to the end of the calendar year, our major shoots in the East have, for the most part, wrapped up. That doesn’t mean there are not opportunities to still get some targets in before we hit the winter months. Pennsylvania has 13 clubs throwing registered targets in November: Ashland, Langhorne, North End, Orangeville, Millvale, Five Points, Keystone, Greater Jackson, Harrisville, Alleghany Co., Flourtown-Sandy Run, Swamp Creek and Pocono Slate Belt. Ashland, Langhorne, North End, and Five Points have multiple days scheduled in November as well.

I’ll have a full report on the state teams and Pennsylvania shooters making the All-American team in next month’s column as well as some other 2017 target year information.

A huge thank you goes out to the volunteers and shooters who helped with the recent Westy Hogans shoot. With having our scorekeepers and loaders coming from our local schools, it is very difficult to staff the line while schools are in session, particularly during the football season. This isn’t a new situation to the Westy Hogans, but it was the first of this magnitude. Skip Klinger and the PSSA Executive Committee have ideas to address this situation, and hopefully those ideas will alleviate the labor situation to provide the enjoyment of the weekend that the shooters deserve.

Speaking of the Westy Hogans, Friday started with a handicap event that was won by Charles Biko with a lone 98 out of 556 shooters. After the class singles event, the Lady of America was won by Deborah Ohye-Neilson, while Michelle Archambeault took runnerup honors. Saturday saw 688 shooters go to the line in the Singles Championship, with Dave Bicknell posting the only 200 straight for the title. Sunday had Steve Huber break the only 99 of the 400 shooters in the Doubles Championship, and Murat Ahmet Akkemik had the lone 98 of the 529 shooters in the Handicap Championship to pin down that title. The HOA saw Harlan Campbell best Ian Darroch by one target, only to have the roles reversed in the all-around, as Ian had a three-target lead over Harlan. Congratulations to all shooters for their performance over the three days.

Attendance for the Westy Hogans was down 109 shooters for the entire three days and down only three shooters for the championship events. Under the new All-American points qualifications, the total attendance for the championship events earned the Westy Hogans a Competition Factor of six. Also with the new structure for earning All-American points, this gave shooters a great opportunity to get a good jump on the 2019 teams.

I’m happy to report that Jay H. Clemmer Jr. broke 96 from 26.5 Sept. 17 at Greater Jackson to earn his first trip to the 27. Jay has been shooting ATA for over 40 years, was determined to make it to the back fence, and has now done so, at age 81. Congratulations, Jay, and I hope you enjoy many thousands of targets at your new zip code!

Steve Ross Jr.

ATA Alternate Delegate

Southern Zone

Alabama

When you read this issue, it will be nearly Thanksgiving. I will be at the beach and thinking about all the good shooting we have had this year. This is the time of year to spend with family and close friends, and getting out in the woods and hunting some deer or making time to do some good duck hunting. But don’t forget to get out to the local clubs and break some trap targets. There are several clubs around the state that shoot registered year-round, and it is a good way to keep your trapshooting sharp because summer will be here soon.

Several of us went to Georgia for Mike Reed’s Hall of Fame induction shoot at South River GC. Weather was good, a little windy, but hurricanes were getting ready to make land in Florida. It was a nice induction ceremony. Mike is well deserved of the recognition for all his accomplishments in the trapshooting circle. He very humbly accepted his induction. Mike is always willing to help, no matter where he is, and he is a big supporter of shooting in Alabama as well. Mike and wife Betsy are good friends, and we enjoyed being able to support him at his induction.

The Rebel Yell will also have just been completed; more about the shoot in a future report. I hope everyone who made the new location of the Dixie Grand shot well. Bostic is a beautiful place to shoot. A bunch of Alabama shooters planned to attend, and I look forward to reporting on their shooting.

Read the Rulebook; we all need to learn it. The next time you are on your computer, check out our website. Bill is doing an awesome job of keeping it updated.

Please keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers. Without the men and women of our armed forces protecting this country, we would not be able to enjoy this great sport. When you see a soldier, thank them for their service.

Good luck and good shooting to all. I will see you somewhere soon. If you need my help or have news to report, contact me any time at 205-410-8201 or [email protected].

Fred Jensen

ATA Delegate

Florida

After a long, hot summer, we are ready to settle into some cooler weather for trapshooting. The first major shoot this year for the Florida Trapshooters Association will be the Fall Championship at Silver Dollar Nov. 9-12. This shoot always has a large turnout of not only Florida residents but also many out-of-state trapshooters. The FTA will conduct one of its association meetings. This is a shoot that for a Florida resident has many cash prizes awarded on each event. See you there.

Just a reminder that the Silver Dollar Open Money Shoot is scheduled Jan. 24-28. There will be $30,000 open money added. I haven’t come across that amount of added money in a long, long time. So get yourself involved, and if you need hotel reservations, just get on the Silver Dollar website, SilverDollarTrap.com, and see which hotels are available and their special shoot pricing.

I just received an update on construction activities at the Palm Beach Co. SP. This multimillion-dollar new facility completed Phase 1 of construction in June. It consisted of the site work on the west side of the complex, including the rifle and handgun ranges. The shooting lines and safety baffling were completed for the 30-position 10-meter/50-foot handgun range, the 42-position 25/50-meter handgun range, and the 20-position 100-yard rifle range. Work also was completed for the 200- and 300-yard rifle ranges; however, the shooting lines and safety baffling for these ranges is budgeted for completion later in the project. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) awarded MJC Land Development of Royal Palm Beach the contract to complete the second phase of construction. Phase II consists of clearing the remaining 150-acre site, completing the storm water retention controls, and installing the remaining roads, parking, sporting clays course and major utilities. MJC began Phase II construction Sept. 15. FWC is on track to release the request for bids for the support structures—admissions building, classroom, restrooms and maintenance building—before the end of the year. Construction of these supporting structures will run concurrently with Phase 2 construction efforts. “As soon as the supporting structures are built, we should be able to open the handgun and rifle ranges,” said Dean Stoddard, FWC’s construction manager. “Depending on the contractor’s schedule, this should be during the first half of 2018.”

The Palm Beach Co. SSP will be one of the largest shooting sports facilities in Florida, with five rifle and pistol ranges, five Olympic trapfields, six American traps, nine skeet fields and a 14-station sporting clays course. It will provide opportunities for people to participate in shooting disciplines safely, allow practice for Olympic-style shooting events, and host hunter safety courses. This project is supported by funding from the Wildlife Restoration program, which brings funding to Florida from the sporting arms and archery industries and the people of Florida who participate in these activities. Florida ranks fourth in the country for contributing to the Wildlife Restoration program. A part of these funds is apportioned to the FWC to provide hunter safety training and public shooting ranges.

Additional support and funding for the Palm Beach Co. SSP are provided by Palm Beach County, National Rifle Association, Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, and South Florida Water Management District.

In other shooting news from Florida Wildlife Commission, the Triple N Ranch, WMA, located on Route 192 in Osceola County, has scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 18 to launch construction of FWC’s latest shooting facility. At this time, trap ranges are not scheduled for construction, but if you take a look at the FWC’s website (myfwc.com), this project will fulfill many areas of shooting interest. The Triple N Ranch is only a short distance from Kissimmee/St. Cloud and should prove very popular to the shooting public.

If you have something to share with Florida trapshooters, contact me at [email protected] or 321-427-6553.

Larry Grenevicki

 ATA Delegate

Georgia

The Georgia state Hall of Fame Shoot has just been concluded at South River GC. The shoot honored Mike Reed, our 2017 enshrinee. Mike was inducted based on his shooting performance as well as his service to the sport. He has consistently performed at a AA-27-A level and has earned Georgia state team spots 12 times. Mike has given much more to the sport than he has received. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen him or wife Betsy scoring a local shoot, setting targets, or loading a house. Betsy is without a doubt the best doubles scorer I’ve ever had. Georgia has been enriched by the involvement of Mike and Betsy Reed.

The shoot was well attended, despite some of the windiest conditions I’ve seen at South River. It’s not particularly good for your average, but it does give you the opportunity to make some shots you don’t ordinarily get to try. In spite of the conditions, some did shoot well. Boone Butler in particular had a good weekend, taking singles, Sunday’s doubles, handicap and high-over-all championships. The wind definitely was Boone’s friend. Mike Wasielewski kept Boone from a complete sweep by taking the Saturday doubles.

Let’s all get out and enjoy some cool-weather shooting after a long hot summer. See you out there.

Richard Griffith

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

From what I know, trapshooting activities have quieted down dramatically after the Grand and Cardinal Classic. The only Kentucky shooter to attend the Heartland Grand was Drew Wyatt.

The following Kentucky trapshooters have made the ATA All-American teams. We all are very proud of the Kentucky All-American contingent. Each should be very proud of a very difficult achievement. In the men’s category, Kevin (Tank) Polson and Keith Ditto both made the men’s first team. In the Lady I category, Hannah Simpson of Willisburg made the first team. Melissa Tracy made the Lady I second team. In the Lady II category, Martha Humphrey made the first team. In the sub-junior, Kentucky has three members on the second team—Connor Richardson, Drew Wyatt and Tristan Miles.

In the junior gold, both Nick Kingrey and Bobby Fowler made the first team. Austin Day made the second team. Donnie Sherrard qualified for the sub-vet second team. On the veteran team, Robert Dyer made the first team. In senior veteran, David (Pappy) Riddle qualified for the second team.

In other news, Calloway and McCracken Co. High Schools have adopted trapshooting as a co-ed extracurricular spring sport for the 2018 school year. I believe there are others, but I am not aware of the names yet. In some of the best news shooting sports in Kentucky has gotten in decades, Kenny Knott, a past president of the KTL, was recently appointed to the Kentucky Department Of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission by Governor Matt Bevin. Kenny serves as ATA Alternate Delegate.

If you have news about trapshooting in Kentucky or other news you believe appropriate to share, please e-mail me at [email protected] or call 270-227-2262. As always, we wish everyone good health and many broken targets on the line.

Vernon R. Anderson

KTL board member

North Carolina

North Carolina’s own Noah Gouge has been named captain of the ATA junior All-American trapshooting team. Amassing 2,774 points to lead the talented field, Noah edged out some very serious competition. While earning this prestigious title, Noah managed to complete his senior year in high school, break 300×300 on prelim Thursday at the 2017 Grand American tournament, and get a scholarship to Lindenwood University. Not a bad year. All of us in North Carolina are proud of Noah’s accomplishments.

We are also delighted to have hosted the Dixie Grand American for the first time. The folks at the homegrounds worked tirelessly to make sure it was ready. At this writing, it appears the crowd will be a big one. I’ll have a complete report next month after the shoot.

Come and visit and bring your shotgun! You can find shoot locations on the ATA website or on www.nctrap.com.

I can be reached at Target Shotguns Inc., 118 Edney St., Hendersonville, NC 28792 or 828-693-3833.

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

I’m just back from the NC Hall of Fame Shoot. Make sure you reserve Nov. 4-5 for our Hall of Fame Shoot at Spartanburg GC. Teresa Knight is this year’s inductee; come and congratulate her. South Carolina had a great showing at this shoot. Hopefully we had a good number of NC shooters at our shoot. SC winners were Neil Alexander, Jim Faber, Michael Szotkiewicz, Ed Clarke, Rodney Raines, Joe Rogers, Jay Willson, Peg Crockett and Russ Middleton.

The Dixie Grand program just arrived. It will be history by the time you read this, but I hope to have a lot of South Carolina shooters’ names to put in next month’s report. Weather at the NC Hall of Fame Shoot was really warm. Hopefully we’ll have some nice, dry, cooler weather for the Dixie.

Ron Burdick is back on a full shooting program; many thanks to all who had Ron on your prayer list. Please channel your prayers to Bob Schultz’s wife and to Bob. Prayers work!

Thanksgiving is this month. Make sure you give thanks for all your trapshooting friends and all the great camaraderie we trapshooters enjoy. Some days the camaraderie is way better than the shooting.

I can be reached at [email protected].

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

By the time November comes around, trapshooting slows way down in Tennessee. With the opening of deer and waterfowl season, most trapshooters put the trap guns away for a few months.

However, for those wanting more trapshooting, the 14th annual Autumn Grand American takes place at the Tucson T&SC. Preliminary week is Nov. 2-5, and Autumn Grand Week is Nov. 6-12.

Congratulations to Robert Smith for attaining AAA-27-AAA. This is quite an accomplishment, with only a total of four shooters making it this year. He is only the seventh Tennessee shooter to reach this.

Congratulations to Richie Bolin and David Beesinger for attaining AA-27-AA.

Tennessee remains in sixth place with 1,762 active shooters, up 50 shooters from last year. (Yet we registered 70,000 fewer targets.)

Next month, hopefully, we will announce the state team. Thus far it looks like it will be a new record for Tennessee as far as All-Americans.

Read the Rulebook, please, and check out our website at Shootatatn.com. For questions or further information, contact me at [email protected] or 731-217-9957.

Billy Cook

ATA Delegate