Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. It seems like trapfields around the Atlantic Provinces have been quieter than usual this fall. It’s not from lack of interest, though. The great fall weather and above-average temperatures have a lot of our shooters out in their backyards or countryside hunting, picking wild berries, and enjoying the outdoors before winter sets in.

The Petitcodiac SC held their fifth annual Team Trap Shoot Oct. 25, with teams from the host club and nearby Moncton GC participating. The friendly club competition was well attended and saw Petitcodiac post the winning team score. Congratulations to winning members Dan Boudreau, Glen Chamberlain, Paul Devereaux, Roger Legere and Darren Pain.

Some key shoot dates have already been set for the 2021 target year.

The Highland GC in Yarmouth, NS, will host the Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot Aug. 29-Sept. 1. Shoot information will be posted on shootatlantic.com as details are finalized.

On the national scene, the Canadian Trapshooting Championships are scheduled for June 23-27 at the Edmonton GC in Alberta. More information will be posted on the CTA webpage (shootcanada.ca) and on Edmonton’s page (edmontongunclub.com) in the coming months.

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

Happy holidays, merry Christmas and a happy New Year from everyone in the Atlantic Provinces. Stay safe and all the best in 2021. I can be reached at [email protected].

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

At this writing, it’s a week before Halloween, and we’re still in semi-lockdown with restaurants opened only to 25% capacity. I doubt if things will be better here in New Jersey by the time you read this, with the wait-and-see governor that we have.

Steve Ottrando reported Dan Fishman secured the wobble trophy this year with 50×50. Steve was looking to three-peat the title, and after missing the first bird out, he settled for a Lewis class win. There’s always next year. Steve reported another great turnout for the two-trap club. Rich Pappas took A, John Marini B, and Bruce Dorsi was high in C. Greg Menshoff took the Mallard Championship during the doubles event, Carlos Gomes took the open championship, with Rich Pappas taking A, Rich Leone B and Rachel Osterhoudt C.

The Cavaliers, a fraternal shooting organization, held a registered fun shoot at Pine Belt Oct. 24. Don Trimble was high in the singles with 99, Jack Martin led the handicap with 98, and Rick Batesko headed the doubles with 96.

Our state organization is looking for a second vice president and a state secretary, so if you’re a New Jersey resident and would like to step up and fill one of the vacancies, please let me know. My contact info is at the end of this article.

Remember, Pine Valley has their Christmas party Dec. 12; this year they’re having a ham shoot, too. Pine Belt has their Christmas party on the 20th. Shooters at North Jersey CTC, look in the clubhouse for their Christmas party date and particulars.

The state association has set their shoot dates, so please put them on your calendar. The 2021 New Jersey southern zone will be at Pine Valley April 30-May 2. The New Jersey State Shoot will be a four-day shoot again June 3-6 at Pine Belt. The Garden State Grand will be a three-day shoot again July 16-18 at Pine Belt. The 2022 New Jersey northern zone shoot will be three days Sept. 24-26 at the North Jersey CTC. The two-day President’s Shoot will be Oct. 9-10 at Pine Belt.

On a sad note, Philip Powell of Greenwich, Cumberland County, passed away Oct. 19. Phil was a life member of the ATA, joining in 1998. During Phil’s career, he registered 46,450 singles, 30,300 handicap and 1,400 doubles. Whenever I saw Phil, usually at Pine Belt, he asked how I was doing, and we would chat for a while. At this writing I have not been able to obtain his obituary, and when I do, I’ll be mentioning it.

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

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

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello to everyone from New York. I hope you had an enjoyable summer, despite the COVID-19 issue. I know I did.

The 35th Northeastern Grand American was held at the homegrounds in Cicero Sept. 15-20. Weather was good, and we had a good turnout, even with the issue of COVID-19, the border being closed to Canada, and all the travel restrictions.

Chris Vendel took the singles championship with 198 by winning a shootoff with Jeff Ravella, who took sub-vet. Joseph Kopacz was event runnerup with 197. Vendel was also the doubles champion with 99, and Leonardo Henriquez was runnerup with 96.

In the Handicap Championship, Tom Lamonica prevailed during a shootoff with Charles Sample to take the title with 92. Sample took the sub-vet trophy, and Darrin Cooke was event runnerup with 91. Vendel was both all-around and high-over-all champion with 387 and 945×1,000. All trophy winners can be viewed on our webpage www.nysata.com and in this issue.

There were a total of 700 shooters on the weekend for the championship events. This made the shoot a Competition Factor 4 for All-American points.

The annual meeting of the New York State ATA was held at the homegrounds Sept. 17. Elections for officers and directors were held. Jim Wright remains president, Cathy Flint state secretary and Sam Bonetto treasurer, while Jonathon Karp was appointed legal counsel. In the eastern zone, Dennis Hart remains vice president with directors Mike Waschitz, Tom Horenburg and Robert Oswald. In the central zone, Joe Macewicz remains as vice president with directors Jeff Bell, George Hart and Jack McIlroy. In the western zone, Larry Daigler remains vice president with directors Danny Tartick, Gary McKeown and Don Alderson. Mike Manzo has retired as a director from the western zone. Thank you, Mike, for all your hard work and leadership while you were on the board.

Travis Dann and Todd Hosbach were elected as ATA Alternate Delegates at the state shoot in July. I remain as Delegate.

The All-American teams were announced by the ATA for 2021. I am happy to say that eight New Yorkers made the teams: Michael Fox Jr., open second; Jenna Euscher and Heidi Womer, Lady I second; Tammy Wildenstein, Lady II second; Chase Wojtanik, sub-junior captain; Joshua Buchiere, junior gold second; Urban Womer, sub-vet second; and Keith Miranda, veteran second. Congratulations to these fine New York shooters.

On the ATA webpage, the Mega Target Award winners for clubs were announced. I am very happy to say that the New York State ATA at the homegrounds in Cicero placed sixth this year. This is the highest that the NYSATA has ever placed. That is great going for the short shooting season and the COVID-19 issue.

Tournaments to be held at the homegrounds in Cicero in 2021 will be Empire Grand American, May 19-23; New York State Shoot, July 6-11; and Northeastern Grand American, Sept. 14-19.

The ATA Eastern Zone will be held July 22-25 at the PA homegrounds in Elysburg.

Plenty of work was accomplished and many improvements made at the homegrounds during 2020. The officers and directors of the NYSATA thank all those who gave up their time to perform work or gave donations for the improvements. Much more is planned for 2021.

If anyone would like to have something written in one of these articles, please contact me at [email protected] or phone at 585-519-9543. Please stay healthy, safe and in good spirits. Please be strong. May God bless you all.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada. As the Christmas season approaches, it is time for reflection. For many of us, 2020 has been a very challenging year. COVID-19 has prevented Ontario shooters from participation at events south of the border. Our world has changed dramatically, and the “new normal” is anyone’s guess.

What shouldn’t change, however, are the basic values that all of us should share. On that point, I often reflect on the poem “Desiderata” that has adorned the wall of my office for more than 40 years. Its origins are unclear, as is the date it was created. My version states it was “Found in Old Saint Paul’s Church, Baltimore; Dated 1692.” An Internet search suggests it may have authored by the great American poet Max Ehrmann in about 1927. Whatever the origin, there are some basic truths that are timeless and inspiring and have, I suspect, uplifted many people over the years.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Paul Shaw

ATA President

Pennsylvania

As the calendar year draws to a close, the ATA has announced the Mega Target clubs for throwing the most registered targets for the 2020 shooting year. This year the PSSA ranked fourth in the country with 2,062,450 program targets thrown in Elysburg. The top three clubs were Missouri TA, Cardinal Center and Tucson T&SC. It was definitely a challenging year, to say the least; however, Pennsylvania had 50 clubs that registered targets in 2020. The top 10 clubs in order of most targets thrown: Bradford GC, Bedford Co. SC, North Side SA, North End R&GC, Greater Jackson Township SA, Hallstead Great Ben R&GA, Millvale SC, Valley G&CC and Keystone SA. Our local clubs had a great deal of obstacles to contend with this past year in hosting shoots, and I want to personally congratulate and thank all of the clubs, directors, volunteers and shooters for carrying on our rich tradition.

The ATA has announced the 2021 All-American teams, and Pennsylvania has 19 representatives this year. This year we have two repeat team captains: sub-vet Chris Vendel and Lady II Deborah Ohye-Neilson. Other members include Ian Darroch, open first; Donald Schaffer Jr., open second; Criona Doorly, Diane Arner and Genevieve Davis, Lady II second; Brayden Heckman, sub-junior second; Nicholas Wertz and Wesley Beaver, junior first; Clare Schaffer, junior second; Luke Cowart, junior gold first; Kenneth Darroch, sub-vet first; Donald Neilson Jr., sub-vet second; Frank Pascoe, veteran first; Jerome Stefkovich, veteran second; Sheldon Hostetter and Curtis Paul, senior vet second; and William Ross, chairshooter. Congratulations on your season-long accomplishments, and look for the team member details in Trap & Field.

Next month I’ll have the compilation of the 2021 PA state teams. Happy New Year, everyone!

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate

Rhode Island

Greetings from the Ocean State. It is my pleasure to report that although the registered trapshooting season was cut short this year due to the pandemic, we were fortunate enough to hold a very successful state shoot as well as several one-day and marathon shoots. A special thanks goes out to management and trap committee personnel at the Wallum Lake R&GC, Narragansett GC and East Warren GC for helping to make the best of a difficult situation.

The Rhode Island Trapshooting Association’s annual banquet and awards dinner was held Oct 24, adhering to all COVID safety protocols, and an enjoyable evening was had by all. The RITA recognized our five All-American team members for 2020: John Federici, Greg Smith, Sue Smith, Jameson Smith and Mike Jubin. Also recognized for breaking his first of many 100 straights was Jameson Smith and his mom Sue for attaining her 50,000th registered doubles target during the 2020 season.

The RITA held our election of officers for the 2021 season: president, Mike Jaye; first vice president, Dana Greatorex; second vice president, John M. Ruggieri; and secretary-treasurer Barbara Jaye. Board of directors are Greg Smith, Mike Jubin, David Naylor, John Shadoian and Matt Robinson. Elected at our state shoot were ATA Delegate Louis DiPrete, First Alternate John M. Ruggieri and Second Alternate Greg Smith.

High average awards went to Greg Smith, men’s singles, .9740; and John Federici, men’s handicap, .8979; doubles, .9298; and all-around, .9312. Sue Smith was ladies’ high singles, .9419; doubles, .8777 and all-around, .8803. High ladies’ handicap was awarded to Joyce Morris, .8254.

Making the RITA state first team for 2021 were John Federici, .9312; Greg Smith, .9240; Louis DiPrete, .9058; Jameson Smith, .8947; and Mike Jubin, .8945. Second-team awards went to John Shadoian, .8929; Sue Smith, .8803; Dana Greatorex, .8747; Joyce Morris, .8650; and Dave Naylor, .8631. Congratulations to all.

Inducted into the RITA Hall of Fame for 2020 was Arlene Palmieri. Arlene started her shooting career with skeet and won many events, including the 1979 Great Eastern ladies’ trophy at Lordship, CT. She was the first woman to win a gauge title in RI in the 1985 28-gauge championship. Arlene took ladies’ HOA at the 1990 Hartford 550 Shoot and was inducted into the Rhode Island Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 for trap and skeet. In 1979 she was featured on the first PM Magazine TV show hosted by Matt Lauer and Sheila Martinez, showcased for her skeet and trapshooting skills. At the 1989 Grand American in Vandalia, Arlene broke 98 in the Budweiser Handicap with a field of 4,044 shooters and one lone 99. She shot off with 14 others and finished in ninth place. In 1996 Arlene shot 98 in doubles and won Class C champion. Arlene was ladies’ runnerup in the 1997 Perazzi Handicap with 97 and broke 98 in the 1998 President’s Handicap, finishing in 11th place. In 1998 Alene was the RI state handicap champion with 91, along with trophies and championships won throughout the Northeast and beyond. Please join me in welcoming Arlene Palmieri into the Rhode Island Trapshooting Hall of Fame.

If there are any RITA members who attain a milestone or other ATA shooting achievement, please let me know so we can showcase you in this column. I can be reached at [email protected] or on my cell, 401-474-0142.

Louis K. DiPrete

ATA Delegate

Florida

Greetings, shooters! The Florida Trapshooters Association hosted the rescheduled and abbreviated 104th Florida State Shoot at the Silver Dollar SC in Odessa Oct. 9-11. Thankfully the weather was decent in the sense we did not experience any weather delays. It was quite warm and overcast most days, and we got a quick downpour during the Doubles Championship. Our turnout was much better than anticipated, especially considering many of the folks who winter in Florida were not down yet. The high turnout caused the program to run behind at times and forced shoot management to suspend some events so they could be completed the following morning due to poor lighting conditions. I would like to personally thank everyone for coming to our shoot and for being patient and flexible. We look forward to getting back to our regularly scheduled program and hope to see everyone at the 105th Florida State Shoot in March. The scores and results from the shoot can be viewed on shootscoreborad.com and in T&F.

Unfortunately I must report we have a shooter who completed his career. On Oct. 26 former Florida Delegate, FTA Hall of Fame member, zone director and bylaw committee member Buster Ingram passed away. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Until next time, shoot straight.

Thomas Harrington

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

As Halloween approaches, trapshooting is slowing down, and with the coming of windy, cold weather, it will likely get slower. However, the annual Dixie Grand American was recently held at the North Carolina Homegrounds in Bostic. They enjoyed the participation of 28 Kentucky trapshooters, who shot all or some of the targets. Winners included Aaron Willoughby, four; John Kerr, three; Melissa Tracy-Marr, five; Robert Dyer, four; Trace Hardesty, two; Kevin (Tank) Polson, three; and Bobby Bilbrey (11). Terry Dean, Michael Castle, Raymond Kidd, Gerald Shockley, Justin Miller, Greg Stull and Dale Lyons all either won or placed in one event. Several other trapshooters have attended local or regional shoots around the state.

The officers and board of directors of the KTL met Oct. 24 at the Hahn Ridge TC to discuss the results of last year’s state trapshoot and begin planning for a bigger and better shoot for 2021. Things went extremely well this year, considering the circumstances, and will stay more or less the same in 2021, except for a few minor changes. The board decided to add sub-vet and junior gold to the list of state teams recognized. Most of the Pat-Traps that belong to the KTL have been replaced with new ones, and they voted to replace the remaining ones this year. All of us trapshooters need to remember the officers and directors of the KTL, who give of their time and expertise to make the sport we love what it is in Kentucky as well as the whole ATA. Thank you so much.

As always, we wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season and many smoked targets. As the new year arrives, we pray that the COVID-19 pandemic is history and a bad dream, and for a return of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If anyone has news you believe or want to share with your fellow trapshooters, please e-mail me at [email protected] or call 270-227-2262. Best wishes.

Vernon R. Anderson

KTL Board Member

South Carolina

The Dixie Grand was a great shoot; the only downside was the rain on the first day. The North Carolina board, with the New York scorers, did a great job. As a side note, we really need Drew and his people to come back; we need you in May for our state shoot. South Carolina had the second-high shooter count attending. Too many trophies came south to list here; check the big write-up.

We finished our COVID-delayed Hall of Fame Shoot. Kevin Stephens was inducted. He was lucky enough to have both of his 92-year-old grandparents attend.

Saturday was beautiful with temperatures in the low 80s. We had 51 shooters, which made a nice crowd. Sunday was a different story. Rain came in Saturday night, and Sunday morning was okay with cloudy skies. After lunch handicap and doubles were shot in a light rain, just enough to mess up your glasses and make you have to clean your gun. Spartanburg GC did a fine job setting targets and providing good scorers.

In the achievement department, Dave LaLiberte has reached 25,000 in both handicap and doubles. Gary Campbell has shot 25,000 singles and Don Pigg 75,000 doubles. Good job, gents. Keep shooting.

On Nov. 1 we had our planning meeting for our state shoot, which is May 12-16. Put that on your calendar. I hope to see you there.

Check our website sctrapshooters.org for shoots near you. Many clubs are having monthly and Big 50 shoots.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

It is time to announce the 2021 all-state team, based on scores for the 2020 season. Earlier this year the board of directors voted to award the 10 highest composite average leaders to the state team, no matter which category the shooter declared. Team members include Robert Smith, .9623; Mitchel Loveless, .9484; Hayden Jacobs, .9422; Colby Lancaster, .9407; Seth Swinea, .9368; George Reese Jr., .9367; Tyler Honnold, .9366; Caleb Clayton, .9351; Isaac Sharp, .9326; Gage Jarnagin, .9325.

The board also voted to award the high composite average per category. For example, three to seven shooters equals one award and eight to 14 shooters equals two awards:

Open—Matt Smelser, .8706. Ladies’—Mikayla Dickson, .9248. Sub-junior—Zachary Emmons, .9209. Junior—Brayden Morris, .9369; Hunter Morton, .9315. Junior gold—Taylor Bolin, .9123. Sub-vet—Barry Allen, .9220; Steve Rice, .9082. Veteran—William Cook, .9057. Senior vet—Herman Chandley, .8728.

Loveless, Swinea, Honnold, Sharp and Emmons earned spots on All-American teams in addition to Emma Grace Mathews, .9172; Brooke Barnett, .9158; and Lucas Davis, .9077. All will be recognized as well as receive an award.

Also this target year, two shooters reached quite a goal. Tyler Honnold made AA-27-AA, and George Reese Sr. registered his 500,000th ATA target. Congratulations to all of the above shooters.

I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and an even better New Year.

Read the new rulebook, please.

For more info, check out our website shootatatn.com. You can reach me at [email protected].

Billy Cook

ATA Southern Zone Vice President

Arkansas

I’m excited that we are now in the 2021 trap season. Many clubs are hosting ATA shoots. Camden, Jacksonville SC, Black River and Hot Springs have all reported good turnouts despite COVID-19. Most of us are planning trips for the current 2021 season; don’t forget to add the Arkansas State Shoot dates to your list: June 22-27 at the Jacksonville SC.

If you run into Shannon Adcock, give him a big thank you for his hard work on the ASTF’s new website arkansastrapshooting.com. Be sure to check it out.

I ran into a few of our state’s new 2021 ATA All-Americans and asked them if they would share their experience of making the team. As you read through their stories, you will see that you have to find what works for you. You never stop learning, and take time to listen to some of the “old” guys/gals; they can tell you some amazing stories.

Braydon Smith: I started shooting mid 2017 at an Arkansas Game and Fish facility. They held a “Learn How to Shoot Trap” clinic, and I have loved shooting ever since. My favorite place to shoot is in Arizona at Tucson T&SC. The advice I would share with a new shooter would be to keep your head up no matter what. Trap is a mental game, and getting angry doesn’t help. If you aren’t winning, you are learning! I do have a shooting routine. I try to picture myself hitting the targets, and a few minutes before I go to the line, I try to put myself in the best mindset to come away with a good score. It’s been quite an endeavor this year, that’s for sure! I have met a lot of great people and traveled to some awesome places while making lifetime memories. I couldn’t have accomplished any of this without the support of my parents and the many people in my life who have made my All-American journey a success.

Logan Applegate: I started shooting with the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program (AYSSP) when I was in the sixth grade. My favorite places to shoot are the Southern Grand and Florida State Shoot, but Arkansas is a close second. The best advice I ever received was from Doyle Gaskin, Jacksonville. He said to shoot at as many different places as you can because everything is just a little different: the background, weather, color of clay targets, and even the way tournaments are run. I really don’t have any routine before a shoot, but Dad says I do have a routine, and it goes like this: I usually wait in the air-conditioned car with the radio on, parked somewhat far away under some type of shade, watching YouTube videos, drinking an ice-cold drink and eating some type of delicious snack, while my dad waits in the blistering heat under the burning rays from the sun for my turn to shoot. When it’s about time for me to start getting things ready (the gun, the right choke, the right ammo, the ammo bag and shell holder), I will have my dad tell me about 10 to 15 times that I need to get ready, and I will almost always “forget” something, so my dad will have to walk (sometimes run) to the car in the blistering heat. Also, Dad will have to do this multiple times . . . I usually do this until Dad has a minor heat stroke. Then I go and shoot. For this year our goal was to visit most of our family who live in different states and spend as much time as we could with them, while having fun competing. Any extra info that I could add would be to take every practice, tournament and even every missed bird as a learning experience, while having fun. By the way, Dad said, “Getting a teenager to answer these questions was by far the hardest part of this season.”

Katie Pryor: I started shooting in sixth grade. My favorite place to shoot is the Nebraska Trapshooting Association in Doniphan. My advice is to be patient, and there is no crying in trapshooting. My routine for when I shoot is counting my breaths; it keeps me calm and focused. My journey to working for the All-American team began as soon as quarantine lifted enough for us to travel. I went to any tournament I could hit. Over the summer I was home for a total of 12 days; the rest of the time, I was shooting, going to a shoot, or headed home from a shoot.

Robert Luke Yagos: I started shooting trap for the Cabot team when I was 13 while attending Cabot Junior High South. My favorite place to shoot trap is the Jacksonville SC. I enjoy the nice facility, but mainly it’s about the staff. I practice there a lot! Mr. Doyle Gaskin works there and has been my mentor since Day 1. I have the utmost respect for him. Everything he says, I try to retain. His daughter once said, “If you can remember just what this man has forgotten, you will be in good shape.” When you’re new to shooting trap, you have to be patient with yourself. Learn the basics and get comfortable with the rules, then practice, practice, practice! Be early and prepared! Mrs. Kim Hill and Stephen Bitely have been great coaches. I have enjoyed all the teams I have shot with and places we have traveled.

Kayla Workman: I started shooting in 2017, my seventh grade year of middle school. One of my favorite places to shoot is Tucson, AZ—there is the most beautiful view of the mountains from the trapfields. My advice to new shooters would be to set a goal for yourself, whether it be hitting 10 straight or 100 straight, and strive to reach that goal, regardless of how long it takes to achieve it. Many people know me by the dance I do when I shoot (some call it the “Kayla Shuffle”), but it keeps me loose and focused. I started shooting in the local AYSSP and in small tournaments around Arkansas and then decided I wanted to go further, so I set a goal of making the Arkansas state team with the help of my mentor/coaches Doyle Gaskin and Steve Mathis. After I was able to achieve that goal, I decided I wanted to go one more step to All-American. So I practiced and traveled to many shoots, such as the Grand American and the Satellite Grand in Tucson, and with some decent scores and serious support from many people, I was able to place ninth in Lady I.

We have some pretty awesome young shooters in our state. Congratulations to these young men and women and the rest of Arkansas’ All-Americans once again. Keep up the good work; Arkansas is proud to you!

Romans 8:31 KJV—What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

I can be reached at [email protected].

Robby Pennock

ATA Delegate

Colorado

Colorado’s East Slope, West Slope Story

The friendly East Slope, West Slope rivalry continued as the five Colorado zones squared off for the annual Colorado State Zone Shoot.

Each zone sent their best team, which was determined at their Zone Qualifier held earlier in the year. This year’s winning team was the western zone: AA, Irvin Effinger; A, Bob Beyer; B, Tate Kerchal; C, Dennis Kelley; D, Troy Brown, ladies’, Trina Casto; and veteran, Brad Wellington. Second place was the southern zone and third was metro zone. Be forewarned, western zone, for I know that northern, southern, eastern and metro zones are, as I write this, planning to foil your attempt at a repeat victory next year.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a little about the Delta TC and its bid to host the 2021 100th Colorado State Shoot. Delta has purchased several new and rebuilt G series Pat-Traps. Some have been installed, some have not. All traps are due to be either replaced or refurbished long before the 2021 state shoot. Club president Bob Beyer tells me that all voice pulls will undergo the same rigorous exchange-and-rebuild program as the traps. As I write this, Delta TC is rewiring the first seven of their trapfields. The officers and board of directors have much more planned, and with help from many club volunteers, they will succeed. Based on the huge success of their zone shoot, I would say Delta TC is in the midst of a renaissance and will only get better. So don’t wait; plan now to be a part of the 100th Colorado State Shoot at Delta.

P.S. As you know, camping spots are limited, so don’t wait; now is not too early.

2020 Southwestern Grand

The 33,000+-acre NRA Whittington Center is located close to the Colorado-New Mexico border at Raton. The Whittington Center is nestled on flat land at the end of the Great Plains and is only a long rifle shot from the picturesque Sangre de Cristo Mountains. At first glance, the Whittington Center appears to be on unused land that man and time has passed over. But one doesn’t have to look very hard to see just how rich and colorful this land’s history is. It has been in constant use since the beginning of man in North America.

For thousands of years, the Pueblo and Apache Indians hunted on this very land. Then for hundreds of years, wagon trains heading west and mule trains driven by muleskinners hauling freight all hunted this land as they followed the Santa Fe Trail south. Then in the late 1800s, a large rich vein of coal, along with a small amount of gold, was discovered on this land. For the next 40-some years, a town of over 1,200 miners plus their families worked for the local mine and called this land home. It is said that most of the miners spent a great deal of their spare time hunting in the nearby mountains to help feed their families. After the mine played out, a few ranchers worked and hunted this land until the NRA acquired it and opened the NRA Whittington Center to the public in 1973.

Given the long history of working, living and hunting on this land, one would expect the large game animals to either be nonexistent or extremely scarce. I’m happy to say this is not true, for my wife Joyce and I were scarcely through the main gate when we started to encounter small herds of deer and antelope. As we moved deeper into the shooting complex, we started to encounter larger herds of both. Later in the week we stopped and watched as a herd of 30 to 40 elk passed within 75 yards of us, moving steadily but unhurried across the land.

Home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play. I know this song wasn’t written about the NRA Whittington Center, but it surely could have been. With its cool, clear mountain mornings, warm cloudless summer afternoons, beautiful fiery orange sunsets, along with over 15 shooting ranges, the Whittington Center is truly a shooter’s dream come true. Thank you, NRA, you have chosen wisely. If the Whittington Center isn’t on your bucket list, it truly should be.

Did I mention the Southwestern Grand was held at the Whittington Center this year? It was, and it was a good one. The shoot wasn’t large as Grands go. I’m sure COVID-19 had something to do with that. Of course COVID-19 was the only reason the shoot was there in the first place. Fifty-six Colorado shooters made the trip to NM. Most of them managed a win, while many won multiple times. If you would like to know who won what, you can either look it up in this issue or go online.

Irv Effinger

ATA Delegate

Missouri

The MTA staff and Board of Directors would like to thank everyone who shot with us this year at Linn Creek—what a year it was! In early March it looked like we might not be able to have many, if any, shoots anywhere. Well, as we all know, things began opening up, and all of a sudden we had a full season of registered shoots in a little over a three-month period of time. We faced a number of challenges during this period and did everything we could to operate in a safe and effective manner as per local regulations. Because of the unexpected, much appreciated increase in attendance at a couple of shoots, there were some areas that caused concern to staff and shooters, but we all got through it. Needless to say, we are all wondering what the future is going to look like. As usual, there will be many discussions on what areas need attention for next year, and those discussions have already begun. Stay tuned for more information.

The Missouri Fall Handicap took an unfamiliar twist this year, incorporating the U.S. Open^® into the shoot. This posed some challenges as well as some opportunities. We saw quite a few new faces as well as some who had not been to the Fall Handicap for a few years. We have been speculating on why that is but are grateful for everyone who attended, which led to a 33% overall increase in attendance over last year. One thing that stood out was that All-American points were awarded according to the U.S. Open^® program, which we believe brought in some of the faces who used to be regulars at the Fall Handicap. Of course it never hurts to have near-perfect weather for the entire shoot! For those who attended, did you have any problems finding good places to stay or eat?

The Fall Handicap/ U.S. Open^® Winchester Singles Championship had 460 entries take the line, with Luke Bussell carding the lone 200 straight. Congrats, Luke! The singles runnerup was settled in one round between Darrell Farr and Bruce Davis, with Darrell coming out on top. Congrats, Darrell! On Sunday morning the White Flyer Doubles Championship had 311 entries, with James G. Boswell posting the only 100. Scott Cochran took the runnerup trophy with 99. Congratulations, gentlemen! On to the Browning Handicap Championship, where 410 shooters took the line, and Cochran, along with Lexi Henning and Jordan Ziercher, tied with 99s. After one shootoff round, Scott settled the tie and took the champ trophy. John Fassino took runnerup. Congratulations to both Scott and John!

This year’s shoot took on a little different look as far as the events and trophies, due to the fact that we agreed with the ATA to keep as much of the program as it was written for the U.S. Open^® as possible since most of the events had sponsors that had already committed to the events. Please keep these businesses in mind when you are looking to make a purchase, as they commit so much to the shoots that we attend.

What is next year going to look like? I certainly hope it will be business as normal. This year brought many challenges that were beyond most everyone’s control. I really believe everything that happens is for a reason. Sometimes things happen that we don’t understand. Proverbs 3:5—Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

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

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Delegate

New Mexico

We have made it past another month, and as I write this, nothing here in New Mexico is getting better when it comes to our state opening up and letting us get our lives back to a little normal. The COVID-19 outbreak, for sure, is changing the way we live and carry out our everyday activities. It seems like almost every day we hear that we must all just stay home, don’t get out in the world, it is a scary place. I can’t speak for everyone, but I have just about had it. I know we need to be safe and think about those we come in contact with, but haven’t we always done this? I hope we all will stop and think about just exactly what we are giving up. If we keep going as we are, we will not have any rights to do anything. We need to find balance as we go forward. We all know by now what the risk is to each of us if we decide to go out and be exposed, but shouldn’t this be our choice? It seems like everywhere these days we are harassed over this or that. I know we all have an opinion when it comes to everything in life, and this is just mine as I write this today.

The COVID-19 virus, along with all our New Mexico state virus recommendations, still didn’t stop the NRA Whittington Center from hosting the 2020 Southwestern Grand at the end of September into the first part of October. We had 190 shooters who made the trip to Raton, and they all endured everything that was thrown at them. Thanks to each of you for coming and shooting the Southwestern Grand here in New Mexico.

Here are some of the highlights. Congratulations to the following champions: Scott Obenchain shot the only perfect scores in the championship doubles and singles to win the first two of his three Southwestern Grand titles. He also won the HAA with 396×400. Mike Lefevre was this year’s handicap champion. Mike posted the lone 98 to win the title outright. His score also paid him a $10,000 check for this year’s high men’s shooter. Stacy Rehor broke 92 plus extras to take the ladies’ title. Stacy took home a $5,000 check as the high lady shooter. This added trophy money was donated by Bill Martin. Thanks, Bill, for your donation.

Dalton (Wayne) Jennings from Texas did it again and won the HOA title with 1,272×1,300. New Mexico shooters did well, taking home a total of 59 trophies. For a complete list of all Southwestern Grand winners, please take a look on the NMSTA website at nmtrap.com or see the story in this issue.

The 2020 New Mexico state teams, high-average and handicap award winners are as follows:

First team—captain Jamie Anderson, .9519; Tristin Duff, .9283; Cory Dalton, .9258; Trenton Melton, .9184; Douglas Doonan, .9171; Mary Alby, ladies’, .8827; Casen Calkins, sub-junior, .8921; Chantry Stermer, junior, .9159; Ronald Hieronymus, veteran, .9053; James Powers, senior veteran, .9159. Second team—Billy Healy, .9093; Brett Kasten, .8984; Shawn Perkins, .8970; Jerry Wright, .8894; Justin Warren, .8790; Samantha Rainsdon, ladies’, .8722; Madigan Warren, junior, .8196; Robert Leibel, senior veteran, .8498.

Singles average award winners—champion, Jamie Anderson, .9811; AA, Billy Healy, .9688; A, James Powers, .9720; B, Tristin Duff, .9595; C, Chantry Stermer, .9414; D, Alli Dolin, .9233. Handicap average award winners—champion, Anderson, .9247; runnerup, Casen Calkins, .9165. Doubles average award winners—champion, Anderson, .9501; AA, Trenton Melton, .9163; A, Cory Dalton, .9168; B, Duff, .9250; C, Samantha Rainsdon, .8406; D, Stermer, .9000.

Congratulations to all New Mexico state team and average award winners. New Mexico shooters, please take a look at the NMSTA website for posted information on how to qualify for state team and average awards.

As I finish this off for the month, I want to personally thank the staff at the NRA Whittington Center and the officers of the NMSTA for moving us forward during this difficult year. I know you all have gone above and beyond to successfully host both the New Mexico State Shoot and the Southwestern Grand.

Best to you all as 2020 comes to an end. Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2021!

You may contact me at 575-538-1016 or at [email protected].

Cory Dalton

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

There were 11 Oklahoma shooters who attended the U.S. Open^®. Justin Cavett had 100s in Events 1 and 7. It looks like Justin, Terry Piguet, Stan Crawford and Ron Bliss all may have won trophies. At the U.S. Open^® there were 152 senior vets, 80 sub-vets and 66 vets. At the KTA shoot there were 27 senior vets, 22 sub-vets and 18 vets. These are the three predominant categories at most shoots.

At the KTA 50th Fall Handicap, there were 11 Oklahoma shooters. Billy Pierce won four trophies; Justin Cavett won six; Shelby Skaggs won seven; and Carl Brown and Paula Trayer each won a trophy. The car was won by Levi McAllister.

The Iowa Park zone III shoot Sept. 25-27 was well attended. Pat Stacey won open singles champion with 199, open doubles champion with 99 and HAA with 390. Ken Isenberg won open singles AA with 196 and open doubles Class A with 97. Daniel Shoaf won open handicap with 97, and Vickie Farmer won short-yardage with 94.

At Ada’s Sept. 22 shoot, 17 shooters competed in a misty rain, and Steve Blackburn won with 47.

On Sept. 29, 15 shooters competed, and Don Bowers won with 45. Don is president of the Ada S&TC.

Shawnee had a great shoot with good attendance. Woody Barnes won the singles with 99. Zoe Trayler won the handicap with 94 and also broke the only 25 in the handicap. Mitchel Wyatt won second place with 88, and Jeff Barker was third with 86. All the handicap winners are new shooters. Clay Laughlin won the doubles with 94.

Ada’s Tuesday shoot was won by Randy Farmer with 47.

At OTSA’s Sept. 26 Big 50, Bill Dean’s 49 won the singles, Larry Gregory’s 47 topped the handicap, and Jeff Barker was high in the doubles with 47. At their Oct. 2 shoot, Dennis Patrick, Ron Bliss and Nathan Lemke all had 49s in singles. Paul Hooper won the handicap with 46, and Nathan Lemke topped the doubles with 46. OTSA held National Trapshooting events Oct. 10-11. In the Saturday singles, Dennis Patrick, Rose Shaffer and Dennis Whitlock all had 99s. DP was champion, Rose won A, and DW won AA. Whitlock also won the handicap with 96. Jeff Barker headed the doubles with 92. Dennis Whitlock is from Missouri, and the two Texas shooters were Phillip and Susan Stewart, all claiming trophies. In the singles on Sunday, Nathan Lemke and Pat Stacey had 99s, with Nathan champion and Pat AA winner. Daryl Kobs’ 94 paced the handicap, and Nathan won the doubles with 96.

Ada’s Oct. 13 shoot was won by Zoe Trayler with 48.

At Oil Capital’s Big 50 shoot, Jeff Trayer won the singles with 48 and the doubles with 47. Billy Pierce and Justin Cavett were high in the handicap with 42s.

Congratulations to Abagail Colton for earning her way to the 27-yard line at the Kinsley, KS, shoot. Oklahoma shooters reaching milestones in their shooting careers are Richard Shaffer, 75,000 singles, plus Ken Isenberg and Jeff Trayer, 25,000 doubles. Justin Cavett has reached 100,000 combined targets.

Oklahoma has lost another shooter. Warren Roberts passed away Sept. 26; he was 77. Warren began shooting in 1998 and has shot 23,400 singles, 23,200 handicap and 13,600 doubles. Warren posted his first 100 straight at the Ada S&TC. I shot with him at Ada when we both broke 93s for the high scores in a doubles event. Our sincere condolences go out to his family.

Ada’s Oct. 20 shoot was won by Zoe Traylor and Zane Arnold with 49s. This is Zoe’s second week in a row to break the top score. It looks like she may have the new gun dialed in.

Pictures of several Oklahoma shooters are in the October issue of Trap & Field for their wins at the Grand American. Shelby Skaggs’ profile is on Page 20. Last year Oklahoma shooters set a record of 12 All-Americans. This year we set a new record of 14. They are Stacey, Skaggs, Paula Trayer, Dakota Sliger, Christopher Diller, Kenyon Bert, Klayton McGee, Kya Funkhouser, Corbin Grybowski, Cavett, Ron Bliss, Jeff Trayer, Robert Rimer and Gary Nichols. I think they all won trophies at the Grand.

During the 2020 target year ending Aug. 31, Oklahoma threw a lot of targets in spite of the pandemic: OTSA, 256,425; Oil Capital, 43,800; Shawnee, 19,950; Bartlesville, 17,550; Ada, 15,950; Tulsa, 9,250; Red Dirt, 6,100; Cimarron, 5,800; Hennessey, 2,900 (first shoot only); Alfalfa County, 2,000.

Steve Blackburn and Randy and Vickie Farmer had their hands full Oct. 22-24. They threw 400 rounds of trap and skeet targets for Eastern Oklahoma State College and Connors State College. The two accounted for 304 rounds and 96 rounds. They finished at approximately 8 p.m. with car headlights lighting one of their unlit fields. Then on Saturday they were right back for their Oct. 24 Big 50 shoot. Dakota Sliger won the singles and the handicap. Alan Julian from Texas won the doubles.

Also on Saturday, the 24th, the OTSA SP hosted the Fall 4-H Shoot, expecting approximately 100 shooters to compete in waves to social distance. It turned out that only 81 showed up to compete. The high male shooter was Blake Brady from Woods County with 49. Two girls tied with 47s, Baylee Pence and Emma Patswall from Canadian County. Some of them are now shooting in the AIM program.

On Oct. 25 Hennessey GC held their third Big 50 shoot. Weather turned out cold and windy; eight shooters braved the conditions. Rose Shaffer won the singles with 47, Melvin Pospisil won the handicap with 41, and John Ewing won the doubles with 38. Shawnee Twin lakes TR held their annual club shoot, also on the 25th. They shot 50 singles and 50 handicap for a combined high score to win the club buckle. Gary will let me know who won the club buckle.

Let’s keep all those suffering from the pandemic in our prayers.

Tim Deister

ATA Delegate

Texas

Winter is coming to the Texas Panhandle very soon. Today is Oct. 20, and weather experts (the only people who can be wrong 75% of the time and still keep their job) are predicting lows of 23º, 22º and 29º for the 25th, 26th and 27th. This old body I live in just ain’t ready for that. The cold hurts this fat man more every year. I’m sure y’all are really feeling sorry for me about now.

I have some more of those “attagirls” and “attaboys” to pass out. Here is an “attagirl” for Kassandra Kubes. Kass shot her first 100 straight at the zone III shoot in Iowa Park. Congratulations, Kass. Now to the “attaboys.” Marvin Allbright has now registered 100,000 total targets. Marvin did break No. 100,000. I know that because he told me he did. John Meyer and Greg Surber have reached 25,000 singles targets. Greg broke his milestone bird. I know that ’cause he told me. Now John didn’t let me know, nor did anyone else, so we will have to wait and see if someone responds. If your news doesn’t make this column, it’s because you didn’t let me know about it (or sometimes I just forget).

Do you remember the list of things in the October issue that really tick me off? Well, just in case you don’t, I will repeat them and add one more.

Not reading the ATA Rulebook and not knowing the rules.

Not having an up-to-date average card.

Not releasing pre-squadded positions.

Not being on time for your squad.

Not being courteous to the trap help.

Not volunteering when you know something needs doing.

It’s not too early to start making plans to attend the 2021 Southwestern Grand at the National SC in San Antonio. Royce and Amber have been working hard to make this the best Southwestern Grand ever. The wobble traps have all been moved to the lower level. All the trap machines have been serviced and new bands added. This shoot is extremely important to the trophy package for our state shoot. Please make your plans to attend now. It’s never too early.

Another item that has come up numerous times is shooters not notifying the ATA office if they are refusing the computer-generated yardage reduction. When clubs download the information from the ATA into the 3S system, it will show the reduced yardage (or increased yardage if you have earned yardage). The classification people don’t know if you refused or earned yardage, and they will assign you the yardage their information shows. If that yardage assigned by them is not the yardage you shoot, you will be disqualified. This is another very good reason to have an up-to-date average card. If you print your average card from the ATA website, you will notice (or at least you should notice) that the yardage is incorrect. Please, please, please have an up-to-date average card. Just so you know, I have started my list for people who don’t have an up-to-date average card. This is your warning to make sure you don’t get on it for a third time. You ain’t gonna like it. You probably ain’t gonna like me either, but this is your warning.

I have some of the new Rulebooks and would be more than happy to give you one. You can also call the ATA office, and they will send you a copy. The easiest way is to print it from the ATA website. Please remember that getting a copy of the Rulebook doesn’t mean much if you don’t read it. I know you will find this very hard to believe, but that’s all I am going to say about the Rulebook.

I have to take a minute to thank a very special person. I can’t say enough good things about Kathy Key. What an asset she is to all the Delegates, but she is even more amazing when you work with her on the Central Handicap Committee. Thank you so very much for all you do for trapshooting.

There was a hidden question in the June 2020 column that I had in Trap & Field. Too late to win the box of shells now. This is just more proof that no one reads the column. Stay tuned, there may be another chance to win a box of shells. I still owe Drew Fryman a box of shells for being the first to let me know I did not have a column in Trap & Field. Before you ask, I don’t remember which month it was. I wrote the column but forgot to send it. I do have a good excuse for not sending it in—I’m old!

That’s all the misery I plan to put you through this month. Don’t forget to make plans to attend the Southwestern Grand. If you have news, please let Princess or me know about it. You can reach me at 806-679-6889 or [email protected].

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

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Alberta

And just like that, it was over! Our last shot of the 2020 season was fired Sept. 20 at Calgary’s National Trapshooting shoot. All in all, and considering what we were putting up with, the year turned out not too badly. Of 21 scheduled shoots, our Alberta clubs managed to hold all but six of them, the most notable casualty being the Canadian Trapshooting Championships that were scheduled to be held late June in Edmonton. Most of the shoots that went ahead were well attended, and some even broke records for participation. Of course, the Canada-USA border was closed and remains closed in late October as I am writing this, so those of us who look forward to attending shoots stateside were disappointed.

Your 2020 All-Stars are:

First team—Shawn McNeil, .9482 on 4,700 targets; Art Peyton, .9366 on 21,900; Bob Gruszecki, .9302 on 5,300; Brad Johnson, .9299 on 5,700; Jacob Johnson, .9222 on 3,600. Second team—Larry Ivany, .9168 on 6,700; Garry Hill, .9165 on 11,300; Rodney Smith, .9138 on 3,500; Jesse Smith, .9109 on 19,850; Jason Weaver, .9102 on 6,300.

This is Jacob Johnson’s first placement on the first team. Congratulations to him and all of the other All-Stars.

Your 2020 average leaders: singles, McNeil, .9847 on 1,700; handicap, McNeil, .9146 on 1,300; doubles, Brad Johnson, .9464 on 2,200; Lady I, Lynn Smith, .8755 on 11,700; Lady II, Diane Peyton, .8558 on 11,300; sub-junior, Ryley Mappin, .6869 on 3,000; junior, Niklas Tebb, .8830 on 2,300; junior gold, Jacob Johnson, .9222 on 3,600; sub-vet, Gruszecki, .9302 on 6,300; veteran, Art Peyton, .9366 on 21,900; senior vet, Ron McConnell, .9046 on 13,300. Congratulations to all.

And the guys that kept their guns hottest in 2020 with the most targets shot: Art Peyton, 21,900, and with the most targets shot in Alberta, Jesse Smith, 10,900.

Some ATA All-Americans walk among us, too. Art Peyton placed sixth on the veteran second team, and Bert Brumwell placed fifth on the chairshooter team. Well done, guys!

At the APTA directors’ meeting Oct. 17, the 2021 shoot schedule was finalized. Calgary kicks off the season with its Holdsworth-Nattrass Shoot May 8-9 and closes it with its National Trapshooting Shoot Sept. 19. In between, nine Alberta clubs will host 19 additional tournaments, including the Canadian Trapshooting Championships at Edmonton and the Alberta Trapshooting Championships in Calgary. Visit our website at shootalberta.com to see the full schedule.

Finally, by the time you read this, the Christmas holidays will be near. I wish you and yours merry Christmas, a happy, healthy and prosperous 2021, and an average card littered with 100s. Until next time, cheers.

Jim Thomson

ATA Delegate

Arizona

Finally—the off again, on again Arizona State Shoot at Ben Avery concluded on Nov. 1. Weather was super—warm, but not too hot. Perfect for wearing shorts, and the breezes were light, except maybe for Sunday when the winds were a little swirly. If the Arizona Department of Tourism cooked up five days for shooting, they could not have done much better. There were 306 competitors from 32 states and provinces, including one from Puerto Rico (that’s kind of an inside joke), with Arizona leading the pack. The next-largest contingents were from Colorado, California, Oklahoma, Iowa, Wyoming, Minnesota and Texas. The three championship events totaled 503, giving us a Competition Factor of 3, not bad in the age of COVID.

Our shoot managers, 2 Lazy 2, did a terrific job, and they were thrown a curveball right off the bat. The gals ended up working until 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday integrating the PreSquad information left over from March into the 3S program format, no easy task, and the results were almost flawless. Many thanks also to Mark Williams and Steve Bell. They were everywhere, keeping things moving along.

Sunday morning, prior to shooting, we held our long-delayed 2020 annual meeting. The election of zone directors and a new Executive Board was postponed until this coming March; however, ATA rules required a Delegate election, and John Bergman will remain in office. Tiger Volz agreed to serve once more as Alternate Delegate. There was also a prolonged discussion about the condition of equipment at Ben Avery. A general consensus was taken, and it was decided that the board would draft a letter to Game and Fish officials, and a contingent would attend the next Commission meeting to discuss problems.

What happened—there are three separate stories that highlighted our state shoot. They could be titled Gerald Meyer Conquers All or The Revenge of the Old Guys, The Infamous Dalton Gang Infiltrates Arizona, and Karen B. Goes to Work.

Gerald Meyer, at age 83, is our new state singles champion, and he did it in style, posting a 198 and then besting Don Williamson in a shootoff. But that’s not all. Gerald also shot a 100 straight in the Golden Barrel Singles, won the short-yardage division in the Agave Handicap, topped all senior vets in the Ocotillo Handicap, and then won Class D in the Jumping Cholla Doubles. Wow! I am exhausted just writing about it.

The Dalton Gang struck fear in all in the Old West, and a slightly updated version out of the hinterlands of New Mexico has been doing just that to fellow trapshooters for some time. However, we finally got a break: Britt Dalton has moved to Phoenix for pilot training, and he made sure we knew that he was here. Not wasting any time, Britt started by winning AA with a 99 in the first event, the Saguaro Singles, topped only by Darvin Thomas’ 100. He then won AA in the Jumping Cholla Doubles, where Tim Robb was high gun with 98. Britt took Class AA again in the class doubles, beating Tim in carryover. Steve Stella was overall high at 99. Next up was the Golden Barrel Singles, and Britt won AA once more; however, the event did produce three 100 straights, all in senior vet. Meyer, Joe Henderson and Gerry Williams did the trick, with Gerry emerging on top via carryover. Britt then won AA again in the Prickly Pear Doubles, but he was overshadowed by Ken Mlynarz, who ran them all. Britt proceeded to lay low for a little while, no doubt hiding in a gulch, while a red-hot Ken M. shot his second 100 in a row during the Singles Class Championship. Gerry Williams, Darvin Thomas and Mark Matthews also went 100 straight, winning senior vet, veteran and sub-vet, respectively. Interspersed was the Preliminary Handicap, and junior gold and ASU student Robert Will Pike was high gun with a well-earned 97. Will proved that this was no fluke, shooting a 96 in the Handicap Championship and earning 1.5 yards during the shoot.

But now back to Britt. He won AA in the Singles Championship, and then it was on to the doubles, where he was high gun, shooting a fine 97 on a day with ever-changing winds. He also is the new Arizona handicap champion, besting 163 others. He won the all-around title by eight birds and the HOA by nine. New Mexico’s loss is our gain.

Karen Bergman had an amazing run. Even though the Lady II category has thinned out, every event that Karen entered, she either won or was in a shootoff. Starting with the Agave Handicap, Karen tied for high in 22-24 but lost out to Jennifer Liljeross. Next was the Jumping Cholla Doubles—win. Then came the class doubles—win, followed by the Golden Barrel Singles—win, and the class singles—win. In the Preliminary Handicap she tied for Lady II with Jennifer once more but lost the shootoff. She then came back and won the Singles, Doubles and Handicap Championships plus the all-around and HOA Lady II titles and even dragged her husband over the finish line to win the husband-wife trophy.

Some new names popped up: Allisen Reese in Lady I; Jennifer Liljeroos, a most welcome refugee from California, in Lady II; the Pizinger boys, Nathanial and Wyatt in junior and sub-junior. Wyatt won the Steve Williams Buckle as high sub-junior in the championship events; Greg Spiczka, a former Rookie of the Year, who took time off from coaching junior shooters to win four trophies; Isabella Ricci, a junior lady shooter who posted some great scores and showed the boys just who was boss; Brett Hardesty, another junior; and Austin Swayzee in sub-junior. Austin shot his first 50 straight during the state tournament.

The old guard, including Tim Robb, Richard Goerlich, Vince Bianco, Gerry Williams, Greg Holden, Ron Schroer, Joe Henderson and such new faces as Steve Stella, also made their presence felt.

When things were wrapping up, many out-of-state shooters stopped by and thanked ASTA board memebers for, in their words, a most enjoyable shoot. That was music to our ears.

Around the state: Casa Grande, now in the top 15 clubs in the country in number of targets thrown (must be something about green), held their usual Monday Big 50 on Oct. 12, and Robert Will Pike and Ron Schroer led the way with 50 straight in the opening singles. The same duo topped all in the following handicap with 49s, and they were at it again in the doubles with Ron high at 47 and Will right on his tail with 46. Believe it or not, there were a number of other shooters.

Tucson had their Harvest Festival Oct. 17-18, and topping the field in the Leadoff Singles was Gerry Williams with 100. Ken Mlynarz and Lloyd Koty were right behind. Helen Kisthardt was high lady. William Medlicott took high gun in the handicap followed by Lloyd and Jim Copsey. There were then 16 doubles competitors, and two familiar names came to the fore; Copsey and Jay Alderman topped all with 98s. On Sunday Doug Sims, shooting on familiar ground, led the Arizona contingent by not missing a singles bird, while Ken Mlynarz fell one short. Ken then turned around and won the handicap. Copsey closed things out with a nice 99 in the doubles, and Medlicott was next at 97.

Our mid January to mid February period features Arizona trapshooting at its best. First up is our Hall of Fame Classic Jan. 14-17. The Hall of Fame is a top attraction for shooters from all over as we honor those who have helped make Arizona a worldwide favorite. Tri-State in Mohave Valley also shoots on the 17th. Casa Grande has a five-day shoot Jan. 20-24, and Tucson’s Winter Pin event goes Jan. 26-31. Casa Grande follows with a 250-pair doubles marathon Feb. 2, kicking off their Spring Grand Warmup Feb. 3-7. Next is Lake Havasu with Big 50s on the sixth, and Double Adobe has a two-day shoot Feb. 6-7. Tri-State shoots on the 14th, and the Spring Grand Preliminary Days run Feb. 9-14. Next is the Spring Grand American Feb. 15-21. Do not miss it!

There is always a warm welcome for all in Arizona during the winter, and I do mean warm. Don’t freeze and sneeze, how about a gentle breeze, come on down and join us! See you on the line.

           John Bergman

           ATA Delegate

Utah

Out with the old and in with the new—target year, that is.

The 2020 target year was a strange one, and hopefully 2021 will be better. On average, we have close to 33,000 shooters register targets during a given year. This year we had only about 24,000, quite a drop in participation.

The new target year started off with three shoots during September. Vernal was first, then Spanish Fork, and then Golden Spike. Ogden had a one-day shoot during October. After that the local in-state shoots are done until February.

Vernal had a nice turnout, with young Haylie Peay and Avery Fitzgerald both shooting field-high 97s and earning their first punches ever. Haylie shoots with her father Jared and brother Bradley. Nice to see a family shooting together.

Avery is the father of Casey Fitzgerald, Utah’s Rookie of the Year last year. Avery was a cheerleader for Casey last year and just started shooting ATA this year. Casey is a long-yardage shooter, thus Avery can only shoot singles and doubles with him. However, he may be joining him soon on the handicap line. Avery has earned another yard since Vernal, a half-yard at Spanish Fork and a half-yard at Golden Spike.

Speaking of good shooting during Spanish Fork’s shoot, second-year shooter James Brown broke 99 in Saturday’s handicap, using a Remington 870 field gun. Way to go, James.

Scott Henrie made the 27-yard line while shooting at Spanish Fork by putting up a 97 in Saturday’s handicap.

Ogden held Utah’s last shoot of the calendar year. A nice one-day shoot, coupled with good fall weather, equates to good scores. Just ask 14-year-old Ava Ladue; she carded her first 25 straight! Way to go, Ava.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention another James: Jim Duke of Heber celebrated his 90th birthday Oct. 11. Happy birthday!

With the cooler fall weather comes hunting season and a few state shoots in some of the warmer states. Nevada, Arizona and Florida come to mind. Then comes the Autumn Grand in Tucson, AZ. This is typically the best time of year to shoot in Arizona. Give it a shot!

           Ed Wehking

           ATA Western Zone Vice President

Washington

Hello from the snow-covered hills of eastern Washington. As I write, it looks a lot more like Christmas here in the Inland Northwest than a week before Halloween. I suppose it is just another 2020 thing.

The Spokane GC was able to host the Northwest Grand Oct. 10-11, and in spite of some wet and windy weather, the shoot was pretty well attended and can be deemed a success. This has been a youth-oriented shoot in recent years. Junior and sub-junior shooters were eligible for reduced target prices, and shells were available for the young competitors. Life memberships were awarded to three fortunate young shotgun enthusiasts, thanks to the efforts of our Delegate George Seubert and his wife Karma. The Seuberts have put a lot of work into raising money and contributions for the tournament for several years, with the goal to promote the future of ATA competition by encouraging our young prospects through the incentives. What a great sight it is to behold when a young shooter earns a nice trophy or shoots a personal best score. We can be well assured of our sport’s future through these kinds of endeavors.

The annual fall meeting of the WSTA directors will be in the books by the time you get your next issue of Trap & Field. We will have news about our plans for 2021 in the next installment, and we will have a good start on the registered shoot schedule. If your club would like to schedule a shoot or additional shoots, please contact our secretary Bruce Skelton at [email protected]. Don’t forget that your club can take part in the Western Zone Big 50 program. It is a great way to put some targets on your average card and test your skills against shooters all over, as well as getting a new shooter involved. Several clubs in Washington have taken part in 2020, and it has been enjoyed by everyone who has tried it. Contact Bruce to schedule these also and to get started. With several clubs close together throwing the Big 50 program, you can get quite a few targets under your belt and have some fun doing it.

As we enter the holiday season, let us hope for a return to more normal activities and look forward to a busy shoot schedule in Washington for 2021. I know we are all looking forward to seeing each other on a regular basis again. As some of you venture toward warmer climates for some ATA action, we will be happy to hear about how you’ve done. Stay tuned for the next letter. Same Trap Time, same Trap Channel.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

ATA Alternate Delegate

Wyoming

The Wyoming trapshooting season has officially come to a close with October ending. Most of us have already had our first snow of the year, and unfortunately it isn’t going to leave for several months. Before the weather changed, I got one more shoot in at the Ogden GC in Utah. They had a good turnout with around 10 squads. I had a very good time at the shoot, talking with friends and meeting a few new shooters. During my drive home, which is about 70 miles, I thought to myself about what a good time I had and how relaxing the day had been. I did not think of a target I missed that I shouldn’t have, or something that I should have done better, or only losing by one target. Halfway home I realized that it was the only one-day shoot I had been to this year, and I had forgotten how fun and relaxing the smaller shoots can be when you aren’t worried about a state championship. It recharged me and left me wanting to find another shoot to go to. Unfortunately, if we want to keep shooting, there are only a few options with winter setting in.

One would be to travel south to the warmer states. The Nevada State Shoot has just finished, with four Wyoming shooters attending. I was hoping to be able to make it, but due to my constantly changing school schedule because of COVID, I did not go. I have always enjoyed Clark Co. SC. Surprisingly the times I have been there, it has never been windy, but after talking with friends who attended this year, the wind made Sunday’s events exciting.

The next few weeks will bring the Arizona State Shoot and the Autumn Grand. Good luck to all attending. The second option is to head to your local gun club for turkey shoots. I know of several clubs that have them. I always try to recruit some of the shooters and get them interested in ATA shoots. In addition to turkeys and other meat prizes, I offer a couple memberships as prizes. I have found most shooters are interested in giving ATA competitions a try—they just need a little encouragement and answers to questions they may have. I am happy to say that I was able to get my brother involved with ATA after shooting only a handful of times last year, mostly at turkey shoots. Whatever you do, I hope you get your gun out a few times this winter.

I would also like to wish everyone a merry Christmas.

Nico Elardi

WSTA Director