Illinois

Hello, shooters. What a Grand this year! Attendance ended up about 4%. It was awesome seeing IL all over the leaderboard! I counted 199 trophies that 91 different Illinois shooters took home this year. The big winners were Ziggy Tkaczenko (20 trophies), Chase Horton (15), Larry Norton (11), Lauren Mueller (11), Tony Fortino (10) and Ian Lawrence (seven). Weather was awesome, and the target-setting was some of the best I’ve seen out there. The staff all worked hard, the grounds looked good, and there wasn’t much to complain about. I hope you all had as good a time as I did.

There have been some rule changes to start the 2019 target year. One big one is that there will no longer be an 18-yard line. It was voted on at the Grand, and starting Sept. 1, those who were at the 18 will be punched to the 19. Those of you at the 18 should have been notified through the mail. That being said, the one yard between posts for squadding has been taken out, too. Now the rule reads, “two yards on adjacent posts and three yards in the squad for ALL yardages.” The ATA has also eliminated money punches. All yardage punches will be based on score now. Scores of 100 will get at least 1.5 yards; scores of 99, 98 and 97 will get at least one yard; and a score of 96 will receive at least a half-yard (unless they get more based on the yardage table).

In the next article I will hopefully be able to announce the state team, so be looking for that. Happy shooting!

Lauren Mueller

ATA Delegate

Indiana

Greetings, Indiana shooters! This time of year is perfect for getting out and supporting our local Indiana clubs and taking advantage of the weather.

It was great to see so many Indiana shooters at the Grand. Kudos to Lynn Gipson, everyone on the Executive Committee, and the countless workers and volunteers who make this shoot possible. My personal highlight was watching my squadmate from Illinois, Bryan Nemec, run 100 in the championship doubles. This was Bryan’s first 100 in doubles, and he picked a great time and place to do it.

Congrats to all of the Indiana shooters who won trophies this year at the Grand American! Prelim week winners include Tom Neal, Michael Fulford, Scott Norris, Tank Lunsford, Tom Strabavy, Steve Byrns, Vern Brown, David Payne, Preston Crandell, Phillip Kinman, David Heeringa, C. W. Arnett, Mark Barker, Paul Rode and Chrissy Byrd. For Grand Week, Howard Byrd, Steve Byrns, Chrissy Byrd, Eric Shroyer, Mary Lynne Downham, Ron Zimmerman, Jeff Webb, Scott Norris, Mike Williams, Dylan Newport, Jim King, Michael Bowe, Preston Crandell and Tank Lunsford all brought home hardware.

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 [email protected].

Jason Barnett

ATA Delegate

Iowa

The 2018 Iowa State Shoot was another great tournament. Our weather did make for some real sporting targets, though. We experienced clouds, cooler temps, rain and north/northwest winds. Weather was good on preliminary Tuesday, at least.

A huge thank you to president Steve Glagow. A welcome to our new First Alternate Delegate Brad Gray. Thanks also go to secretary Lori Wickman and Dan Wood for shootoffs and to all the ladies in the office for all they do for our sport. Justin Venner needs recognition for the great trophies we offer. Iowa is lucky that we have Wendy, our trap help and trap kids. They are the best in the business, and we would be lost without them.

The Iowa State Trap Association has made a few changes this last year as well as plans to improve on a few more things in the years to come. We are working on getting TV broadcasting and will hopefully have the camping electricity improved by 2019.

Congratulations to all the state winners. Thank you for supporting our state shoot.

Please contact me with any concerns on my cell, 712-830-2612, or by e-mail, [email protected].

Heath Kasperbauer

ATA Delegate

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State! I just returned from a Grand that was very successful for number of Minnesota shooters. Before we talk about the Grand, we want to say congratulations to Scott Gens for a hugely successful Iowa State Shoot, as he broke the lone 200 in the singles to win over 625 others, and he won the HOA and all-around by wide margins. Way to go, Scott!

Now back to the Grand. With the exception of Preliminary Thursday, weather was great, and the scores matched. The target-setting and presentation were excellent, and the wind rarely blew over five mph. Trapshooting nirvana! We had a number of great performances by Minnesotans. It is hard to say who was the headliner, but John Kelly, Nick Kubasch and Carson Tauber all had moments of greatness. Carson broke 100 in the Preliminary Handicap and 25 in the shootoff to capture the title. He had 94 from his new yardage (27) in the GAH the next day. Nick broke 200 on Clay Target day and 200 more that night in the shootoff to advance to the next night of shootoffs. He missed in the 11th box to end up in the runnerup spot in this year’s Clay Target race. Congratulations, Nick! Glenn Linden and George Pappas also broke 200 on championship day, although neither ended with a trophy. Joe Kelly Construction sent one crew to Sturgis headed up by Jacob for the rally, and John was in charge of the second crew in Sparta. We can’t account for what went on in South Dakota, but John cut a wide swath through the trophy list at the Grand. He won seven awards, including tying for third in the HOA with 981 (finishing fifth) and tying for second in the All-Around with 396, finishing in the third-place spot. In addition, he was 10th in the GAH after 98, eighth in the Preliminary Handicap after 98 and AA high in the class doubles after 99, and he won two other class AA doubles trophies with 99s. Great job, John!

Many other state shooters won trophies during the Grand. Among them were Dean Neumann, Troy Haverly and Frank Redfield who, in addition to earning a number of other awards, won the National Team Race for sub-veterans contested on Preliminary Friday. I’ll apologize in advance if I forget anyone, but here is a list of Minnesota trophy winners that I compiled and a few of their accomplishments: Scott Gens; Luther Langrud (coached by Pat Gottberg, who is on the mend and hopes to shoot next year); Curt Peterson; Eric Munson (three 100s in doubles and a pair of 98s in handicap); Dennis Vlasak; Eric Gunderson; Pete Walker; outgoing MTA president Scott Messenger, veteran champ in the Kubota Doubles; John Stone (Carson’s coach); Randy Cook (the other half of the Dynamic Duo, along with Redfield, from da’ Range); Colton Sherman, who ended third in the Champion of Champions after 100 and carryover; Jim Walkowiak; Bernie Merchlewitz Jr. (99 and 98 in back-to-back handicaps); Colton Langer; and Peter Falk III, who won awards in both the HOA and All-Around in his class. In addition to his good shooting, my sources tell me Peter was on a first-name basis with the waiters at the buffet in Pistol City.

A big congratulations to Chantel Merchlewitz for winning the $40,000 Krieghoff Combo at the Hall of Fame induction. I have a great story to relate about the drawing, but that will have to wait until next month. We have season-ending shoots in St. Cloud (Steer and Calf), Alexandria (Big Ole), and the Del Monte to report on next time as well as details from the state board of directors meeting in St. Cloud.

By the time you read this, many of you will have put some heavy oil on your trap guns and will be thinking about time in the field hunting. Good luck to all.

I can be reached at 507-456-2000 or at [email protected].

Paul Cyr

ATA Delegate

Ohio

The 2018 Grand American is in the books. Ohio had over 200 shooters make the trip to Sparta. I hope everyone enjoyed their trip. The weather was hot with a couple days of rain, but all in all was good. Congrats to all the trophy winners.

Congratulations to Summer Gobrecht on winning the All-Around with 397×400 and becoming Ohio’s Grandest Shooter! There have been a few rule changes made for 2019: the elimination of the 18-yard line and the money punch plus the change to the “two-yard difference on a squad” rule, which now states, “There may now be two yards on adjacent posts and three yards on the squad if there’s a post in between shooters for ALL yardages.”

Please remember to support your local gun clubs. Have fun and break ’em all!

Mike Blair

ATA Delegate

North Dakota

By the time this article gets published, the 2018 target year will be history, and the 2019 target year will be well under way. As I was touring around this year (and I did quite a bit), I noticed more and more shooters adjusting the targets to their particular likes. While I’m a firm believer in every shooter getting to shoot the best possible legal target, tweaking every trap by moving the targets up or down a notch or two is inconsiderate of the other shooters. By the time the trap-setter makes the adjustments, it could delay the squad by up to 10 minutes. Those squads at the end of the day could be running out of quality light because of the delays.

While at the Grand, there was a squad behind me who would readjust every trap to their liking. After the first couple events, the squad hustler just followed them down the line because every trap had to be reset. I thought the targets were very well set to begin with. This is an outdoor sport, and minor variations due to wind need to be tolerated. In my opinion, if they are legal targets (between eight and 10 feet high, 10 yards out from the trap), shoot ’em and forget about tweaking them within the legal range. Of course if they are not legal, by all means, adjust them.

The North Dakota State Shoot was held in Minot this year with nice weather and a good turnout, but generally lower scores than previous years. I attribute the lower scores to hazy/smoky skies most of the week. Our state singles champion was Jason Folvag with the lone resident 200, but watch out next year because Zach Warweg will be a resident. Zach had the lone non-resident 200. Cody Tangsrud was the singles runnerup with 199 and the doubles champion with 99. Jason was also handicap champion after beating Pat Bosh and junior Blair Kuhnhenn with 95s. Other noteworthy scores include Bill Suda’s 98 in Thursday’s handicap to win champion, Cassie Felber and Garrett Jacobsen each had 96, all from the same squad. Garrett also won yardage Friday with 95 along with Wayne Unruh and Chad Gerloff.

Thirteen North Dakota shooters made it to the Grand this year. Those claiming trophies included Perry Weiner, Event 4 singles AAA runnerup (100), Event 12 doubles AA third (99), and 500 Preliminary Singles AAA runnerup (498); Lou Ann Munson, Event 4 singles Lady II third (99) and Event 7 singles Lady II runnerup (100); Bob Munson, All-Around Preliminary Week senior vet third, HOA Preliminary Week senior vet third, and 500 Preliminary Singles senior vet runnerup (498); Mark Kaffar, Event 7 singles Class B runnerup (99); Pat Bosh, Event 12 doubles Class AA runnerup (100); Bill Suda, Event 20 doubles senior vet (99); and Tim Kaffar, Clay Target Championship sub-vet (200). There were also six shooters who earned yardage at the Grand: Tim Kaffar (96, 98), Mark Kaffar (96), Bob Munson (97), Tangsrud (96), Weiner (96) and Chad Gerloff (96).

I hope to see you on the line somewhere!

Tim Kaffar

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

I received this very nice e-mail from a friend I have known for many years, Jim Walkowiak: “Sandy, I shot like crap down there [Iowa], but when I heard you call my name saying hi, I forgot all about it.” Now I am not trying to make myself look good to you readers, but this is what I do; we do for each other as a trapshooting family and make someone’s day better. After so many years of shooting at the Minneapolis GC, I have always enjoyed Jim and his hugs. He even gave me an “Ugly Beautiful” orange sweater like his, and LOL, I love it.

Standing at my car for the next event, a black car pulled up, and Luciana Denti got out with the biggest smile. She made the grin even bigger when she gestured “1 0 0.” Earlier in the day, as I was waiting to shoot, I started to visit with a couple from Brazil, Luciana and Ary. Luciana said she did not shoot very well in the morning. We talked about hold placement for us one-eyed shooters (she does not speak English, so we did this mostly with hand gestures and phone translation). Now it was my turn to smile, knowing I’d helped her. A couple days later, she gave me one of their Brazil shooting shirts, and I gave her a Team Kolar shirt. Taking the time for other shooters can reward you in many ways.

Wisconsin was well represented by our shooters with their wins. I was able to get a photo of three Wisconsin shooters with their absolutely beautiful buckles won in the Jim Jones Handicap: Roger Taylor Jr., 21-22 champ (he also won a buckle in the Clever Ammunition Handicap for 10th place); Dave Marohl, third; and Bob Dorzok, senior vet third.

Congratulations to the following trophy winners at the 2018 Grand American. I am listing shooters and their places only, but you can also find the list of winners and events in Grand coverage in this issue. I shot well enough to claim seven runnerup and one championship trophy in Prelim Week, and one runnerup and one third during Grand Week. During Prelim Week, the following also won trophies: John Halambeck, D; Dart Ellsworth, sixth; James Moermond Jr.; senior vet third; Donald Wagner, champion and third; Tyler Buchanan, junior gold runnerup. Grand Week trophy winners were Cathy Wehinger, zone doubles champion of champion; Dave Marohl, third; Roger Taylor Jr., champion and 10th; Steven Keeley, senior vet; Robert Dorzok, senior vet third and 28 gauge senior vet; Johnathon Denman, fifth; Dwight Paulin, senior vet with 100 and senior vet third; Marcel Klas, third; Cheryl Demulling, runnerup and third; Paul Becker, third; Ethan Kerr, fourth with an impressive 200; Bill Simonar, third; Charles (Buzzy) Noel, third; Jerome Kaszynski, fourth All-Around; Emily Riley, runnerup; Devin Doucette, Tom Seitz Memorial junior; Geoff Gorres, International event; Tim Mackey, Zone singles Champion of Champions; Dan Haag and Dwight Fitzsimmons, Zone doubles team; Ed Borske, Federal Ammunition Nostalgia Shoot, fifth. Simonar made it back to the 27-yard line again, shooting a 97. Please let me know if I missed anyone.

Weston Hit & Miss AIM team shooters shot great at the Grand: doubles, sub-junior B runnerup Cody Barwick and junior gold Class C runnerup Sparky Kellner. It must also be because of the great coaching and support for the shooters at this club. Keep up with the volunteering.

I apologize for missing the CWTA HOA winner last winter. Congrats, Jerry Tenor, for shooting in the cold and supporting the clubs that host the CWTA shoots.

Kolar Arms and the ATA presented a raffled Kolar shotgun to Kevin Nanke from Edmond, OK. Thank you once again, Kolar and Jeff Mainland, for your continued support to the ATA.

Thank you, Brad Patterson, for this information about two fine young shooters: At the recent SCTP National Championships held at the Cardinal Center, Jordan Hintz concluded his high school and collegiate career as he posted a 200 to win his fourth consecutive collegiate division national championship. On her first trip to the Cardinal Center, Mia Moriarity took top honors to win her first national championship in the ladies’ intermediate entry division (first-year seventh- and eighth-grade shooters). Mia posted a 189, which included her career-first 25 and 50 straights. She had a long run of 24 to win the tie-breaker. As coach Patterson noted, “This was Mia’s first year shooting, and she went from a kid who wasn’t sure she wanted to shoot trap to making steady progress throughout the season and posting several good scores to seeing it all come together in her podium-placing performance. We look forward to watching her and her game grow and develop.”

Submit any information that you have about your experience at the Grand.

Remember to keep smiling (I am) and help out at your local club. Halloween is this month; maybe think about going as a trapshooter (or a clay target).

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Atlantic Provinces

August has been a very busy month for clubs and shooters in the Atlantic Provinces, with no shortage of ATA shoots to attend. Traditionally July and August are the busiest months here, and this year has been great—perhaps even busier than previous years.

The Highland GC in Yarmouth Co., NS, hosted the first Nova Scotia Provincial Trapshooting Championships over the Aug. 4-5 weekend. Doug Blades reported that on Day 1, 21 shooters survived the heat and humidity for the 200 singles event. Some good scores were posted, with Rejean d’Entremont and Ken d’Eon tying with 195 for event champion. Rejean won the shootoff (24 over Ken’s 23) to claim the first Nova Scotia singles title. Day 2 had 19 shooters in the doubles and handicap events. Doug Blades captured the doubles championship, and junior Alex Nickerson shot a 97, earning a one-yard punch and the handicap crown. Blades also won the all-around.

Ron Whitehead reported that the Petitcodiac SC had a handicap marathon on Aug. 11. It rained very hard all day. Ten shooters, who would not have duck-hunted in this rain, registered for the shoot. Ron reported that at times it was very difficult to keep glasses clear enough to see the targets, but Brian Pettipas found them most of the time. Brian shot four 24s and finished with the top combined score of the day.

The St. John’s R&GC hosted their annual Memorial Shoot over the Aug. 11-12 weekend. This shoot remembers the contributions of founding club member Roger Bidgood, past club president Dave Anstey and John Molloy—a young active member who lost his life in a tragic snowmobile accident while trying to save others who went through the ice. Dave was club president when I joined the club in 1998. He gave me the keys to the traps and asked me to open up on Sundays and pass in the trap fees at the end of the month. The rest is history, as they say.

Weather was fantastic for shooting, and all events were well attended, with 26 shooters signing up. Troy Coldwell shot a perfect 100 to best the rest of the John Molloy Singles field by four targets. The Dave Anstey High-Over-All award for the high combined score in singles and doubles went to yours truly.

The Highland GC has invested a lot of time, effort and resources preparing for this year’s Atlantic Provinces Shoot. They have rebuilt one trap, built a new trapfield, and put in new concrete handicap walkways on both traps. Club facilities were looking great, and members were looking forward to hosting our ATA provincial shoot for the first time. Pre-squadding numbers were at an all-time high, and we have already exceeded last year’s attendance. It’s looking like we will have record attendance for this year’s shoot—an encouraging sign that the hard work and dedication of club volunteers is paying off.

For complete results, photos and more information on the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or visit shootatlantic.com.

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

If you missed going to the Grand American this year, you certainly missed out on some great shooting by some of the 28 or so New Jersey shooters this year. Bryan Romanow and Gene Moir Jr. posted 200 straights during singles competition. Michael Stevenson and Gene led the trophy winners with three; Chris Cusumano, David E. Brown Jr. and Bob Malmstedt each had two; Duncan Stevenson, Romanow, Rick Batesko, George Wright, Joe Sissano and Pete Frederiks had one apiece. To see who won what, go to shootata.com and click on trophy winners or see this issue.

The Kolar Combo was won by Kevin Nanke from Edmond, OK. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all our shooters who purchased a ticket to help fund the Gun Club Fund.

Bryan Romanow won a $2,500 scholarship from the AIM organization toward his college tuition this coming year. Congrats, Bryan!

The following Tuesday the Cardinal Classic started off, and 13 from New Jersey were in attendance. A lot of the same faces and new ones were recognized on the firing line. Brown was all business, winning seven trophies at the six-day shoot. Tom Clarke came in second, winning three trophies. Go to rjstuart.com for all the scores.

Steve Ottrando reported that the 2018 Hot Dog Shoot was again well attended by 37 shooters around the Mallard TC. Mike Fishman was high club member with 97, and Carlos Gomes was open winner with 99. Doug Bracher led A with Sam Osterhoudt runnerup, Tony Fischer led B with Rich Pappas runnerup, Dan Fishman topped C with Jeff Shanaberger runnerup, and D was won by Mino Francisco with Lenny Smith runnerup.

While the Grand American was going on out in Sparta IL, Groundswiper’s was holding their annual Poor Man’s Grand at the Pine Belt SC in Shamong. Maryland standout Jamaal Brown led the singles with a 199. Right behind him at 198 were Bob Long, taking senior vet, and Jack Mansoura, winning A. Jamaal also won the doubles on Saturday. Sunday’s handicap was won by Rich Pappas with 97, and Sunday’s singles was won by Jack Martin with 100. All the winners can be found at pinebeltsportsmansclub.com.

The North Jersey CTC held their annual Memorial Shoot Aug. 19. The winner is determined by the combined score of singles and handicap. Leading the singles portion were Ron Catena and Joe Sissano with 98s, while the handicap was led by junior Pedro Almeida’s 96. Ron’s combined score of 190 led the field, and runnerup with 188 was Stanley Bezubek. A winner was Joe Sissano and A runnerup was Vic Savoia, B class winner was Michael Stevenson and Jeff Urschler runnerup, C winner was Jim Lavelle, and D winner was Pedro Almeida with Chris Cherry runnerup. All the scores can be found on their website northjerseyclaytargetclub.com.

A thank you goes out to Doug Bracher, one of our state association directors, for taking the initiative of putting the 2018 state shoot scores and 2018 Garden State Grand scores on Trapshooters.com for all to see.

Jack Godwin was presented a pin and certificate at this year’s Grand for reaching 400,000 singles targets. I think he has his sights set on 500,000!

This month the ATA has the Dixie Grand in Bostic, NC, on the second through the seventh. The NJSTA is sponsoring the fourth President’s Shoot Oct. 13-14 at Pine Belt SC.

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

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

I am sorry to say that we have lost three more New York ATA shooters: Howard (Red) Wiedrick, Edward Raiff and Jon Manning.

Ed Raiff passed away July 15 and lived in Williamsville. Ed’s beloved wife Margaret passed away just eight days later. He started registering targets in 1955. During his career, he registered 135,500 singles, 83,075 handicap and 38,700 doubles. Ed was a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War and a longtime member of the Buffalo SC. We wish to express our deepest sympathies to Ed’s family.

Red Wiedrick passed away at age 87 on July 27. He was predeceased by his wife Ruth. Red was a lifetime member and past president of Walworth GC and a member of Newark GC. He started registering targets in 1993. During his career, he fired at 31,250 singles, 26,300 handicap and 23,800 doubles targets. Red was a friend to many and was known for his dry sense of humor. We wish to express our deepest sympathies to Red’s family on his passing.

Jon Manning, age 77, passed away Aug. 21. He lived in Scio. Since 1994 he registered 44,600 singles, 25,000 handicap and 4,200 doubles targets. Jon was a very good baseball pitcher who turned down a tryout with the New York Yankees to serve our country. From 1959 to 1963 he served with the Seabees throughout the Pacific and in Alaska. We express our deepest sympathies to his wife Mary Ellen and the rest of Jon’s family.

The Eastern Zone Shoot was held at our homegrounds in Cicero July 19-22. Weather cooperated each day, except for Sunday, when we faced strong winds. During the Singles Championship, 200 straights were posted by Robert Nihtila Jr. and Ron Pedro. After shootoff, Nihtila was the champion and Pedro was sub-veteran winner. Peter Tsementzis displayed an amazing feat by posting a 99 in high winds to take the doubles championship. Ian Darroch took the handicap championship and the high-over-all with 96 and 970×1,000. Dave Bicknell was all-around champion with 389×400. During the Zone, 243,000 targets were thrown. This was down a little bit compared to 2016, when the Eastern Zone was last held in New York. Trophy winners can be viewed in Trap & Field Magazine and on our webpage www.nysata.com.

My thanks to all those who attended. Also, thanks must be given to the officers and directors of the New York State ATA, trap help, kitchen help and the Delegates and Alternate Delegates who worked so hard to make the shoot a success.

On a final note, my best wishes to Larry and Joann Grenevicki, who are retiring from cashiering our shoots at Cicero. They have done a wonderful job since 2007. They, along with help Mike and Jackie, will be missed.

Next up will be reports on the Grand American and the Northeastern Grand American, along with a report on the New York state eastern zone shoot.

If you would like to have anything written in Trap & Field in these articles, please e-mail me at [email protected] or phone at 585-519-9543. See you all soon, and good shooting. May God bless.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada. At the time I write this article in late August, the Grand, and for that matter the target year, is in the rearview mirror.

There have been some remarkable accomplishments by ATA shooters, including many from Ontario. Congratulations to not just the winners but also to the participants and volunteers without whom the competitions could never materialize.

For those who may not know, there were 70 to 80 Brazilian shooters at the Grand, and many of them shot very, very well. I overheard a conversation where a shooter was (apparently) complaining about the unfair advantage that the Brazilian shooters had over the rest of the field. Why? Because according to that shooter, back home in Brazil, many shooters practice on clays using 28 gauge and 7/8 oz. loads, so when they attend the Grand and use 12 gauge and 1 1/8 oz., breaking targets is much easier. I know of no rule they are violating should this, in fact, be the case. In fact, I applaud them. ATA shooters during practice sessions are free to experiment with greater target speeds, more extreme angles, etc. Lots of people in other sports do exactly the same. Runners often practice while bearing weight systems, and the list goes on.

For those who know me, I always caution young shooters that it is important to get their priorities straight. Trapshooting, while a fantastic lifelong sport, does not pay your bills (with very few exceptions). It is important to complete your education and get a job that will pay the expenses of the sport. It doesn’t matter what the job is—one of the professions, one of the trades, an employee of some business or a business that you yourself operate. There are many fine opportunities out there. A job also supports a family, a house and pays bills with hopefully enough residual to fund trapshooting. I happen to be a lawyer, but in spite of the myth that some people have about high-paid professionals like lawyers, doctors, accountants, etc., believe me—many people in the trades make excellent livings and have disposable cash for this sport.

It’s like the electrician who repaired some faulty wiring in a lawyer’s office and submitted his bill. “$600 for one hour of work is outrageous,” griped the lawyer. “I’m a lawyer, and even I don’t make that much!” The electrician looked at him sympathetically and responded, “I know. When I was a lawyer, I didn’t either.”

Good luck with your fall shooting.

Paul Shaw

ATA Eastern Zone Vice President

Pennsylvania

The 2019 target year is under way, and we finished 2018 with the Grand American in Sparta, IL. Pennsylvania was well represented in the win column this year, as we had 35 shooters winning 100 trophies. Deborah Ohye-Neilson made her presence known, as she earned 27 awards at this year’s Grand, including all the category All-Around and HOA during preliminary and championship week as well as the Super 500 awards in singles, handicap and doubles. Donald Schaffer Jr. earned five honors that included runnerup for the preliminary All-Around, and Brandon Deal continued his mesmerizing singles run with a Champion of Champions crown and the AAA singles championship. Luke Cowart (seven), Peggy Carney (five), Frank Pascoe (five), Chris Vendel (three), Don Neilson Jr. (four), Corre Smith (three) and Tim Tarbuk (three) also had good showings in Sparta. Other Grand winners included Jack Noftz, Donna Natcher (two), George Landis III, Genevieve Davis (two), David Dubble (two), Ruger Supensky, KayLynn Hamilton (two), Emerson Bornman Jr., Criona Doorly (two), Ken Darroch (two), Celeste Moore, Cody Davis (two), John Pettibone, Lonnie Sproull, Spear Proukou, Doug Worrell, Clare Schaffer (two), Gary Ehasalu, John DiFabio, Kim Bateman, Paul Harvey (two), Ian Darroch (two), Lisa Long, Jared Hanna and Bethany Breighner. Congratulations to all for your great showing in Sparta!

Pennsylvania was also well represented at the Cardinal Classic in Ohio the following week with 198 shooters. Category shooters Chris Vendel and Wesley Beaver did the most damage with seven and six wins, respectively. In all, during their stay in Ohio 31 shooters earned 49 trophies, which included Butch Novak, Stephanie Wrisley, William Natcher, John DiFabio, Donna Natcher, David Fish (three), Bethany Breighner (two), Charles Austin, Zachary Eshbach (two), Mark Ferdinand, Bert Schoonover, Justin Kern, Steve Fitch, Corre Smith (two), Sheldon Cope, Carl Gentile (two), Matthew Sillings, Tina Capatch, Gary Orr, Scott Holdren, Dean Spiridon Sr., Brandon Deal, Charles Tyke, Marcy Plunkett, Richard Shaffer (two), Ron Gustafson, Jerome Stefkovich, Anthony Boes and Richard Stefanacci. Congratulations to the final touches to the 2018 target year.

By the time you’re reading this, the Westy Hogans will be completed, and a close will come to the PSSA calendar year. Hopefully for next month’s column, I’ll be able to provide some more details on the off-season happenings at your homegrounds in Elysburg as the PSSA prepares for 2019.

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate

Alabama

I want to thank the AIM coaches for getting the Alabama AIM group ready to shoot at the Grand. The teams did a great job and fared well in the results.

I want to congratulate two shooters from Alabama, Bill Parson Jr. and Larry Sexton, for shooting and breaking their 100,000th handicap targets. Larry completed the same feat in the singles several days before. Both are great shooters, and I hope they continue to eclipse records as they continue their shooting careers. I don’t want to forget Allison Parson, who got her first Grand trophy with a 97 in the Caesar Guerini Preliminary Handicap, good for third place in Lady I. Way to go, girl, you are starting to whip dad at will.

We had our annual cookout at my trailer spot, and it was another success. Terry and Bill handled the cooking and did a great job, as usual. Thanks to all who helped; it was a lot of fun, and great to see old friends and have a good time. I’m looking forward to next year.

I hope to see a lot of you at the Dixie Grand in October. North Carolina is a great place to shoot, and the folks there go out of their way to put on a good shoot and make everyone feel welcome.

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 anytime at 205-410-8201 or [email protected].

Fred Jensen

ATA Delegate

Florida

We have some great news coming from Florida trapshooters who attended this year’s Grand American in Sparta, IL. Congratulations go to Paula Keim for winning a Grand gun in Event 20. In the special races, the 20-gauge champion was Jack Schumpert, winning the top prize of $375. Next in this special event was Guy Long, winning the senior vet award along with $125. Our state team: Kay Ohye, Jack Schumpert, Mark Wade, Mark Zauhar and Bruce Burton turned in a very respectable 984, placing about in the middle of the entries. Bruce Burton shot his first 200 straight at the Grand this year.

This year Imperial Polk Co. was awarded $2,000 in ATA Gun Club Grant funds in order to improve registered trapshooting at their club. Congratulations go out to the following Florida trapshooters who won Grand trophies: Mark Zauhar, Dennis McCarthy, Theresa Bellerive, Kay Ohye, Matt Trammell, Travis Rockey, Ken Culver, Charles Bunch, Jack Schumpert and Bob Hutson.

News from Sarasota GC is that they will be offering a special middle 50 purse during their registered handicap events. They have secured an initial $200 for this option. Look for their program for more information. The Florida shoot cards are out, so look for yours at any Florida club shooting registered targets. A copy can be downloaded from the Florida Trap website. The following Florida clubs have registered shoots scheduled during October: Sarasota, Silver Dollar, Volusia Co., Robinson Ranch, Indian River, Tallahassee, Flagler, South Florida Shooting Club, Hurlburt, Imperial Polk Co., Chuluota, Gulf R&PC and Markham Park.

Plan on attending the FTA Fall Championship at the Silver Dollar Nov. 8-11. This time of year we should have a good number of early migrating trapshooting snowbirds attending.

Any information that you have on Florida trapshooting, please contact me at [email protected] or 321-427-6553.

Larry Grenevicki

ATA Delegate

Georgia

This was my wife’s first trip to Sparta, and she was overwhelmed, to say the least, by the scale of it. I think we should all be thankful that we can be a part of something as spectacular as the Grand American. It sure makes towing that camper 10 hours worthwhile. The trip home always seems a lot longer, though.

Georgia shooters shot well, with a total of six winning 10 trophies. Al Kent, Bruce Swinsky and Jessie Spikes each earned a trophy, while Mike Reed and Max Owen collected two each. Mike Wasielewski led all Georgians with three trophies, one in doubles and handicap as well as an all-around.

Particularly exceptional performances were turned in by Reed, Owen and Wasielewski. Reed dropped only four singles targets during the entire shoot, breaking over 99.5%. Max posted back-to-back 98s in handicap, which resulted in junior champion and runnerup trophies. Wasielewski broke 389×400 on championship weekend to earn third place senior vet. Great shooting, guys.

I would like to thank Dave Hollingsworth and Ginger Golden for making the Grand an even more enjoyable experience by putting on their low country boil and hosting happy hours after long days of shooting. Even when we were not shooting well, we could look forward to explaining our excuses to good friends at Dave and Ginger’s.

We will have the John Hiter Memorial and the Hall of Fame shoots to report on next month.

Rich Griffith

 ATA Delegate

Kentucky

Well, the 2018 Grand American Trap Championships are over, but with numerous highlights that Kentucky shooters will be interested in.

Our Kentucky Delegate until now, Terry Dean is the new President of the ATA for the 2019 year. Congratulations, Terry. Kentucky’s new Delegate is Danny Ryan. Congratulations, Danny. These gentlemen have a huge responsibility this year representing our sport as well as our state in a very demanding environment. We feel sure they will fulfill these responsibilities in a very professional manner.

Kentucky was well represented at the Grand this year with a large contingent in all classes and categories. It was in Event 1 of Preliminary Week that Doug Cox broke through with a 100 to set the tone for the rest of us. In the first day ’caps, Kevin Williams, Andrew Collins, Hannah Simpson and Bobby Bilbrey won trophies. In the Event 5 handicap, Mitch Morris came through with a 98 to claim the runnerup trophy. Doug Cox, Simpson, Gary Adams and Bilbrey also won trophies. Event 8 saw Mitch Morris win the championship with a 100 in handicap. Bobby Fowler was junior gold champ; Gary Houston was the sub-vet runnerup; Jack Fitch claimed vet third; David Riddle was senior vet runnerup; and Bobby Bilbrey claimed the chairshooter championship.

Event 9, The Kolar Doubles, saw Henry Winn claim AA champion and Tristen Miles Class A winner. Bobby Fowler earned junior gold third. Event 10 was the NRA 200 singles, and Chuck Minyard was straight and claimed sub-vet third after the shootoff. Event 11 saw Kevin Gray claim champion in the 18-20 group. Joe Neyer was champion of the 25-26 group, while Tony Willoughby was sub-vet champion. Robert Dyer was vet runnerup. Event 12 doubles saw Logan Perry claim Class C runnerup and was the only Kentucky trophy winner. Event 13 ’caps saw Roddy Harper secure the runnerup spot in the 18-20 group. Hunter Plewke claimed junior third, and Donnie Sherrard was sub-vet champion with 100. Event 14, the Wenig Doubles, saw D. Allen Everett claim sub-junior honors. The Prelim Week All-Around saw Keith Ditto win AAA third, and Dyer was vet champion. In the Prelim Week HOA, Everett earned sub-junior third, and Fowler was junior gold runnerup. Dyer was vet runnerup.

Grand Week started with the Winchester AA Class Singles. The two trophy winners from Kentucky in this event were both sub-juniors. Champion was Everett, and runnerup was Drew Wyatt. Event 16, the President Jim Jones Handicap, Wade Patterson claimed runnerup honors in the 23-24 group, and Fowler was junior gold champion. Dyer snared vet runnerup, and Johnny Caudill was vet third. In the Event 17 Doubles Class Championship, Elijah Wilson claimed sub-junior runnerup. Event 19 ’caps saw Ditto claim 11th place. Hannah Simpson was Lady I champion, with Marian Asher claiming Lady I runnerup. Fowler was junior gold runnerup, and Mike Kingrey was sub-vet runnerup. Bilbrey was chairshooter runnerup.

The Kubota Doubles saw two Kentucky trophy winners: Stephen Herbert was Class C champion, and Clayborn Hunter was the senior vet runnerup. Event 21, the ATA World Clay Target Championship, saw Trey Wilburn claim AAA third after his 200-straight effort. Matthew Jones was Class C champion with 200 also. Tony Willoughby claimed sub-vet third, also with 200 straight. In Event 22, the ATA Doubles Championship, Elijah Wilson was sub-junior champion with his first 100 in doubles, while David Riddle was senior vet third. Event 23, the prelim handicap, saw Dustin Powell claiming event sixth; Kevin Polson claiming 10th; Jones claiming 12th; Kevin Gray and Ricky Smith 18-20 champ and runnerup; Alvin Staggs and Leslie Sawyers 23-24 champion and runnerup; James Bush 25-26 champion; Linda Cox Lady II runnerup; Fowler junior gold champion; Robert Dyer and Patrick Hercel vet winner and runnerup; and Bobby Bilbrey chairshooter runnerup. The Grand American Handicap saw a Kentuckian claim the runnerup spot with 99. Jones earned this honor, while Aaron Willoughby claimed fifth. Justin Miller was fourth in 21-22. Edward Harris was 23-24 victor. Tristin Miles was fourth in 25-26. Austin Miller was sub-junior runnerup. Fowler was the junior gold champion, Dyer was vet runnerup, and Bilbrey was chairshooter champion.

The Grand All-Around saw Dyer claim vet runnerup and Bilbrey chairshooter third. The HOA saw Fowler win junior gold third and Dyer vet champion. Bilbrey claimed third in chairshooter category.

After the Grand, the Cardinal Classic was held in Marengo, OH. Several Kentuckians attended and shot very well. Kentucky trophy winners were Ronnie Black, B runnerup in Event 6 doubles; Thomas Clemons, vet in Event 7; Rodney Crump, Event 8 Class A; Drew Cropper, Singles Championship junior gold; Ronnie Black sub-vet winner; and Martha Humphrey Lady II runnerup. In the Doubles Championship, Joseph Humphrey won D honors, while Joe Neyer was the sub-vet champion. The Handicap Championship saw Shane Murray place fourth, while Larry Moore was vet runnerup. Class A all-around winner was Stephen Herbert. Several Kentucky shooters placed well in the HOA and all-around. Those included Danny Ryan and Kevin Polson in HOA. In the all-around, Fowler led the Kentucky contingent, with Drew Cropper close behind. Stephen Herbert finished tied for first in A class. Joseph Humphrey finished a very close second in C. Many others shot well and represented Kentucky very well.

There is a lot of nice shooting weather ahead this fall and a new beginning. Keep having fun shooting your best and support your local clubs all you can. Take a kid shooting with you every time you can. Keep me posted on anything you want to share with your fellow trapshooters at [email protected] or 270-227-2262. Until next month, wishing everyone good health and many dusted targets.

Vernon Anderson

KTL board member

Mississippi

What a Grand American this one was! We trappers here in Mississippi can certainly look back with pride, starting with the best Mississippi participation since I can remember. We sent 29 Mississippians to the trapline at one time or another during the AIM/Grand events. Our shooters shot at 34,600 targets and managed to break 90.28% of them, according to my chief statistician Will McCarty. Then there was Chris Dearman participating in the AIM portion and bringing home some AIM hardware along with his debut on the 27-yard line. Chris stayed for the opening preliminary days and posted 100s in the first three singles events and a couple of 99s to round out the Winchester Super 500 with 498. Some of our other winners were Chad and David Huber, David DeBerry and Zeke Yeager. We are proud of all our Mississippi trappers, not only in the winner’s circle but all our shooters who gave their best in this sport we love.

On the business side of things, our Zone Delegates approved four sites for the 2019 Southern Zone Shoot, one of which will be our Coast R&PC in Biloxi. Coast has held the Mississippi State Shoot for the last several years and has proven it can do the job and with class. We are proud to have our Zone Shoot on our turf and invite all shooters to enjoy some Mississippi hospitality and excellent trapshooting in a great, Gulf Coast vacation setting.

We are fortunate in Mississippi in that we can shoot almost year-round with very few weather interrupstions. We urge you to check our schedules, particularly for Capital GC and Coast R&PC. Together these two clubs offer registered trap weekly throughout the year. Join us if you can. You are always welcome! Happy trappin’!

Jerry Tharp

 ATA Delegate

North Carolina

North Carolina had about 30 shooters at the Grand this year, which is about average for us. Noah Gouge shot well all week and garnered an armload of trophies and All-American points. From the reports I just received from the Cardinal Classic, he shot very well there too. At press time, he finished in the captain’s spot of the junior gold All-American team.

By the time you read this, the Dixie Grand American at our homegrounds in Bostic will be starting. Camper spots are full and pre-squadding has been very brisk. Please try to pre-squad if you are coming to the Dixie.

There were some rule changes by the ATA Board of Directors at this year’s meeting. There is no more 18-yard line for handicap. If you were on the 18, you should have received an e-mail or a letter from the ATA by now explaining the rule change and your new yardage.

From the target count reports I have seen thus far, it looks like shooting is up in NC, and the clubs who are hosting Big 50 events are doing well. Charlotte GC started doing this, and they are increasing the numbers at every shoot. Polk Co. GC has stepped up their program as well and seeing numbers improve. You can get lots of detailed information on the North Carolina website (www.nctrap.com) about what’s going on and who is leading the point categories for 2018 target year.

See you around the state.

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

The Grand was great this year, hot but not killer hot, one day of rain. We didn’t really get wet but had a bunch of delays due to lightning in the area. This caused the doubles scheduled for that day to be moved to the next day. That made the Champion of Champions event to be canceled as a stand-alone event and be shot concurrently with the next singles event. It all worked out, thanks to the Grand shoot coordinators.

Terry Dean of Kentucky was elected ATA President. Congratulate him and help him make the ATA a better organization.

South Carolina had nine shooters attend the Grand. Trophy winners were Teresa Knight, Randy Knight, Jay Willson and Frank Ketron. Special kudos to Randy for having shot his first 200 straight, which earned him veteran runnerup in both the Clay Target Championship as well the Champion of Champions. Great shooting.

Rules changes: the 18-yard line no longer exists for handicap events. All 18-yard shooters will be notified that they will become 19-yard shooters. We have had some of our 18-yard shooters request to be moved to the 19 or 20 so they can shoot with their friends, so this will help us with squadding. This also will allow the three-yard spread to be used in all squads. The money punch rule has been eliminated, as the instances that it was used became almost non-existent.

Peg Crockett reached 25,000 in doubles. I also received word that Tom Sutter, while visiting some of his old New York buddies at the Pennyslvania State Shoot, came home with a runnerup doubles trophy. We had three shooters at the Cardinal Classic in Ohio right after the Grand but no list of trophy winners.

The next big shoot will be the Dixie Grand at the NC homegrounds in Bostic. I hope you can be there. Hopefully we will have great fall weather and fall leaf color.

I can be reached at [email protected]. Shoot well and shoot often.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

 

Tennessee

Another Grand American has come and gone, and Tennessee shooters were well represented. Between the AIM Grand and the Grand American, there were approximately 415 shooters from Tennessee. I personally want to congratulate the Trousdale Co. trap team for posting the high squad score in the entire AIM Grand Singles Championship. Their 987 earned them junior champion honors, but their score would have won any category. This was a remarkable feat considering there were over 240 competitive squads in categories of junior gold down to pre-sub. In the AIM Grand, Tennessee attendance was 278 shooters, which is over 31% of the entire AIM membership in Tennessee!

In other Tennessee news, the state ATA Board of Directors has new members as well as a new president. Robin Smith from west Tennessee is now president, replacing Vernon Thomas from east Tennessee. Richie Bolin joined the board this year as vice president. Richie is from middle Tennessee. Other new members from middle Tennessee include Hayden Zeigler (director-middle) and Garrett Sweeney (at-large director). Sandy Smith joins the board as an east Tennessee director.

Next month I will have some more specific scores and reaction to the 2018 AIM Grand and ATA Grand American, along with other fall shoot reports. In the meantime, find a local ATA shoot by visiting the Tennessee state ATA website at www.shootatatn.com.

Rob Mathis

Tennessee AIM Director

Colorado

I would like to take this time to thank all shooters of Colorado for affording me the opportunity to represent them at the all-ATA level (it was and is a great honor). I would also like to thank Alternate Bob Semsack for his help.

Colorado was well represented at the 119th Grand American with 47 shooters ranging from sub-junior to senior vet. The trophy list from this list is impressive, with the Denis Bringelson and Adam and Stacy Rehor families taking well over two dozen awards. Ray Stafford took a cool baker’s dozen. Winning multiple trophies were Adam Rehor, Colton Arrigo, Janessa Beaman, Mel Hensley, Joe Leta and Kaden Westfall. Our single trophy winners were Stan Baker, Nick DiGesualdo, Irvin Effinger and Scott Obenchain. I apologize if I have overlooked anyone.

While this was just one of the many Grands I have attended, it was the first one where I had any responsibility for anything or anyone but myself. I must say, it was an eye-opener. While many good things happened, and I met many interesting people, the one thing that sticks out in my mind is how our ATA Southwestern Zone Vice President Mike Herman, Wyoming Delegate Shaun Musselman and the Western Zone shoot committee were able to come together to find a better date for the Western Zone Shoot. Job well done; thank you, all. Wyoming and Colorado will have better ATA shoots because of your thoughtfulness.

One of the duties of an ATA Delegate, other than officiating shootoffs and attending meetings, is to promote the Grand American and ATA shooting in general. So listen up, all who haven’t been to your first Grand yet. Is it hot and humid at the Grand? Yes. Does it rain? Of course. Is there lightning? You bet. Does the wind blow? Sometimes. Are there little sweat bees that delight in landing on your gun rib just as you call pull? Without a doubt. But with all that and more, if I could attend only one shoot a year, without question it would be the Grand American. It’s your Grand, so you owe it to yourself to go at least once and make up your own mind about it. Remember, the Grand is not just about shooting; it is also about reinforcing old friendships and making new ones.

In order for me to continue to write these letters, I will need your help, so please send your likes and dislikes, club functions or just things you would like to see in print to either Bob Semsack ([email protected]) or myself ([email protected]).

I will leave you with this: I had a bad day of shooting once, and it turned out to be my own fault.

Irvin Effinger

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Well, the 2018 trapshooting season in Louisiana has come to a close, and I hope everyone is continuing to keep your shooting skills sharp by visiting your local clubs throughout the winter months.

I would like to thank the Louisiana shooters who made the journey to Sparta for the 2018 Grand American. It was very good to see some familiar faces up and down the trapline. I believe all of you would agree with me that it is truly a grand event, and if you could not make it this year, start making your plans for 2019; you will not regret it.

Also I would like to thank the ATA and all who purchased raffle tickets for the Kolar Trap Special. These purchases made it possible for the Louisiana Trapshooting Association and the Toby Bancroft Memorial GC to be a 2018 Gun Club Fund recipient. The ATA is really trying to help promote the sport, and this is one way in which immediate results can be seen.

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

Shoot well and shoot often.

Doyle Brooks

ATA Delegate

Missouri

The 2018 Grand is in the books, and what a Grand it was! While it was not my best Grand as far as shooting goes, I still had a great time. I always look forward to seeing folks who I see only at the Grand. If you have not had the opportunity to attend, it should be on your bucket list.

Attendance for the AIM Grand Nationals was up significantly this year, with an overall increase of 19% over 2017. Overall AIM and Grand attendance was up 6.6% over 2017. Nearly every one of the large shoots that I attended this year had one day that the weather wreaked havoc on and affected attendance for that day. On Tuesday of Grand Week, that day occurred, and shoot management dealt with a difficult decision. My hat’s off to all who had a part in running this shoot and making the decisions that were made in the best interest of everyone. I know for a fact that the preparation for the Grand is nearly a year-long endeavor and includes many individuals who put forth many hours of hard work, and for that I would like to thank everyone for all they did to make this a memorable shoot!

The AIM attendance was up significantly especially in the sporting clays and skeet portion of the competition. Missouri had 242 AIM shooters, the third-largest contingent. Some notable winners: in the Singles Championship, Hayden Miller, event champion, and James Boswell, event third place; in the Handicap Championship, Cole Stephens, event runnerup. Congratulations to all who won trophies this year.

During the preliminary Grand, 150 Missouri shooters shot at least one event, second only to Illinois with 465 attendees. During the prelim events, Missouri shooters collected a total of 43 trophies, with several winning multiple awards. During Grand Week, 168 MO shooters competed in at least one event, again second only to IL with 493. During Grand Week’s events, 27 trophies were won by MO shooters, including the Grand American Handicap title by Kelan Kinion with the lone 100. Congratulations, Kelan, and all of the Grand trophy winners!

As this target year comes to a close and another one begins, I would like to thank all shooters, coaches and parents who take time to attend events at gun clubs throughout the ATA. Whether it’s your local gun club, the state association homegrounds or the World Shooting & Recreational Complex, they all need your support.

If anyone has anything they would like to have reported on, or have any questions or concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003. Shoot well and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

A lot of Oklahoma shooters attended the Grand this year. Tyler Rindal put together the AIM teams, and they were very strong again. With the help of Dean Arnold and others, shells were put together for some of the events to help offset the expense. This was the first Grand trip for some of these young shooters. At the AIM Grand Nationals, Brayden Bliss broke his first 200 straight, and Christopher Diller broke 100 in handicap for pre-sub champion. Zane Arnold broke 100 in skeet and placed in the sporting clays competition. The Oklahoma sub-junior squad won champion, junior squad won runnerup, and junior gold won Class B third. Abagail Colten was junior high lady. Oklahoma sub-junior also won a special recognition award for 4-H. McKenna Bradshaw won an Integrity Scholarship. Grant Nanka earned a junior gold doubles Class B runnerup award. Delanie Gilbert won a 12-gauge shotgun. AIM competition was up 19.05%: 46.96% in sporting clays, 37.82% skeet, 17.38% doubles, 17.34% handicap and 12.94% singles.

If anyone had a Grand time, it was Ron Bliss. Ron posted his first 200 straight in the Clay Target Championship, ran 100 in doubles, and won a gun. Pat Stacey broke 500 in the Winchester Super 500 Singles, and Josh broke 497, both for trophies. Corbin Grybowski won the Doubles Championship with 100 and a shootoff. He started off with 495 in the QMaxx Super 500 Doubles. Corbin’s squad broke 500×500 on the second 100 of the Clay Target Championship. William Dayton won senior vet with 483 in the Super 500 Handicap. Junior Clay Laughlin and sub-junior Josh Stacey both made it to the 27-yard line. Both had a string of good scores. Another shooter with a string of good scores was Robert Rimer, ending up in Class AAA singles. He had 100, 98, 199 in singles; 97, 94, 95, 97 handicap; and 98 in doubles. The 100 in the Champion of Champions, along with the two 97s in handicap, won him veteran champion in all three events. Billy Pierce won runnerup in the 20-gauge event with 47.

Some of the other Grand trophy winners I noticed were Chance Fleming, Clay Galbreath, Randy and Vickie Farmer, Jacob Diller, Jeff Trayer, Justin Cavett, Nathan Lemke, Dennis Patrick and Klayton McGee.

Another big winner was unable to attend the Grand this year due to a leg operation. Kevin Nanke purchased the winning ticket from me to win the Kolar shotgun. Congratulations, Kevin! Kevin’s son Grant, a junior gold shooter, was at the Grand and called his dad with the good news.

With so many great scores and trophies won, it is not possible to list them all here. Look for the complete write-ups in Trap & Field.

Tuesday was plagued with rain and lightning all day. After the firing line had to be secured several times, there was not time left for the doubles. It was held at 8 a.m. Wednesday, and the Champion of Champions event was rolled into the first 100 of the Clay Target Championship on Thursday. This was a good move to overcome a bad situation. By starting at 8 a.m., they were able to get three full events completed in one day, ending around 7:30 p.m. This was quite a feat, considering they had to reset traps from doubles to handicap and then back to doubles. Wednesday the weather was nice again, and Ron Bliss broke 100 in doubles.

The Trapshooting Hall of Fame banquet was packed wall to wall with friends of the enshrinees and was entertaining, to say the least. Brayden and I were honored to be seated at the table with Pat Stacey’s wife Kendra, daughters Taylor and Taryn, and son Josh. Ron Bliss did an excellent and humorous job of presenting Pat. Pat was very humble in his acceptance speech, recognizing his family and many friends who helped him along the way. He will forever be grateful for this honor.

Enshrinee Gary Sharred broke his own record set two years ago by breaking another 100 from the 27-yard line. Gary brought gifts for each of the Hall of Fame enshrinees. He presented Pat a brand-new OU ball cap with Pat’s name on it. I knew Gary and Kay have a large family, but I didn’t realize just how large until he introduced them all.

Some interesting statistics of the 2018 Grand are that out of 2,686, only 969 were open shooters, and 1,717 were category shooters. The largest categories were senior vet with 456, followed by sub-vet, 370, and veteran, 307. Other categories were junior, 134; junior gold, 116; sub-junior, 113; Lady I, 115; and Lady II, 107. Of the 55 Oklahoma shooters, only 16 were open shooters, and 39 were category. Also something hard to understand is the reason behind shoots being up on preliminary days and not carrying through the championship days. Preliminary days at the Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas state shoots plus the Grand were way up, but the championship days were either even or down.

OTSA held an End of the Target Year Shoot Aug. 19. After more than one inch of rain, they were able to get started mid morning. The sun finally came out, and the rest of the day was nice. There were six squads competing. In the singles, Ken Isenberg and Christopher Diller broke 100 straight. With a flip of a coin, Ken was champion and Christopher won class. This was Christopher’s second 100, the other being in the AIM handicap at the Grand, winning him pre-sub. Woody Barnes from Arkansas plus Mike Grove and Ron Bliss broke 99, and Mike won AA. Blakely Barnett broke 97 in the handicap for champion and earned one yard. Nathan Lemke broke 96 for mid-yardage and a half yard. Payton Cole’s 95 won short-yardage, and Colt Quisenberry’s 95 won long-yardage. In the doubles, Mike Grove and Robert Ernsting broke 98. With a coin toss, Mike won champion, and Robert took class. Paul Hooper set great targets again, and the scores reflected it. The wind changed to the north during the doubles, but the scores were still high.

As we go about our days doing what we do, there is a firefighter, a law enforcement person, or a military person doing what they do to protect our freedom. Thank them and wish them well when you see them.

Tim Deister

ATA Delegate

Texas

Another Grand is history. The last time I checked, we had 66 Texas shooters registered. I don’t know how many Texas shooters were at their first Grand, but I do know that Gene Messick and Kelly Watkins made the trip for the first time. There may have been others, and I’m sorry if I missed you.

I know that this year’s Grand was “Grand” for two of our shooters. Duke Strange got his first hundred straight. Also the Texas representative for the Duck Dynasty look-alike contest, Jeff Renegar, completed his ATA Grand Slam. Congratulations to these Texas shooters. If I missed anyone who had a “Grand” Grand, please let me know. I can only print what I know.

This year’s Grand was fantastic for me. The 18-yard line was eliminated beginning Sept. 1. Hooray! Now I will continue my assault on the 19-yard line. The squadding problem that we had with 18- and 19-yard line shooters has also been fixed. The standard two-yard adjacent and three yards on a squad is in effect. Another rule change was also made. It eliminates the so-called money punch. Lots of shooters didn’t even know this rule was in the book. If you want to look it up, it’s on Page 22. I know all of this is old news. I asked a member of the rules committee to put the simplified version of the doubles misfire rule in the new rulebook when it’s printed. Anytime we have a rule and a simplified version of that rule, why would we not want the simplified version in the rulebook? That is the most misunderstood rule for most shooters.

Read the rulebook. Have a current, up-to-date-average card. Be courteous to your fellow shooters. Be polite to the scorers and shoot personnel. Thank the volunteers who make most of our gun clubs continue to survive.

Thanks for allowing me to continue to be your Delegate. Also, a special thanks to both of you who read these ramblings. If you have news, please let Princess or me know about it. You can reach me anytime by phone at 806-679-6889 or e-mail [email protected]. Send snail mail to 800 Baltimore Dr., Hereford, TX, 79045.

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

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate