Louisiana

By the time this goes to print, hopefully you are attending the 2018 Grand American or preparing to attend.

The last weekend of May saw several Louisiana trapshooters venture down to the beautiful Gulf Coast for the Mississippi State Trapshooting Championship.

Even with the threat of a tropical storm bearing down on the coast, we still had 13 brave souls from our area travel over, and several managed to bring home a trophy or two for their efforts. Congratulations to all who supported our neighbors and friends to the east.

I also just got home from Jacksonville, AR, where I and four other Louisiana shooters attended the Arkansas State Shoot. Donny Sanders brought home the non-resident A class championship singles trophy with a great score of 199, as well as a doubles trophy with 98. Mitch Killingsworth had a good Thursday, capturing a veteran singles trophy with 98 and the high-gun handicap with 95. On Friday he had two more veteran trophies with a perfect score of 100 singles and ’caps with 91. Jim Jenkins had a very good week as well, winning a preliminary singles A class event with 100 and A class doubles trophies with of 92 and 95. Great shooting, guys.

This was a wonderful event and held at a magnificent facility. I would like to encourage as many LA shooters as possible to visit if you ever get the opportunity. You will not regret the decision. We even had a sausage and boudin cooking at the RV that was enjoyed by several of our Arkansas friends who happen to live just a wee bit too far north to get the really good food.

For a complete list of shoot schedules and contact information for the Louisiana gun clubs, please visit the LTA website www.louisianatrapshootingassociation.org/index.htm. Shoot well and shoot often.

Doyle Brooks

ATA Delegate

Missouri

Always be careful what you wish for; I seem to remember complaining how cold it was this winter, wishing for warmer weather. By the time you read this, the state shoots will be in the record books, and the Grand American will be under way. The Grand has always been considered the pinnacle shoot of the year. I hope you have made arrangements to attend, even if it is for only a day or two.

I would like to thank each and every one who had a part in making the 2018 (50th Anniversary) Missouri State Shoot a success. There is a great deal of time and effort put into every state shoot by the board of directors, management and staff. This year’s shoot preparation was nearly two years in the making, and it looks like all the hard work paid off. There were a number of vendors, sponsors and advertisers who stepped up and contributed for the added giveaways, trophies and prizes. Thank you to all! It also takes all the shooters to make a shoot successful; numbers don’t lie. We had an increase of just over 36% overall entries over last year, and that was with the terrible weather on Sunday. Thanks to everyone who attended our shoot this year! This year’s shoot qualified as a Competition Factor 5 for All-American points. If you missed the state shoot, please join us for the Fall Handicap, as we plan to continue the celebration.

For the third year in a row, the MO singles champion has been a junior shooter. This year’s champ, James Grant Boswell, was disappointed that the program had to be shortened from 200 targets to 150 due to the extreme weather event that we had during the Singles Championship. Grant was sure that he was going to break his first 200 straight, and the way he was shooting, he probably would have. Grant took the title after 150 and a five-way shootoff. Congratulations, Grant! This year’s Doubles Championship was held up for a little over an hour while the storm moved through. Darrell Farr went on to capture the title with the lone 99. Congratulations, Darrell! Later on in the day, the sun came out just in time for the Handicap Championship. Once again a junior shooter led the field and took the prize. Caleb Johnson tied two others with 97 and then ran the shootoff round to capture the title. Congratulations, Caleb!

I had the opportunity to be involved with the U.S. Open^® again this year at the World S&RC at Sparta, IL. This is another shoot that seems to be growing, with an increase of 26% over last year. There was a storm that moved through during the day, similar to the one that we had during the MO State Shoot. I hope this is not a trend that lasts all year long. This was, as always, a very well-run shoot with a lot of great scores. Thanks to all who made this shoot a success!

I would like to thank the shooters of Missouri for the opportunity to serve as your ATA Delegate for another year. As I have said before, I am your voice to the ATA, and I am here for you. If you have any concerns or anything you would like to have reported on, please contact me at srickett@sbcglobal.net or 816-863-9003. Shoot well and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Delegate

New Mexico

Here it is time for the Grand again; how time flies. The new Delegate-elect didn’t have the required targets, so here I am back.

Belen’s annual is Sept. 7-8, Farmington’s Sept. 22-23 and Hobbs’ Oct. 19-21. I hope y’all shoot well, and I hope to see you somewhere down the road. If you have anything to report, let me know at yavetta@msn.com.

Bob Leibel

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

Ada GC had good weather and good attendance for the May 26-27 shoot. On Saturday’s 300 handicap event, Josh Casteel won the first and second hundred with 93 and 97. Colton Ables led the third with 92. Josh ran 75 and won two of the 50s purses worth over $900. On Sunday Zane Arnold won the singles with 97, Bennie Livingston the handicap with 95, and Zane the doubles with 92. Taylor Casteel won lady in four events, Ashton Huffstutlar in the other two.

Grand National GC in Enid and Iowa Park in Texas also had shoots on the 27th. Iowa Park had a crosswind from east to west, strong at times. Pat Stacey won the doubles with 196, running the last 150. Two 98s by Doug Strange and Clifford Williams led the singles. Keith Bailey and I tied in the handicap with 95s. With the flip of a coin, I won, and Keith was runnerup. Pat missed his last target for a 94. Josh’s stock split at the pistol grip on his first 25. Pat said he had to get it fixed by the start of our state shoot on May 29. They must have gotten it fixed pretty good; Josh broke 100 straight in the AIM singles, along with Klayton McGee and Zane Arnold. Robert Ernsting broke 98 to win the handicap, and Colt Quisenberry won the doubles with 95. The miss-and-out 1-2-3 was very popular again this year. Dalton Thomas won two flats of shells on the first trap, Ables won two on the second, and Brayden won two on Trap 3 by breaking approximately 21 straight from 35 yards. Some of us have already donated shells for next year’s event. Anyone wishing to donate shells or merchandise for next year’s AIM program can contact Oklahoma AIM director Tyler Rindal at 405-444-0592 or myself at 405-417-2236.

The 119th Oklahoma State Shoot was one of the best we have had in several years. The near-perfect weather and targets created high scores in every event. There were 136 more entries, and we threw 18,100 more targets than the previous year. A complete and accurate write-up is in this issue of Trap & Field. When I said we had high scores, one was Ben Dietz, who broke 100 straight from the 27-yard line in Event 2 to complete his ATA Grand Slam. Ben also won the Henry Golden Boy rifle in a four-round shootoff. Event 2 handicap looked more like a singles event than a handicap. Along with Ben’s 100, there were 97s by Brayden, Charlie Willimon, Corbin Grybowski, Kevin Nanke, Klayton McGee, Robert Rimer and Steve Brokaw and 96s by Abagail Colton, Dalton Jennings, Jeff Webb, Josh Stacey, Logan Henry and Rick McCauley for 14 earned yardage scores. A young shooter, Dakota Sliger, posted his first 25, 50 and 75 straights. Pat and Rick McCauley both broke 100 in Wednesday’s doubles. Saturday’s Singles Championship was the only time the perfect weather changed. During the second hundred, the wind changed from a light south wind to a very strong north wind. It was so strong at times when the north door and the south door of the clubhouse opened at the same time, it blew things off the tables inside. A big thank you goes out to Paul Hooper for setting good targets. There was a new winner in the Oklahoma All-American Shoot-out this year. After three perfect rounds, Corbin and Ron Bliss decided to carry the shootoff over to Sunday’s handicap by trap. Ron was the winner, 23 to 21.

The Kansas State Shoot was well attended and blessed with good weather. There was a little wind on Sunday. If you live and shoot in the Great Plains, you learn to deal with the wind—it’s not a question of if the wind is blowing, it’s just which direction and how much. Oklahoma shooters were part of the big attendance. I think I counted 54, and two more, Roger and Dennis, who didn’t shoot.

Missouri also had 54 of us attending. Scores were high, and Oklahomans took home a fair share of trophies. A lot of our young shooters were in shootoffs, taking home trophies. Jim Moody was at the shoot, getting around with the help of a walker. Jim is experiencing a severe problem with blood circulation in his legs. He is going back to the doctor and is hopeful something can be done to correct the problem. Jim, we are all praying for you. If you would like to drop Jim a note wishing him well, you can do so at 4227 E. 99th, Tusla, OK 74137.

Arkansas had another great shoot with increased attendance. Their tournament continues to get bigger and better every year. Targets were great, but a crosswind played with them one day. Approximately 18 Oklahoma shooters competed, and over half went home with one or more trophies. In Event 2 singles, Pat and Brayden broke 100 straight. Pat had another 100 in singles and doubles. Ron Bliss also broke 100 straight in doubles. Some of the good scores I noticed were Jeff Trayer’s 198 and a five-round shootoff, Nathan Lemke 197, Dennis Patrick 195, Ray Galli 194 and Brayden 197. Justin Cavett won handicap trophies, and he also auctioned their special event for them Saturday evening.

At any one time, Oklahoma has more than 20,000 military men and women serving around the world to protect our freedom. Let’s keep them in our prayers and thank them when you see them.

Tim Deister

ATA Delegate

Texas

I hope you are at the Grand American when you read this. The state shoots will be over, and so will the ATA Zone shoots. If you have never been to the Grand in Sparta, IL, you need to start making your plans for next year. I can’t wait to get there and see many of my “once-a-year” friends. Also there are my great “once-a-year” eating places like Southside Ribs, Pioneer Cabin, Pistol City, and Hook, Line & Sinker. Southside Ribs has a huge smoked pork chop that is really good. Pioneer Cabin is an all-you-can-eat place that serves fried chicken and fish. The best thing is the never-empty bowl of chicken and dumplings. Pistol City has a fantastic breakfast with a huge slab of ham. Hook, Line & Sinker has good fried fish. Also, the restaurant at the Complex is very good. Now you know why I get so excited about the Grand. Never doubt a fat man when he tells you about food. Oh, I almost forgot, these places have gift cards. I mention this in case you wanted to get one for your Delegate. Just a thought.

I would like to congratulate Steve Bradbury on his first 100 straight. I got this information from Facebook, not call, text or e-mail from any of our shooters. Please contact me with news so I can get it in my column. Otherwise you will just have to read about my preaching on the Rulebook.

Speaking of the Rulebook, I have received a few calls about rules. I welcome these calls. I even encourage them. Sometimes I will not have a Rulebook with me, but I will still do my best to answer your questions. As much as I talk about the rules, I will be the first to admit that I don’t know everything in the Rulebook. Sometimes while searching to answer someone’s question is when I learn the most.

At a time when many of our local gun clubs are struggling may be a good time to talk about volunteering. Many of our smaller clubs are run by volunteers. I would like to thank all club volunteers. They get no pay and very little thanks. They also hear a lot about how they should be doing things from people who do absolutely nothing. Without them, lots of our smaller clubs would not be throwing targets. Be a volunteer. Every club could use your help. It will cost you nothing to volunteer, and who knows, it may make you feel better.

I welcome any news that you have. Just let Princess or me know about it, and I will get it in my column. Send e-mails to jloconnor47@gmail.com or call or text me at 806-679-6889.

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

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Arizona

June means Utah (yeah, I know that we are Arizona), with the Western Grand in Vernal June 5-10 and the Utah State Shoot in Spanish Fork 10 days later, and off we went. It was warm but not too hot, and the winds were not too bad, except for the last day at Vernal.

We did not have a huge contingent at the Western Grand, but Arizona shooters certainly made their presence felt among the “Best in the West.” In the opening handicap, Gerry Williams took veteran, and Sherry Schatz won Lady II. Gerry then won another trophy in doubles, where Darvin Thomas was high sub-vet. Wednesday started with doubles, and Karen Bergman began her run of seven Lady II wins. (It was sorely needed to offset the miserable performance of her husband). Then came the ’caps, and Gerry tied for vet but lost out in the carryover. In Thursday’s Singles Class Championship, Karen squeaked out a Lady II victory, and in the ensuing Krieghoff International Handicap, Ms. Bergman swung into high gear. Her 96 bested all the ladies and earned a half-yard punch. Friday, Saturday and Sunday saw Karen win the Lady II titles in the Doubles Class Championship, Singles Championship, Doubles Championship and all-around. Incidentally, her 374 was tops for all Arizona shooters. Our thanks to Sean and Stacy for a great shoot. Nobody tries harder.

The action shifted west to Spanish Fork, and 26 Arizonians made the trip. That included Charlie Wachtel, whose name you will see more than once. Opening day was not so hot for our guys, despite some fine scores by Jim Copsey, Greg Holden and Karen in the singles. They all came oh so close. Thursday was a different story. Wachtel topped all juniors in the Preliminary Doubles with a fine 97, and Jim just missed once more. Next up was the Preliminary Singles, and Karen’s 100 swept the ladies, while Charlie continued his winning ways in junior.

Friday started with the All-American Doubles, and Charlie prevailed once more with Colton Hartley right on his heels at 98. (Charlie and Colton are full-time students and have not found time to practice since our state shoot.) Karen tied for the Lady II title and clinched it by winning a shootoff under rather trying conditions. Then came the Preliminary Handicap, and there was Charlie taking non-resident junior with 95 from the 27-yard line. The day’s final event was the Singles Class Championship. Take a guess who was the junior with 100 straight. If you said Charlie Wachtel, you are correct.

The sun shone brightly, and wind was moderate for Saturday’s Singles Championship. Greg Holden was high gun for the non-resident veterans at 198, tying junior winner Charlie, and Karen once again led Lady II ranks. Sunday started with the Doubles Championship, and Karen B entered the winner’s circle once more. Colton Hartley, who is becoming a really fine doubles shooter, won the out-of-state junior prize. The final event was the Handicap Championship, and here came Jay Alderman. Jay has been a little off his game as of late, but that all changed at Spanish Fork. His scores were consistently good, but his final handicap was a gem. Jay’s 98 stood alone among all out-of-state competitors. He was given a reduction to the 26 just after the shoot started. That lasted about 72 hours. Way to go, Jay! Karen and Charlie took the all-around titles in their respective categories, and Charlie, who else, won the junior high-over-all.

Some of the other Arizona shooters having fine performances were Larry Adam; Jake Gatschet; Steve Bell; Andy Wachtel; plus Danny Treanor and his brother David, who is relatively new to the sport and getting better and better. I would like to mention one other competitor, John Kelly of Wyoming and a familiar face in Arizona. John started off Friday with a 100 in doubles. He followed up with a 100 at 27 yards in the Preliminary Handicap, his second of the tournament. Everyone was holding their breath rooting for John during the day’s singles. He was going for that most rare achievement, three perfect scores in one day. But alas, he dropped one bird on the third trap for a 99. It was a remarkable day of shooting nonetheless, and our hats are off to John.

Around the state—Pleasant Valley started off their summer season May 25-26. There were 22 shooters for the opening singles, and Kyle Dennis topped all with a 99. Jake Gatschet was high vet with 95. Next was the ’caps, and Kyle did it again. His 96 earned him a punch. Our invaluable treasurer, Roger Combs, was high gun with 90 in the day-ending doubles.

On Sunday Doug Sims and Kyle tied at 98 in the singles. Tim Landwerlen won Class B with 94, Don Carlson took C and Rex Ausbun D. Next was the handicap, and Kyle beat all once more, shooting a 92. Doug was high in the concluding doubles followed closely by Don Carlson, Kyle Dennis and Walter Allen. Just remember, folks, when it’s boiling in some parts of the state, Pleasant Valley is nice and cool.

Now for the Ben Avery situation: This is being written in late June. I expect everything to be settled by July 1, and rumor has it that a familiar face will be running the show. We will keep you posted.

Rio Salado, Tucson, Flagstaff and Pleasant Valley have registered shoots in August. Aztraps.com has all the particulars, and of course there is the Grand American in Sparta. Don’t forget the Arizona picnic. My cell is 516-381-6774. See you on the line.

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

Hawaii

The 2018 Hawaii State Shoot is now a memory. Granted, a new one for the many shooters who gathered at the Hilo T&S range because it has been about 15 years since the Big Island TC last hosted this shoot. Fears of the VOG (volcanic smog) and LAZE (acidic fumes created as the lava makes contact with seawater) were kept away from Hilo by the prevailing easterly trade winds. For most of this three-day shoot, skies were clear, and many good scores were recorded.

Our first event was the Lance Tsubota Class Singles, and you could not ask for better weather. Event namesake Lance Tsubota (A) and Tommy Kushima (B) were quick out the gate with 100 straights. Nic Corbat (AA) and Loren Goto (D) both turned in 97s to win their classes. Jay Nakamura (C) won his class but needed a Saturday carryover with Chris Cacatain to do it. Both Loren and Chris were making their state shoot debut.

Our preliminary handicap this year was named after last year’s state handicap champion Ryan Benedict. Ryan could not make it this year, as he is moving to the mainland for another job. Corbat’s awesome 97 led all of us by five targets. Runnerup Earl Glenn Higa was the first Big Isle shooter to break through with a trophy. Tsubota, Tina Shigemura and another state shoot rookie, Michael Hamamoto, each claimed yardage-group buckles.

Joe Perez, our 2017 HOA champion, took time off from his U.S. Army exercises at Pohakuloa to come down the hill and join us. In Saturday’s Singles Championship, his front 98 and back 100 bested a field of 41 by one target. Tied for runnerup with 197s were Don Saito Jr. (99+98) and ATA Delegate Warren Aniya (97+100). After three tied shootoff rounds, they opted for a coin flip, where Warren prevailed. First-time trophy winners included Kevin Fung, Gina Hao, Brayden Okubo, Kayla Miura and Branden Okubo.

Sunday’s state handicap was won by ATA Delegate-elect Elton Miyagawa with 96, good for his first state championship in 39 years of registered ATA shooting. Jay Nakamura was two behind for runnerup, with Tsubota one back of Jay for third. All three shooters were members of squad No. 9. A logjam of 92s and 90s for fourth through sixth places made it interesting. Kathleen Heinrichs successfully defended her ladies’ title, and Branden Okubo (junior) joined his brother Brayden (sub-junior) for category honors.

Like Sara Lee, nobody doesn’t like doubles. Most all of us like to shoot doubles but never seem to get enough practice. It’s often a big factor in the all-around or HOA races. The 2015 doubles champion Jay Nakamura outshot 33 of us for the title again. Jay (47+47) was four targets over squadmate and runnerup Elton (48+42). Jay would go on to win the all-around by one. Coming through in the twins for their first trophies of the shoot were Garret Zane in the sub-vet category and Suzanne Werner for the Lady I trophy.

Congratulations to Nakamura, our 2018 all-around champion, and Tsubota, our HOA champion. They both hung in there all the way.

Seventeen resident shooters from three islands traveled to Hilo for the shoot. Eight won their first state shoot trophy. Forty-one took the field for Saturday’s singles, the most event entries since the shoot was last at Hilo. How to win the state handicap? Drop your heavy suitcase on your toe before you shoot and make sure the wheel lands on the nail. How do you get elected HTA president? Go to the restroom during the vote. First-timers to this shoot took home 16 trophies. Five 100 straights in singles events were posted. Squad No. 9 was the only squad not to miss a target on a round of 25 and claimed a total of 19 trophies.

Lastly, we bid a fond aloha to Tina Shigemura. With 20 major Hawaii titles, she will soon be returning to her hometown of Henderson, NV. She has been a dominant competitor in our sport since starting trapshooting after meeting her late husband Carl, who was one of Hawaii’s top trapshooters. Tina has the distinction of being only the second who has won the state singles, handicap, doubles, HOA and all-around at the same Hawaii state shoot. Doing it during the 50th Anniversary of the shoot made it even more special. We’ll be looking forward to catching up with our friend on our next Vegas trip or sharing a squad with her at one of the big mainland shoots.

Elton Miyagawa

ATA Delegate

Utah

It’s finally looking like spring here in Utah! Rain showers, snow flurries, wind, sun, you name it, Utah has it all. It’s also the time of year more clubs are hosting shoots. During April and May, there were a lot of events around the state, and in bordering states as well. In April Vernal and Spanish Fork both held shoots, and in May Ogden, Lee Kay, Heber, Helper, Nephi and Spanish Fork all held events.

The shoot at Lee Kay was basically a 1,000-bird doubles marathon on Saturday, along with 100 singles and 100 handicap on Sunday. Approximately 20 shooters shot the first 500 doubles on Saturday morning, while 11 managed to shoot at all 1,000 targets that day.

At the Nephi shoot, Dale Erickson posted a field-high 99 from the 21-yard line. Nice job, Dale. Scott Doran broke his first-ever 100 straight in doubles and, of course, Joe Sudbury broke his usual ho-hum 100 in singles.

Heber GC drew the short straw and had terrible weather, but not bad enough to keep Sudbury from breaking 100 in singles.

Helper had a better turnout than expected. Jordan Pierce, Scott Doran and Doug Devries all were perfect on the singles. Steve Johnson and Tanner Fisher were high in handicap with 97s. Justin Sloan, Dalton Van and Scott Syme all had 99 in the doubles.

Memorial Day weekend had Spanish Fork’s annual Memorial Day Shoot. Steve Johnson was the big dog at this three-day shoot. He had a 99 in doubles, 98 in handicap and a 100 in a singles. That was all in one day to boot! Dalton Van also had a 98 in handicap, which now puts him at 26.5. Joe Sudbury, Justin Sloan and Ian Stodart all broke two 100s in singles over the course of three days. Gene Wilson, Chad Greenhalgh, Scott Doran, Chad Frericks, Zach Foster, Steve Stewart and Steve Otteson all had 100s in singles along the way.

You can check out all the scores at www.utahtrap.com.

Idaho held its state shoot on Memorial Day as well. Only five Utah shooters made the trek to Boise, but all came away with hardware. Linda Gibson put together a very nice 96 in Friday’s handicap, and Kyson Muhlestein had a field-high 94 on Saturday’s handicap. Scott Syme tied for out-of-state high score in the championship handicap with 96.

In the Singles Championship Grayson Stuart shot a field-high 199 in singles in very windy conditions. He tied another out-of-state shooter and was victorious in the shootoff to take top honors. It was very heartwarming to see Grayson’s sister Saige give him a sincere, congratulatory hug. The next score was two 197s, Scott Syme having one of them. Congratulations to all Utah shooters. The scores for Idaho State Shoot are posted on shootscoreboard.com.

Ed Wehking

ATA Delegate

Washington

Hello from Washington. I hope this finds everyone in the swing of summer clay busting and having a great time. I just got home from the WSTA Championships and the first official weekend of summer proved to be a good one for the 78th state shoot held this year. Thank you to all directors, Spokane GC, volunteers and shooters who helped make this year’s edition a success. It was an honor to have ATA President Jim Jones attend our shoot as well.

Our board of directors worked very well together, which always makes serving the WSTA an enjoyable experience. A big thank you is due to Todd Deckard of Malden for his hard work during his three-year term. Thanks as well to outgoing director Linda Bergstresser. Welcome, new directors Zarn Clausen and Lance Skelton. We look forward to working this next year to have another great shoot.

I would be remiss if I forgot to thank all the clubs in our state that make things possible by throwing ATA targets throughout the year. Shoots at clubs in towns and in the country scattered all over are truly the lifeblood of our sport, so if you get a chance to shoot at any WSTA clubs, please do so. It is a great way to support the clubs and maybe shoot targets where you haven’t before. We are fortunate to have so many clubs throwing registered shoots.

I don’t want to give away too many of the results of the state shoot before you can see them here in Trap & Field, but I want to touch on a few things that I think are very important. I was pleased to have junior shooter Deanna Kienbaum rush up to me to show me her 50-straight patch. She then went on to win the junior championship in the 200-bird race. Ed Knott broke his first 100 straight in singles during the tournament. Probably the best thing we can do to ensure the future of our great game is make sure we congratulate new shooters and seasoned competitors when they reach career milestones. We all started somewhere, and accomplishments like these kept us coming back. I love to see the smiles of shooters getting trophies, pins, patches or just a pat on the back for a job well done. If we continue to take kids and new shooters to the clubs to give this sport a try, we can keep making more great memories.

The ATA Western Zone will be in the books by the time you read this, and many of our shooters will be off to the Grand American, where I know they will represent Washington well. Stay tuned for more news from trapshooting in Washington because we’re sure to make some.

Until next time, shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

ATA Alternate Delegate

Illinois

Hello, shooters! We had a huge jump in attendance this year for the high school league. There were over 500 shooters, and we had about 380 people attending the state shoot (last year we had about 170). There was a little bit of a storm at one point, but that didn’t stop the shooters from excelling. There are many schools looking into joining for this coming year as well, so we’re looking forward to it jumping in size again. It’s a great program that gets more shooters involved in the sport. and it lets them letter in their high school as well. If you are interested in getting your high school involved, go to usaclaytarget.com for more information.

The U.S. Open^® was up 27% this year. I wasn’t able to attend because it was the same weekend as the high school league state shoot, but I was watching scores, and there were some big ones. Illinois was well represented on the trophy list.

We also had a big storm come through for the AIM State Shoot. There were 294 shooters who participated this year (about 40 more than last year), and everyone got to register only 100 targets due to weather. Gavin Rynders and Britta Moyer each broke their first 100 straights. The singles champion after shootoff was Kyle Blankenship with 100. The doubles champion was Noah Nolen with 98. The handicap champion with his first-ever 100 straight was Logan Hawkins. The high-over-all champion was Nolen with 290.

For the ISTA State Shoot, several highlights occurred throughout the week: for Friday’s handicap, we had 51 people on our punch list. A couple people made it to the 27 for the first time: Kyle Blankenship and Hannah Martin. Hannah also wowed the crowd by not missing a singles target the entire week, including her first 200 straight on championship day. She went on to be the first lady to win the singles championship over the field. What a feat! Dale Miller broke his first 200 straight in the Singles Championship as well. Josh Taylor broke his first 200 straight, which completed his ATA Grand Slam. Habe (father) and Bubba (son) Darr came to the state shoot for the first time, and Habe broke his first ever 100 straight on the squad right next to Bubba, who broke his first 200 straight. Rodney Johnson had his first 100 straight at the state shoot. Alex York broke his first 100 in doubles. Joan Davis got her first 50 straight ever. Kelly Kinder fired at his 300,000th combined registered target.

Mike Walker recently registered his 300,000th singles target and Regan Armbrust her 25,000th singles.

Doubles champion was Chase Horton with 99. The handicap was won by Dan Staker with 99. Dan also won the all-around with 396. Dave Dressler was high-over-all champion with 1,162.

Just a reminder: if you won a category trophy in the Singles Championship, be sure to shoot at the Grand in the Champion of Champions event. If you are not able to participate, let me know (lnm073@hotmail.com), and the runnerup will be able to participate. Don’t miss out on the opportunity. Happy shooting!

Lauren Mueller

ATA Delegate

Indiana

Greetings, Indiana shooters! It will be early August when this edition of Trap & Field hits the mailboxes, and the 2018 Indiana State Shoot will be behind us, as will the ATA Central Zone Shoot in Evansville. Hopefully I will be seeing many of you at the Grand American.

The summer shooting season is certainly flying by; I hope everyone has a successful as well as enjoyable season. Good luck at the Grand American! There are still a lot of great shoots coming up in the fall, and with the new target season starting Sept. 1, this is a great time of year to get a jump start on your target minimums for next year as well as support your local Indiana trap clubs.

Be sure to check out our newly renovated website, www.indianatrap.com, for all the registered shoot dates around Indiana.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything or would like to have anything included in this article for Indiana. My e-mail is itajason@outlook.com.

Jason Barnett

ATA Delegate

Michigan

As the trapshooting season is reaching its pinnacle, this season has been a milestone one for several Michigan shooters. Skylar Clark earned the final yardage needed to the 27-yard line. Bill Otter shot at and broke his 100,000th registered 16-yard target during this year’s Michigan State Shoot.

A huge congratulations to the 2018 Michigan Trapshooting Hall of Fame class, Andrew Suda and Jim Doolittle.

During my visit to one of many gun clubs around the state, I had the opportunity to stop by a hidden gem just outside of Ann Arbor in Dexter, the Ann Arbor Moose Lodge 1253 Sportsman’s League. The event was the annual “Shoot with a Sheriff” event in which the Washtenaw Co. Sheriffs shoot with and then have a shootoff against the Dexter High School trap team. The Moose is the home club of the team. The Dexter High School trap team originated in 2016 with seven students. In the 2017 spring league, the team increased to 27 students (24 males, three females) in grades 6 to 12, who completed the season third of six in their conference.

In the 2018 spring league, Dexter had a transition with a team size of 30 students (22 males, eight females) in grades 7 to 12. The team led the entire five weeks of competition to take first place in their conference.

Composition of this year’s team has students ranging in age from 12 to 18. We have football players, baseball players, robotics club members, FFA, Boy Scouts, actors/drama club, band and orchestra members, cheer, track & field, field hockey, rugby, tap/jazz dance and ballet. What a diverse crowd!

The team is also a family affair with one set of twins, two brothers and sisters, and three girls from the same family.

Coaching staff is comprised of 12 volunteer coaches (seven from the gun club, four with students on the team and one school liaison) and tons of support from parents and the gun club. The team recently received their 501(c)(3) status and is currently enrolled in the USA Midway Foundation (Dexter Trap Team ID R13713), an outstanding partner to the ATA.

In the end, as you can see by the group photo, everyone won during this event. It was a pleasure to meet the future of our sport and those loved ones and coaches who make their participation possible.

Good wishes to the shooters attending the 119th Grand American World Trapshooting Championships in Sparta, IL, Aug. 1-11.

Please e-mail me what is going on at your local clubs, trapshooting milestones, or news you would like to share within our state at fdielsel513@gmail.com. Until next time, shoot well!

1. Darryl Hayes

ATA Central Zone Vice President

Minnesota

As I write this, the Minnesota northern zone shoot is in the books. I did fair, but without much shooting time this spring, not what I dreamed would happen. I deserve to miss a few—without real work on my game comes no reward, and with this spring, opportunities were slim for me. I was not able to attend the second day, but as I left after the second hundred singles, I saw many really great scores and heard shooters talking about how nice the targets were flying in the partly cloudy day. Not much wind from the back with hints of shadows due to billowy clouds. Jeff Hoppes and the gang did a great job with the grounds and target presentation at Del-Tone/Luth GC in St. Cloud.

We had the meeting in the middle of the 200-bird event; nothing earth-shattering there, which is good. I did, however, step up on the soapbox for a minute about how we must start throwing more registered targets at every club. The days of stepping on each other’s toes is gone. Our club is turning away ATA shooters because we cannot handle them all. That is a shame. If more clubs were throwing targets, we could accommodate the huge influxes of shooters. Shooters should not have to travel 150 miles to shoot, as many regulars are doing. There are many phone calls looking for venues. Hundreds of youth shooters are looking to keep their game sharp before the state shoot in June for the Clay Target League. Most gun club business is no longer slowing down when the clay target league ends. The youth still want to shoot, and the parents want to shoot with them. Open your club up. Call for a date. Remember, you need a minimum of three shooters per event to register.

I will have raffle tickets with me for the Minnesota State Shoot for a Perazzi Combo gun with case being given away at the Grand American in Sparta, IL.

The Minnesota Youth Shotgun Association can really use everyone’s support on raffle items for the state shoot’s live or silent auctions. All proceeds are used to pay for half-price targets and half-price ATA memberships for state shoot youth attendees. These costs are usually around $10,000 per year, so you can see we have a real need. All items donated will receive a tax-free donation slip for their value.

We are losing a good friend in the Alternate Delegate position, as Dean Walker has decided not to run again. Alternate Delegate candidates must be ATA life members in good standing with the ATA and well versed in the rules and regulations of the ATA. It is a well-paid position, with the pay being smiles and handshakes and comments from fellow shooters. You are hands-on in picking the MN state team, have a seat on the board and can have all the donuts you can eat. Hunting seasons will be interrupted by board meetings, but you didn’t really want to sit in that tree again anyway, did you? The president and treasurer positions are also open.

This year marks Shamrock Leathers’ 50th Anniversary. Shamrock is a Minnesota company, with Ed and Bryan Brophy working very hard over the years for trapshooting and especially Minnesota trapshooters. They will sponsor Friday’s Memorial Handicap, with all prizes being Shamrock Leathers donated prizes; true collector’s items.

Congratulations to Minnesota shooter Ben Dietz on achieving an ATA Grand Slam at Oklahoma’s state shoot. Ben, we are proud of you! He completed the 100×100 handicap from the back fence. Wow! I am so jealous.

The golden years also come with some burdens. Again, I remind you we are not promised tomorrow. Tell your family how you feel about them and leave no doubts. Afterwards is too late! Trust me, I know.

I am honored to be your Delegate. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at your convenience. I can be reached at 612-703-6155 or Mark@airclimatecontrol.com.

I wish you all still winds and high scores.

Mark Stevens

ATA Delegate

North Dakota

The North Dakota State High School Spring Clay Target League completed its fourth year with over 1,400 participants from 49 high schools across the state. (The league started in 2014 with 90 participants from four high schools). Boy, have they got some good young shooters. Seven averaged 24 or more throughout the league. Kyle Kempel from Fargo Oak Grove Lutheran High School led all shooters with a season average of 24.4, closely followed by Blaine Howard from Bismarck Century High with 24.3. The female shooters were led by Kyla Radomski from Rugby High School and Gabby Fischer from Grand Forks Central, each with an average of 23.3. Hopefully some of these shooters will continue their shooting experience by joining the ATA.

North Dakota shooters who are “touring” the country include the Missouri State Shoot: Melissa Woodworth, Wayne Unruh, Mark and Tim Kaffar; the Cabela’s Shoot in Owatonna, MN: Pat Bosh, Chad Gerloff, Glenn Morstad and Bob and Lou Ann Munson; the Western Grand and Colorado State Shoot: Melissa Woodworth. Some of the noteworthy scores include Melissa winning the HOA in Lady II at both the Western Grand and Colorado State Shoot in addition to Lady II handicap in Events 5 and 9 at the Western Grand (95 and 92) and Lady II in the championship singles at the Colorado State Shoot (196). Bob Munson won events in all three disciplines in senior vet, and Lou Ann won category trohies in singles and handicap at the Cabela’s. Wayne won Class A in singles Event 1 (98), Tim won sub-vet in singles Event 4 (100) and Mark was the non-resident handicap runnerup in Event 13 (99) at the Missouri State Shoot.

Louis Kuster achieved a career milestone of 75,000 handicap targets at Zap SC June 17.

I hope to see you at the Grand!

Tim Kaffar

ATA Delegate

Ohio

The 2018 Ohio State Shoot is in the books. On behalf of the board of directors and myself, I would like to thank all shooters who attended. Monday was SCTP day. We had 451 kids shooting; it was a hot and humid day, but the coaches did a great job of keeping the kids hydrated and cool. Congratulations to all who won trophies this year. Special thanks goes out to Middletown SC for the trophies for Saturday’s championship singles, to Ed Detty for Sunday’s championship doubles, and to all the other sponsors that help make this one of the best in the ATA. Thanks to the Cardinal Center. Luke and his staff do a great job and keep improving every year. Last but not least, thanks to all our out-of-state friends who came. You are a big part of what makes this shoot so good.

Mike Blair

ATA Delegate

South Dakota

The SD State High School Clay Target League just finished their state championship in Aberdeen June 9. There were 563 shooters who competed for trophies and prizes in their respective classes, with Pierre coming out on top as the overall winners. This high school league has steadily grown from 211 shooters in the first year, 2016, to 949 shooters from 36 schools in 2018. They are anticipating an increase again in 2019. We in SD have seen a small increase in registered shooters, with some of these kids joining us at ATA shoots. We hope to have more in the next target year. All shooting is good; we are glad so many of the youngsters are taking up the game.

Hopefully you are able to get to the Grand American this year and help us celebrate Fred Nagel’s induction into the Trapshooting Hall of Fame. Fred will be only the second South Dakotan in the Hall, following Al Tomnitz, who was inducted in 2002. If Fred’s career is as long as Al’s was, he has at least another 25 years of shooting in front of him! Congratulations on your induction, Fred, and we all wish you good luck and much more success in the future.

Don’t forget that there are still some good shoots around home after the Grand is over. Crooks GC in Sioux Falls will be holding the Buck Jordahl and Al Tomnitz Memorial Aug. 25-26 if you still need to get some targets in 2018 for state teams or All-American recognition. Aberdeen GC will be holding the Scott Hanson Memorial Sept. 2, and they have two Beretta A400 shotguns for prizes. The Gold Shoot in Rapid City will be Sept. 8-9 and features some nice Black Hill gold prizes. Don’t forget the Heartland Grand American in Ackley, IA, Aug. 28-Sept 3. Dale always puts on a great shoot with lots of targets.

If you have anything you would like to see in this column, just let me know. Send an e-mail to bobfelber@midco.net or call 605-940-4578.

Remember to bring someone new to the club next time you go shooting.

Bob Felber

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

I was at the Pennsylvania State Shoot in June and was enjoying the evening watching the gun of the evening event shootoff. Over 200 shooters were involved in this event. Attendance to watch this event was high and a fun evening. Well . . . a shooter was called, and he came running and said, “I thought I shot an 85, not 84” (four was one of the numbers called). Stepping up to the shooting line, he said to a family member as he was tossing his sunglasses to her, “I can’t see a thing with these, give me yours.” His family members were watching as he missed the first target then the second. Of course, at that point he was out of the shootoff. He stepped off the line, laughing about how he had a borrowed gun, borrowed glasses, borrowed shell pouch, earplugs and shells. He looked at my shirt that had Kolar on it and said out loud, “It doesn’t matter because I am buying a Kolar tomorrow.” I said to Stuart Printz, “If you were a Wisconsin shooter, I would be writing about this.” He told me, “Please do.” Thank you, Stuart and family members, for the good laugh.

Congrats to Steve Ebsen for his two wins in handicap and Sandra Jo Jack for a singles win at the Buckeye shoot at the Cardinal Center in Ohio. At the Pennsylvania State Shoot I did pretty well in non-resident Lady II—two doubles trophies, Singles Championship trophy and all-around trophy.

Once again making Wisconsin proud with your wins, Steve Ebsen won at the Ohio State Shoot in handicap.

Fred Hansen wrote to me about his dad and his friend: “Lawrence Hansen and David Terens from the Two Rivers Trap Club in Wisconsin will have attended the Wisconsin State Shoot for 50 consecutive years in 2018. The duo attended the 1968 Wisconsin State Shoot in a station wagon and have not missed a year since then.” Thank you, Fred, for sharing.

Zone shoots in Wisconsin this June were not the normal hot weather; more like cold and raining. Northwestern zone at Hit and Miss TC: singles, Randy Bolton; Tate Barwald, handicap; and Gerald Demulling, doubles and all-around. Southwestern zone at Sauk Prairie T&SC: Jon Denman, 200 singles; 14-year-old Hunter Knotwell, handicap with 98; doubles and all-around were won by the amazing doubles shooter of Wisconsin . . . Dwight Fitzsimmons. Southeastern zone at Beaver Dam: Brad Schultz, all-around and singles; Craig Bennett, handicap; Sean Mackin, doubles. Then there was Ed Borske to put on a show with his first 200 in singles. Congrats to all and the club members for hosting these events for us to compete in. For more winners at the zone shoots, please go to the Wisconsin Trapshooters Association website.

Congrats to Phil Challoner, who shot his way to the 27-yard line for the first time at the Memorial 400 at Sauk.

Most of you are recouping after the Wisconsin State Shoot, and some are off to the Grand at Sparta, IL. Thank you, everyone, for attending our fifth state shoot at the new homegrounds. Please remember to volunteer at your club; your help is always appreciated. I had a few people ask me why I write this article and not Kevin. Well, that is because he lets me, and I am lucky to do this. Kevin Doerring is a great Delegate for our state but knows I enjoy doing this for him. Thank you, Kevin, for letting me write.

Remember to share any information with me by e-mailing me at sandrajjack@yahoo.com. Most of all, be safe and keep smiling . . . I am.

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. June has been a busy month with a lot of good things happening, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our local club volunteers and shooters.

The Highland GC in Yarmouth, NS, has been busy landscaping their club grounds, improving the “curb appeal” of their trapfields, and putting the finishing touches on a couple of traphouse rebuilds. Led by the efforts of Doug Blades, Aubrey Spinney and a host of other dedicated members, they’re getting everything in order for this year’s Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot, which is shaping up to be well attended. For the latest information, check out our association’s webpage shootatlantic.com.

Ron Whitehead of the Petitcodiac SC in The Glades, NB, reports that their new Pat-Trap has been a great addition to their club and is meeting their shooting needs very well. They are now able to shoot all ATA disciplines, and shooters are busy practicing for this year’s Atlantic Provinces ATA shoot. Ron also reports that at their first shoot over their Pat-Trap, Paul Devereaux shot his first 50 straight. Well done, Paul.

Trapshooting has picked up in Newfoundland as the weather slowly improves. (I won’t mention that we shot in heavy, wet snow squalls on June 3.) Congratulations to 19-year-old Zack Elms for his first 25 straight at the St. John’s R&GC June 10. Zack, who’s also an avid archer, attended the club’s first ATA shoot of the season and smashed all targets to earn his 25-straight patch and one well-shot hat. Herb Butt, one of the club’s top sporting clays shooters, registered his first 25 straight June 16 at one of the club’s many cross-discipline fun shoots. Zack and Herb are relatively new shooters and have been shooting registered trap for a couple of years now. Both took advantage of the ATA’s complimentary memberships last year and are enjoying registered shooting. Well done, fellas.

Paul Bailey, aka “Old Man Bailey,” celebrated his 85th birthday June 16. His shooting buddies at the St. John’s R&GC planned a lobster boil and surprise party for him. Bailey was none the wiser and was quite surprised to see his family show up at the club. Happy birthday, Paul; here’s to many more! Paul started ATA shooting after he retired for the second time from public service—first with the Canadian Air Force and then with the Canadian Coast Guard Fishery Patrol in the mid 1990s. Since joining the ATA in 2004, Paul has won many Atlantic Provinces veteran and senior veteran titles, and he’s often the first to arrive and last to leave our shoots. Paul has also come to enjoy shooting at the Silver Dollar and has been a regular at the Southern Grand.

A Dartmouth CTA update: It looks like this trap club located in Cole Harbour, NS, is in the final stages of dissolving and ceasing all operations. Association founder Barry Turner reported that “the club had no means to control its western shotfall zone, and the association had no option but to cease operations.” Club executives did investigate relocating, but the relocation committee dissolved after exhausting all options. Club assets are being sold, and equipment and targets are being transferred to the Annapolis Valley SSC in Kentville, NS. In the midst of the unfortunate closing of one club, there’s at least a bright note: there’s a good opportunity here for Annapolis Valley to expand and perhaps host the Atlantic Provinces Championship at some point in the future.

For more information on the APTA, feel free to contact me at aabassan@gmail.com or visit shootatlantic.com.

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

Delaware

The Delaware Trapshooting Association would like to thank everyone who attended our 2018 state championships. One shooter traveled from Colorado as well as one from Connecticut, Maine and Ohio. Two snowbirds from Florida were there, along with 31 from New York, 33 from Delaware, 34 from Maryland, 47 from Pennsylvania and 124 from New Jersey. All of you helped make our shoot a great success.

We would also like to thank the NJSTA, Jeff and Patty Slimm and all the crew at Pine Belt SC. The grounds looked fantastic upon our arrival, and new Pat-Traps in every house ensured perfect target presentation.

Target-setting, trophy and classification committees were all on point with no complaints, only praise. Many thanks to Steve Huber for lending his expertise in the traphouse with our target-setting committee. The fund-raising committee did a great job manning the raffle table selling 50/50s, hats and gun raffles. Many thanks to Daryl Tull, Fred Carlsten, Lesly Kababik and my wife Patty. Also, congratulations to our gun raffle winner Joe Fini.

Let’s not forget the unsung heroes of trapshooting, the ones who are on the job prior to, during and long after the shoot is over, the cashiers. Merlynn and Cindy Wegter, along with Fred and Paula Branscome, did an excellent job of keeping things straight behind the scenes.

Congratulations to all our champions and trophy winners. Great shooting! Speaking of great shooting, Cathy Brown again secured a spot on the Lady II All-American team. Gary Waalkes seems to have fire lit under him this year, collecting well over 500 All-American points as of this writing. He may have to put an addition on his trophy room. Wishing you continued success.

There were a couple of career firsts at our shoot. Junior shooter Neil Downing found himself in his first shootoff after a 91 in the Preliminary Handicap. He ran the trap and emerged the junior victor. Madison Wehnau shot his first ATA registered targets. Thank you for choosing ours as your first shoot.

I want to remind everyone that the DTA will be sponsoring a shoot this fall at WTA on Oct. 7, National Trapshooting Day. So make sure you come out and share the day with us.

Wishing everyone good luck at the Grand American.

As always, I can be reached at shtgunjohnny@aol.com or by phone at 302-690-3462. Shoot well and shoot often!

John Patchell

ATA Delegate

Massachusetts

As I send this article into Trap & Field on July 4, I think of all the men and women who have put themselves in harm’s way, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can live free and celebrate this day.

Our state shoot went very well. The new program consisted of a four-day shoot June 7-10, and a thousand targets were available. Weather was great. I talked with a number of shooters, and everyone had only good things to say. I would like to thank Minuteman SC for a job well done, along with all the scorers, loaders and everyone who helped with this shoot. We had about 76 juniors and sub-juniors. It’s nice to see the new generation coming along. The club threw 146,600 targets over the four days. We had shooters from seven states and Canada, and a great time was had by all).

Congratulations to the following for winning the main events: singles, doubles and all-around champion was Robert Nihitila Jr. Handicap champion was Roger Coimbra, and the high-over-all went to Michelle Archambeault. A full listing of winners can be seen on the MATA website and in this issue of T&F.

At this shoot it was a great honor for me to present to Joyce Morris her 50,000 doubles attainment pin.

At our meeting held during the state shoot, Dave Russell was reelected Delegate. (I thank you all for your support.) Also reelected was Carl Kazen, First Alternate, and Roy Smith, Second Alternate.

Robert Nihitila Sr. was the state shoot honoree this year. As a dedicated member at the Holbrook SC, Bob was club president in 1994, 1995 and 2000 and vice president in 1990. Bob has won numerous trophies throughout New England plus the Eastern Zone, Southern Grand American and Grand American. Bob was inducted into the MATA Hall of Fame in 2013.

I would like to recognize two of our members for making the 2018 All-American team: Robert Nihitila Jr., men’s second, and Matthew Cartisser, sub-junior second. This takes fine shooting along with true dedication to our sport.

Please keep in mind our annual meeting and banquet this year will be Oct. 14 at the Singletary R&GC. The meeting will offer insight into what is happening in the MATA, new business, old business, election of officers, etc., along with a very fine meal and prize drawings. The MATA will be inducting Gary Hopkinson into the Hall of Fame at this meeting. This is a great night out for everyone. This is your meeting; please try to attend. You can get tickets from myself or any MATA officer.

Our Labor Day Shoot will be Sept. 1-2 at North Leominster R&GC. This is a great shoot; hope to see you there.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns that I can help with, I can be reached at 413-586-0428 or daverussell945@comcast.net.

Remember, have fun.

Dave Russell

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

Well, if you listened to the weather people during our New Jersey State Shoot (May 30-June 3) and stayed home because of threats of rain and downpours, you missed a great state shoot. What you need to do next time there’s a big shoot at Pine Belt SC in Shamong is look at the weather for Shamong. While south Jersey forecasts were for downpours and thunder and lightning, Shamong was saying only.02 inches one hour, .01 inches the next hour, etc.—and that’s all it rained, if that. The big winners were Robert Malmstedt in singles, James Shire in handicap and George Wright in doubles. See this issue of Trap & Field for the full report.

Results of the election of NJSTA officers: Thomas Wolf, president; Paul Dimeglio, first vice president; Sam Osterhoudt, second vice president; Rudy Torlini, secretary-treasurer; Joe Sissano, ATA Delegate; and Craig Gasparine, ATA Alternate Delegate.

The following weekend our neighbors to the west started their 10-day endurance test for shooters at Elysburg, PA. One hundred twelve New Jerseyans ventured up to the mountains, and 24 returned with 48 awards. Leading the winners was Susan Emma with eight; next were Robert Malmstedt, Robert Battista and George Wright with four; Justin Malone and Peter Frederiks with three; Joe Sissano, Robert Bishop, David Brown Jr. and Angelina Moir with two; and Chris Cusumano, Gene Moir Jr., Brian Skeuse, Kolleen Adams, Tom Wolf, Mike Stevenson, Sam Osterhoudt, Jeff Ushler, Marc Invidiato, George Stevenson, Robert Brown and Henry Stillwell with one. Great shooting, guys and gals. To see who did what at the entire shoot, go to rjstuart.com.

The following week was the Ohio State Shoot in Marengo. Gene Moir Jr. collected two trophies in handicap, and daughter Angelina won one in handicap as well.

The North Jersey CTC held their annual Stars & Stripes Shoot June 24. Michael Morgado was high gun with a pair of 99s, and Marc Invidiato was runnerup with 195. The club recently purchased new wired Canterbury voice release units, and they performed perfectly. A new concrete pad was installed for future barbecues, a new wood storage rack was installed to keep the woodburning stove cooking this winter, and I saw about eight one-gallon cans of paint on the table in the clubhouse. Do I sense a work detail in the future?

On a sad note, James Steinhart, 82, passed away April 7. He was born in Shamokin, PA, and his family moved to Bridgewater, NJ, when he was five or six years old and has lived in town ever since. At age 14, he took a job with a local construction company, learning to operate construction equipment and in time becoming a heavy-equipment operator for Schaal Construction of Bridgewater. He worked there for 51 years, retiring in 1999. Jim enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapshooting. He was inducted into the New Jersey Trapshooting Hall of Fame in 2014. During his career he registered 148,500 singles, 76,275 handicap and 42,100 doubles targets. Jim is survived by sons James Jr. and Mark and daughters-in-law Melanie and Patricia, respectively, plus a brother Robert.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the passing of William Myers of Southampton, PA, June 6; he was 91. Bill was a longtime squadmate of mine when we attended shoots in the tri-state area. During his career Bill registered 87,675 singles, 38,800 handicap and 26,650 doubles targets.

If you have a question or idea for an article, I can be reached at 732-546-7910 or by e-mail at jasissa@msn.com.

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello to everyone from the Empire State. I hope everyone is doing well and having an enjoyable summer. I know that I am. I wish for everyone that they are shooting well and having a great time.

The New York State western zone shoot was held June 8-9 at Allied SC in Alden. It was a great shoot, and 27,000 targets were thrown. Many excellent scores were posted. In the Singles Championship, four 198s were broken. After the shootoff, the runnerup was Randy Lineman, and senior veteran was Carl Janas. After five rounds of shootoff, Tim Herbstommer and Tom Trembath were still tied, and they asked to be declared co-champions, which they were. Gary McKeown was the champion in the doubles with 95 after a shootoff with Greg Tartick, who took runnerup. Tim Herbstsommer was handicap champion with 96, and runnerup was Doug Trumpowsky with 93. Herbstsommer was the all-around champion, and Tartick was runnerup. This was great shooting by these fine competitors.

Larry Daigler, New York State ATA western zone vice president, posted on our webpage: “I wish to thank the Allied Sportsman’s Club for the support they gave the NYSATA for the western zone event. The grounds and traphouses looked great. The trap machines were cleaned and well maintained. The food was great and a lot of.” I wholeheartedly agree with Larry. It was a well-done shoot. Trophy winners can be viewed on our webpage www.nysata.com and in Trap & Field.

The following announcement was placed on the NYSATA webpage: “Any person who has been charged with an offense that would, if convicted of such offense, result in such person being prohibited under state or federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition, shall be barred from competing in any event sponsored by the NYSATA and may not possess or handle firearms or ammunition on NYSATA property. It is the obligation of a shooter who is charged with such an offense to notify the NYSATA of such charges. When the NYSATA Delegate is made aware that a person has been charged with such an offense, he or she will, after informing and consulting with the NYSATA General Counsel, send notice to such person informing them that they may not compete in NYSATA events and may not possess firearms or ammunition on NYSATA property unless and until they provide satisfactory proof to the General Counsel that such charges have been resolved in a manner that does not result in them being prohibited by state or federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. Any person who competes in NYSATA events or possesses a firearm or ammunition on NYSATA property in violation of this rule, or while otherwise prohibited by state or federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition, shall be referred to an appropriate law enforcement agency and/or the ATA for disciplinary action. Furthermore, upon review by the NYSATA Board of Directors, such person shall be banned indefinitely from NYSATA property regardless of the disposition of the underlying charges. Thank you, signed New York State ATA Board of Directors.” This announcement is pretty clear, and I believe everyone will understand it.

On June 9 nearly 650 students from almost 50 high schools attended the 2018 High School State Trapshooting Championships at our homegrounds in Cicero. All of the trapfields were used, along with the clubhouse. From my understanding, the event went off without a hitch, and everyone had a great time. With coaches, parents, grandparents and siblings, there were well over 1,500 persons on the grounds. It is so nice to see such a great event as this take place. Good going to everyone involved.

The Pennsylvania State Shoot and the Colonial Classic were held at PA’s homegrounds June 9-17. Two hundred twenty-six New Yorkers traveled to Pennsylvania to attend. Trophy winners from New York were Bradley Heath, David Woythal, Vitalino Vaz, Richard Sauer, Michael Fox Jr., Justin Slater, Urban Womer, Mary Dries, Alexcis Coningsby, Andrew Baker, Michael Waschitz, Peter Matiukas, Donald S. Grossman, Keith Welch, Kenneth Woodworth, Thom Gebler, Terrence Roth, Michael Mincel, Ronald Catena, Jeff Bell, Francesco Oliveri, Marshall Taylor, Stephen Landers, Patricia Logan, Tammy Wildenstein, Greg Tartick, Gerry Ostander, Barney Knoeferl, David Kestler, Richard Kenyon, Eddie Cotton, Richard Burden, David Bills, Bob Edwards, Gerry Ostrander, Carl Slack, Michael Latocha, Thomas Kergel, David Proper, Frank Benvenuto, Joseph Papale, John Preto, Vincent Barranco, David Hazelet and Michael Mincel. Congratulations to all. All trophy winners can be viewed on Bob Stuart’s webpage www.rjstuart.com and in Trap & Field.

Next month we will be reporting on the New York State Shoot and Eastern Zone, held at our homegrounds.

If anyone is traveling to Sparta, IL, to attend the Grand American, I wish you a safe journey. Good shooting, and I will see you there.

See you all soon, and good shooting. May God bless.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada! I wish all Grand attendees the very best for a successful and enjoyable Grand experience.

As I travel to competitions in various areas of the States, I often hear a common sentiment. Shooters appreciate having places to shoot recreationally and competitively, and while they may not thank the many volunteers who organize and run the shoots, people are grateful for all your efforts. At Pennsylvania, for example, I talked with many who were proud of the Elysburg venue and happy that an organization like the ATA exists to regulate the sport and work with state/provincial organizations and clubs. On reflection, we as trapshooters get to know so many people across North America (and beyond) from very diverse heritages, occupations and circumstances. We are all bonded by our sport.

I have had the privilege this year of just happening to be on the same squad as many Ontario shooters who have had outstanding achievements. Don’t misunderstand, I do my darnedest to break great scores myself, but in the absence of this, I am at least a great cheerleader. I think I get more butterflies in my stomach watching and rooting for my squadmates than worrying about my own performance. Dan Gris, one of our longtime excellent shooters, finally got his 200 straight at the Pennsylvania State Shoot. I’m glad I was there to witness it and present him with his 200-straight pin.

During the past year as chair of the All-American Committee, I have had many productive discussions with shooters on interpretation of the way that All-American team points are earned, etc. While there are some nuances, virtually every qualifying competition has All-American points that go three scores deep in every category (including open). Points are not tied to trophies (however, if you are tied for champion, you will get more points for winning that shootoff or carryover). It surprises some people to learn that the same three deep scores apply for a non-resident as well. These are easy points if there are three or fewer non-resident shooters (i.e., guaranteed points just for showing up and participating).

This is perfectly permissible under the rules. My suggestion is for shooters to get out there, travel to other states and provinces, and contest for these points. And for shoot organizers, promote attendance by non-residents.

On a lighter note—a true story. One prominent shooter in a state that I will not identify owns a construction company. His company was hired by a large grocery store to build a hydraulic ramp for shipping and receiving at the back of the store. It was the middle of winter, and working conditions were cold. Furthermore, his crew had to attend at the work site at 4:30 each morning and leave by 9:30 a.m. Each day when the contractor (shooter) attended at the work site, he noticed a little old man rooting through the garbage bin dumpsters and salvaging discarded produce, which he loaded on a little wagon.

The contractor (shooter) shared this sad story with his wife. They felt sorry for this unfortunate who was foraging for food, apparently not on public assistance, not begging. They decided to help. They put together a large “care package” of non-perishable food and enclosed an envelope containing a $20 bill and a note inviting the fellow to buy himself a hot meal.

The contractor was about to give the care package to the fellow when suddenly the owner of the grocery store intervened and thanked the contractor for being so empathetic to the plight of this fellow but asked that he do one thing first before he presented the care package. “What is it?” asked the contractor. “Follow the little red wagon,” said the grocery store owner. The contractor looked confused. “Just follow the little red wagon.”

So he followed the little red wagon around the corner of the grocery store, along the side, part way along the front and then directly across the street and into the front door of the Chinese restaurant owned by the little old man.

That restaurant used to be the favorite for the contractor and his wife. That ended abruptly. The restaurant, by the way, is no longer in business, having been shut down for health violations.

Have a great Grand!

Paul Shaw

ATA Eastern Zone Vice President

Pennsylvania

Our PA State Shoot is now in the books. It was a great week of shooting and socializing, with many shooters attaining longtime goals. Shoot attendance for the week was down by 212, but championship events were up by 123, which resulted in an All-American Competition Factor of 7. We had two down days: Sunday, which rained all day, we had a decrease of 492, and a Wednesday that started out soggy was down 177. Overall there were 10,890 entrants and 2,598 for the championship events alone.

A number of firsts occurred during the week. First time 27-yarders were Pat Monaghan, Susan Owens, Mike Endy and Jared Hanna. Wesley Beaver also was shooting from the 27-yard line for the first time after attaining it at the Great Lakes Grand two weeks prior. First-time 100 straights were entered by Zach Eshbach and Richard Hess Jr. in singles and Aaron Hower IV in doubles. Congratulations to all!

Trap & Field will have full coverage, but I want to make special mention of our state titlists. Brandon Deal won his first singles title with 200 followed by a shootoff with six others. Ian Fleming won his first doubles title with the lone 98 on Friday night. Ken Darroch added to his resume with his second handicap title, seventh all-around championship and 13th HOA win. Fantastic shooting, and congratulations to all three. Also pulling off a big win was Roger Nee of Bedford. Roger was lucky enough to have his number drawn for the Krieghoff Challenge and ended with a brand new combo after only three rounds. Congratulations, Roger, and enjoy your new Krieghoff.

The annual meeting was held on Sunday morning in which regular business was discussed and election of officers and Delegates held. There were no earth-shattering changes or discussions this year, and the executive committee and Delegates were reelected unanimously for 2018-2019.

The PSSA Hall of Fame held its annual meeting on Saturday night, at which time, the following individuals and gun club were recognized: Trapshooter of the Year was awarded to Ian Fleming, with introduction by Ian Darroch; Hall of Fame enshrinee Stephanie Sandler, introduced by Alex Diehl from Krieghoff International; and Hall of Fame enshrinee West Chester Gun Club, introduced by David Comroe. Congratulations on these prestigious achievements! Also at the meeting, high-average awards, Attorney General Cup winners, and PA state team members were recognized for their achievements. A special thank you from Pam Darroch to Kate Schmidt for organizing the hats and pins, Kim Bateman for helping to hand out the awards, and Mike Schuler for emceeing the evening.

The PSSA Hall of Fame stayed busy all week, as the new floor has been completed and Pam Darroch, members of the HOF committee, and volunteers were busy putting pieces back together. A big thank you to Judy W. from NY, John Worner and his squad, Linda Cox and Anna Mae Eberle for all their assistance in cleaning and hanging pictures. The HOF would also like to thank all the vendors and donors for their generous participation in this year’s silent auctions that helped raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network and the PSSA Hall of Fame. This year was the beginning of what may become an annual tradition: a Vintage Shoot. Nineteen participants dressed in early-era ensembles and shot vintage trap guns, including Model 12s, old side-by-sides, and even hammer guns. The HOF provided finger sandwiches and dessert while the event took place. Participants were given a medal and fob, and the top three scores were recognized: first place, Clayton Hoffman (Model 12); second, Jerome Stefkovich (Model 12); and third, Ken Darroch (Remington SxS hammer gun). Thank you to Roger Rosendale for providing suggestions and emceeing this event. Shooters dressed in knickers, vests and dresses were a sight to behold.

On a final note, right after the Pennsylvania State Shoot, we had 104 shooters travel next door to the Ohio State Shoot. Twenty-three came back with awards, led by Chris Vendel with nine, including both the sub-vet all-around and HOA. Kim Bateman earned three trophies, including Lady II all-around; Marcy Plunkett took two, including the Lady I all-around; and Curtis Paul earned two, including the senior vet all-around. Other PA shooters with wins included Scott Kennedy, Bill Natcher (two), Jordan Anderson, Jean McCord, Don Schaffer Jr., John Worner, Neil McFadden, Wesley Beaver (two), J. T. Spangler, James Courtwright, Robert Custer, Butch Novak, Zeke Raub, James Johnston, Ken Darroch, Mark Hoffman, Robyn Bird, Buster Haragos and Phil Criado.

I’ll see everyone at the Westy Hogans!

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate