Arizona

The ATA Western Zone: well, we did it! Prescott was a Western Zone site for the first time since 2005. The turnout was a little lighter than expected; write that off to the weather, ammo problems and no RV parking on club grounds. It should also be noted that attendance was down throughout most of the Zone. No shells means no shooting. We had a few burps along the way. Thursday night there was a terrific storm that soaked some of the speakers and controls, which led to some problems on Friday. After that the speakers were put into the traphouses at night, and the reliability improved. On the whole, though, things went pretty well, and scores were good.

July is monsoon season in Arizona, and all day Friday, we dodged thunderstorms. The results of Event 1, the class singles, reads like a who’s who of Arizona trapshooting. Tied at the top with 99s were junior gold Isaac Smith, who had a great shoot, and the old trooper Fred Frazier. Doug Sims won A; two Ben Avery stalwarts, Bob Dobbs and Jake Gatchet, took B and C, respectively. Jenna Ledbetter shot her first 25 and 50 straight and was the high junior with a fine 96. Jeanne Simons won Lady II, and Makayla Nelson topped sub-juniors. Richard Goerlich and Mark Williams tied for sub-veteran, with Dick taking the title on a carryover, and Tim Robb was veteran winner.

Then came the ’caps, and Isaac Smith finished on top with 95. He defeated Bill Simons in a shootoff, so Bill became the runnerup. Next was Wayne Thompson, with Lloyd Koty and Greg Spiczka following. Darryl Garber took short-yardage, Ron Ballou mid-yardage, and Steve Smoot long-yardage. Jenna Ledbetter topped the juniors, Donna Spencer was high in Lady II, and Dick Goerlich triumphed in sub-vet. George Miller, with a 95, was the senior vet champ, and our hard-working secretary-treasurer Steve Bell won the veteran crown. Smith finished as the Zone-wide junior gold champion.

We ended the day with the doubles, and there was Isaac again, leading all in junior gold. Bob Mlynarz won B class, and Spiczka took C. Cherel McCracken was tops in Lady II, and Dick Goerlich did likewise in sub-veteran. Robb topped all veterans, and Doug Sims won senior vet.

There were 39 competitors in Saturday’s Singles Championship. It was another day that looked like rain, but our incantations worked, and we squeaked through. High gun was Mark Matthews with 198 that won him the sub-vet crown. Guess who won Class AA? If you said Isaac Smith, you get a cigar. His 197 was tops in the class. Curtis Bietz won A and Lloyd Koty B. Darryl Garber, a new and fast-improving shooter, ran away with C, and Mike Petrisko was high in D. Ledbetter proved that Friday was no fluke by winning junior again, Karen Bergman was high in Lady II, and Makayla won sub-junior. It was almost like cheating for Joe Henderson; he has shot at least two boatloads of singles targets at Prescott, and he was the best of the tough senior veterans. Robb won veteran.

The weather on Sunday looked fine, but you cannot fool Mother Nature. We ended up with some rain, not too bad, and two lightning delays. High gun in the Doubles Championship was Robb, earning another veteran crown. Next came Mike Petrisko, who won B, Mark Matthews took AA, and Bill Simon’s 95 earned him both the Prescott and Zone Class D titles. Mark Williams topped all in C, Ledbetter was the junior champ, McCracken showed her doubles prowess once more in Lady II, and my buddy Mike Hicks proved that practice makes almost perfect by winning senior veteran.

An on-and-off again handicap ended the Western Zone, Prescott edition. Our champion was Robb, capping off a marvelous shoot. Spiczka was the runnerup. Then came Williams, Darryl Garber and Smith. Randy Reeves won short-yardage, Russel Mecham took mid-yardage, and Matthews was the long-yardage winner. Ledbetter added the junior handicap crown to her list, while Donna Spencer was high in Lady II. Lloyd Koty topped all sub-veterans, Jake Gatschet took senior vet. Now if you look back over your shoulder while shooting ’caps, you will probably find Jake there, and Greg Holden won veteran.

I would personally like to say a special thanks to Linda Smith and Loretta Landwerlen for their help in scoring, Steve Bell and Mark Williams, and Prescott members Richard Davies, Bob Freund and Tom Vasovski. All greatly contributed to the shoot. I must also add the ladies of 2 Lazy 2, Vickie and Cherel. From the moment that Prescott was chosen as a Western Zone site to well after the final shot was fired, their hard work, attention to detail and professionalism was evident to all.

Chips and smoke: We do have a few expatriate members afflicted with wanderlust, and word has reached me that Montana and South Dakota were popular venues. In Montana Gerry Williams won so much that he may never be invited back, and the Pizinger boys are not too far behind. Here are their lists: Gerry:—high out-of-state opening singles, opening handicap, opening doubles, class doubles, Singles Championship (tie), and I saw Kristi Williams tied for out-of-state Lady II in the first half of the Singles Championship.

Now for the Pizinger clan: Wyatt—high out-of-state sub-junior Doubles Championship, Singles Championship, including a 99 in the first half, Handicap Championship. Nathaniel: high out-of-state junior class doubles, Event 9 Handicap, Preliminary Handicap (half-yard earned). David: David is Wyatt and Nathaniel’s father and is a chairshooter and a recent addition to our ranks. In most of the shoot he was the lone chairshooter. He shot a 90 in the first half of the Singles Championship, well beyond a number of seasoned competitors.

Ten folks from Arizona ventured as far as the South Dakota State Shoot, and they gave it high marks. I don’t have a complete list, but here goes. In Event 3, the warm-up doubles, Jim Copsey was the out-of-state veteran champ, and in the Doubles Championship, he did it again. Kaitlin Quan won the Lady I out-of-state doubles trophy, and Steve Haynes was Class B runnerup in the same event. Zach Abel took the out-of-state D class award in singles.

Around the state: The only scores I have are from Casa Grande’s Fourth of July Shoot. In the opening singles, Quan was the B winner with a perfect 100, and Ed Marsden took C. In Saturday’s ’caps, Ken Mlynarz was high in the 25-27 group, Randall Winch won 22-24, and Fred Frazier took senior veteran with a sparkling 98. Sunday started with doubles, and Don Volz won B, Zach Abel was tops in C, Zach’s coach Kaitlin was the high lady, and Ron Schroer triumphed in senior veteran. The Fourth of July at Casa Grande ended on a high note. Ken Mlynarz repeated his performance of the day before by winning long-yardage in the handicap, Mark Yarbro took mid-yardage, Kaitlin was the high lady once more, and Fred Frazier repeated his senior veteran victory.

Mid September to mid October is one of those transition times. Summer is making its last gasp; fall is in the air, and Arizona trapshooting is starting to wake up. Ben Avery has a three-day shoot honoring 9/11 Sept. 10-12; Flagstaff closes out their year Sept. 18-19; Tri-State has Big 50s on the 19th; Tucson’s monthly shoot is Sept. 19, and Pleasant Valley ends their season Sept. 24-25. Lake Havasu starts October off with Big 50s Oct. 1; Double Adobe has a two-day shoot Oct. 2-3; Tri-State runs Big 50s Oct. 3; Cochise shoots Oct. 12, and the 2021 Hall of Fame Classic is at Ben Avery Oct. 27-31. Plus Casa Grande has Big 50s every Monday, and Rio Salado runs singles marathons on first Thursdays monthly and doubles marathons on third Thursdays.

See you on the line.

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

California

It was a difficult year for all gun clubs as well as shooters due to the pandemic and lack of ammunition. Despite these obstacles, attendance at the state shoot was fairly flat by comparison to the previous year. The out-of-state shooters were slightly up compared to 2020, and an additional four states came and joined us.

The Kingsburg GC was well prepared for an exciting week. The campgrounds and river were ready for the shooters and their families. Temperatures were slated to be pretty warm that week, and they did not disappoint. The club was well prepared with plenty of beverages, food and snacks and the snack bar. The kitchen never disappoints at breakfast time during the state shoot.

Lady junior Madison Marquis led the first handicap from 21.5 yards while shooting a 99 at her home club. The second event, also a handicap, was also won by a junior shooter from the 23-yard line, Wyatt Quick, who shot a 98 and then sealed the deal in a shootoff.

Event 3, the class singles, had a lone resident 200 being shot by junior Audric Schiedel. Event 4 was another preliminary handicap; the Eilert Handicap winning score was a 95 shot by Jacob Ridge, also a junior shooter, from the 21-yard line.

The class doubles was Event 5, and sub-junior Cory Walker led the resident field while shooting a 99 to win. The President’s Handicap, Event 7, was led from the 27-yard line by Wade Stanfill.

The championship rounds began Friday, and junior shooter Tyler Cassara won the state Doubles Championship. Tyler broke 99 and was in a shootoff with junior gold shooter Colton Tucker. Tyler bested Colton and took home the championship buckle. Three 200 straights came in for the championship singles and 12 199s; great shooting. Hunter Seymore won the shootoff and garnered his first home state championship singles title. The Handicap Championship was won by junior Brody Jaynes with a 99 from the 20-yard line.

HAA champion went to Colton Tucker, and HOA winner was Chayton Vega.

Chayton Vega

ATA Delegate

Nevada

Nevada’s ATA Western Zone site was held the Clark Co. SC in Las Vegas July 17-19. Fifty-one shooters braved the 112º Mohave Desert heat to shoot the 700 targets. There were 624 shooters who competed at 12 clubs spread over 10 states and Edmonton, AB. Conditions ranged from very hot in Vegas to very smoky in Montana and some of the other locations.

Las Vegas posted five Zone winners, starting with Event 1 class singles sub-vet winner Howard Hughes with a perfect 100 and Class D winner Nick Yurasek, who posted a 98. In the Event 2 Class Handicap, Vegas local Tina Shigemura had a 96 to win the Zone Lady II category and earn a punch to the 24-yard line. She also won Zone Lady II Event 3 doubles with 94 and was the Lady II Zone high-over-all champion, totaling 663. Great shooting by all under tough conditions!

In the local Zone races, there were three shooters with outstanding performances. Junior Jacob Ridge (CA) won his category in five of the six events and won the local high-over-all with a 665. Isabella Ricci (AZ) edged Ridge out for junior honors in the Singles Championship with 197. Ricci also won Class B in the Event 1 singles (96); Event 3 Class D doubles (88); Event 5 Class D championship doubles (88); Event 6 championship handicap in 23-25 (91); and was the junior HOA with 646. I predict that we will see both of these fine shooters in the winner’s circle in the years ahead. Finally, in addition to her Zone trophies, Shigemura won local Zone ladies’ honors in Events 1, 2 and 3; topped all other Lady II shooters in Events 4 through 6; and was the Lady II HOA. A clean sweep and a great performance!

For a complete listing of results for the Western Zone, please go to: http://shootatazone.com/.

The Local Las Vegas site results can be reviewed at https://www.sosclays.com/2021-western-zone-shoot-results-las-vegas/.

Thanks to Scott Hoover and the Western Zone crew for doing a great job of managing the shoot and to Greg Pink and the NSTA board members for running a smooth shoot locally.

For Nevada shooters looking to get out of the heat, consider traveling a bit north. Spanish Fork GC is holding shoots in August and September. I just returned from their annual three-day Fiesta Days Shoot. Temps were in the low to mid 90s, there are lots of trees that provide shade, and there’s a swimming hole just up the hill from the club. Although not a Nevada club, the SFGC is known for its great targets and is an option for Nevada shooters who need a break from the heat.

Lastly the NSTA is also putting on a two-day handicap shoot on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-5. Plan on coming!

Until next time, keep your face on the gun!

Russell Roberts

ATA Delegate

New Zealand

July 3 was one of our regular 300-target days with 100 singles, 100 handicap and 50 pair of doubles.

Thames cooperated with a fine but chilly day with a light breeze from the southeast to remind us we are in winter.

Thanks again to the regular attendees who always help on the day: Ian Evans setting up the fields and helping during the day, Garry Robinson and Lindsay Arthur helping with target-setting, Dale Speedy marking out the handicap yardage, and all those who helped with scoring and trap loading, Wayne Merrie helping run the office, and Nola for another one of her great lunches. A big thanks to the Thames club for the use of their facilities to run our shoots as well as the club crew who look after the facilities and grounds.

We ran three classes in singles and doubles: A, B, C. Stephen Pearson and new ATA member Nicholas Hutt shared A honors with 88 apiece. High in B were Garry Robinson, 91; Ian Evans, 87; and Lindsay Arthur. Peter Skrine led C with 92, followed by Ranbir Sandhu with 90 and Dale Speedy with 81. Doubles winners were Wayne Merrie, 85, in A; Hutt, 81; Evans, 75; and Rob Anderson, 71, in B; and Sandhu, 80; Mike Hirtzel, 79; and Lindsay Arthur, 73, in C.

Evans led the handicap. Robinson and Hutt divided runnerup recognition after 87 each, and Bryce Schou was third with 84.

As always, thanks to our sponsors: ATA; Thames CTC; Ron Thomassen Logging; www.newzealandhuntingadventures.com; Target Products and Falcon Ammunition; Independent Transport Parts, suppliers of Inox and Lannox fine lubricants and cleaners; and White Flyer Targets.

Paul Basten

 ATA Delegate

Utah

Utah State Shoot is in the books. Wind, wind, and more wind. As I have stated many times in the past, when you are presented with bad targets in Vernal, it is usually weather-related. Such was the case this year. Sean and Stacy Hawley once again did a stellar job of hosting the state shoot.

Speaking of Sean, he won the singles crown with 199 and extras over Quint Sudbury and Shalako Gunter.

Jayme Anderson won the doubles with the lone 100 straight, a great score any time, but considering the wind, it was a fantastic score.

Seventeen-year-old Haley Peay won the Handicap Championship with the high score of 96 from 21.5.

Sean also won the HOA and HAA.

There were a lot of firsts at this shoot. The young shooters put on a show:

Bradyn Carter and Daxton Cook each broke their first 100s in singles Thursday (Daxton had previously broken 100 from the 19-yard line at Ogden GC). To prove it wasn’t luck, Bradyn did it again on Friday’s singles. Back-to-back hundreds—nice!

Daxton’s sister Tyeli broke 98 from the 19 and won a shootoff against Ron Komarec of Wisconsin for the preliminary handicap high-gun prize.

Fourteen-year-old Ava Ladue broke 98 from the 19-yard line to tie 27-yard shooters Sharred Oaks and Joe Sudbury during Thursday’s handicap. Ava held her own in the shootoff, but Sharred was the eventual winner.

Local shooter Billy Parrack II broke his first 50 straight during Thursday’s singles. These types of milestones are what keep shooters coming back.

Austin Kinder shot at and broke his 25,000th singles target as well as his 25,000th handicap target.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Ty Blackwell, a junior shooter from Colorado. He achieved two milestones: broke his first 200 straight in singles and also earned his last half-yard to make it to the back fence on Sunday’s handicap.

Back to sub-junior singles champ Shalako Gunter (Shalako is a character’s name from Louis L’Amour books.) She broke the back hundred of the championship singles on her way to 199 for her first-ever 100 in singles. Shalako is 15 years old, lives in Carbon County, and is the youngest of three children. Parents Jared and Bobbi are her biggest cheerleaders. When not on the line shooting, she usually has her dog Cal in tow.

Shalako also rides horses and plays fast-pitch softball as well as competes in the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA). She is going to Lincoln, NE, to compete in the trap portion of the National Championships. (There are 17 different events in the NHSRA, one of which is trapshooting.)

We also completed the ATA Western Zone Shoot. We had 12 clubs participating this year, quite a feat! Attendance was down from last year, which was abnormally high since folks had been pent up because of COVID. This year we were on par with 2019 numbers.

Spanish Fork GC came in second in the running for total trophies behind Butte, MT.

Gary Bushnell won the handicap by blistering the lone 100 straight. Nice going, Gary.

Also at Spanish Fork, Grayson Stuart won the HOA award over the entire field. I am sure it meant a lot to him, just as it does to those of us from Utah.

Ed Wehking

ATA Western Zone Vice President

Washington

Hello again from the WSTA. It has been a busy last couple of months for trapshooting here in Washington. I wrote last time from Walla Walla during the state shoot, and the ATA Western Zone was held last weekend, with the Colton GC being a host site. We were proud to have a few shooters banking targets for Zone trophies and to watch young Tucker Stephens break his first 25 straight in registered competition. Tucker’s cap is well ventilated now.

We welcomed Roger Clouse as our new Delegate at the state shoot, and George Seubert has moved to the Alternate position after a long history of service as Delegate. Roger has recently retired from UPS and is raring to go in his new position. A WSTA director for several years and a past president, Roger is active as a director at the Colton GC and has served as president there as well. This will be a seamless transition, and I’m sure he will pick up right where George left off in promoting trapshooting in Washington.

Paul Downs was appointed to the board of directors two years ago and ran for a full term this summer, and we are happy to have him aboard again. Rod Hubner has joined the board as has Jim Pelissier. Rod operates the family farm at Oakesdale and has been a tough shooter for many years. Jim is a Whitman County deputy sheriff and has been instrumental in resurrecting the Endicott GC. When not following his wife Jessica to shoots as she collects Lady I trophies and high-average pins, he takes part in long-range rifle shooting and teaches marksmanship as well as gun safety. Thank you, Rod and Jim, for joining us in leading the WSTA.

Will Johnson is the new president of our association, and Zarn Clausen sits in the vice president’s chair. Will comes from shooting lineage, as there isn’t hardly a shooter who hasn’t shot in our region with Will or his folks Bill and Nyla. Zarn has became a recognizable face in the trap community and served our board faithfully. Their insights and ideas should make for a great 2022 target year and state shoot.

Colton will kick off the 2022 target year with a one-day shoot in September. After this registered shooting will slow down and area clubs will throw some meat shoots and gear up for winter leagues and the upcoming registered shoot season. Don’t forget that your clubs can take part in Western Zone Big 50 shoots to offer some registered targets and test your mettle against shooters from all over the Zone. It’s a good way to stay sharp and keep the cobwebs from setting in those barrels.

Look for Western Zone results here in Trap & Field and please watch our Washington State Trapshooter’s Facebook page and website. We hope to see you on the line and in a clubhouse soon.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Wyoming

The Utah State Shoot was held in Vernal this year. The turnout was a little below average, but the shoot was run very well, and they had an excellent trophy package. There were 11 Wyoming shooters in attendance. Congratulations to all the resident and non-resident winners. Sean Hawley and Ty Blackwell won the Singles Championships, Jayme Anderson and Gregory Ferguson won the Doubles Championships, and Haylie Peay and Blackwell won the Handicap Championships.

The following week Torrington hosted the Wyoming State Shoot. It had a very good turnout with 242 shooters. The weather did not want to cooperate with us; a thunderstorm on Thursday kept us from completing the day’s events. We were only able to finish the singles and part of the handicap. On Friday we were able to finish Thursday’s events and the doubles and handicap for Friday but did not start the singles. Saturday would have 300 singles for the day, 100 from Friday and then the 200 championship singles. By Sunday everything was back on schedule. The singles champions were John Kelly and Grayson Stuart, Grayson after an eight-round shootoff. The doubles champions were T. J. Main and myself. The handicap champions were Chad Frericks Jr. and Denis Bringelson after shootoffs.

The weekend after the Wyoming State Shoot, Overthrust GC had their annual Buckle Shoot. This year’s shoot was dedicated to Noel Sippel, who passed away earlier this year. The buckle shoot was his favorite with the annual traditional hog roast. Friday night we get the pig ready, and Noel was always there to help. We had 32 shooters this year. Mike Davis shot his first 100 straight in the singles. The handicap events were extremely competitive this year, with 10 shooters getting punches. The next week was the Western Zone Shoot. Laramie was Wyoming’s host location. There were a total of 624 shooters competing across the Western Zone. Laramie had 42. Wyoming shooters shot in Laramie, Butte and Pocatello. Bodie Johnson won the Singles Championship with 200 plus extras.

There are lots of shoots the rest of the month and next month. Be sure to get targets you need for state team qualifications. I would like to wish everyone luck who is attending the Grand. I will be attending the Gun Shoot in Pocatello and hope to see some of you there. The Gun Shoot is a four-day, 1,100-target shoot, where more than 10 rifles are given away based on draw scores and championship trophies; everyone has a chance to win. I hope to see you there.

Nico Elardi

WSTA Director

Illinois

Hi, everyone. By the time you read this, the 2021 shooting season will be over. I hope everyone has had a very productive year and achieved all of their goals. As I have read shoot reports, Illinois shooters have won their share of trophies all over the Midwest. There are so many I can’t list them all, so please look at the shoot reports to see how we have been doing. I do want to give a shout-out to Illinois lower class and short-yardage shooters. We tend to ignore them and only talk about champions. The average shooter works just as hard and is as proud of their trophies. Good job, all Illinois shooters, on your wins this year.

We have many Illinois shooters reaching milestones this month. Mark Johnson and Chris Deterding have shot 25,000 singles. James Ward and Tim Arndt have shot 25,000 handicap targets. Dale Miller, Chase Horton and Ron Wolf have shot 25,000 doubles targets. Jim Olin, Dennis Baker and Raymond Plummer have shot 50,000 singles. Finally, David Peace has shot 100,000 combined targets. Way to go, everyone! It’s awesome what you have accomplished.

Due to the incredible generosity of Illinois shooters, we are making great progress toward raising money to build a new Hall of Fame. It amazes me how our shooters will step up when there is a need. We still have a ways to go, so please consider buying a brick on our webpage or just giving a donation to make the Hall a reality.

Good luck in the new shooting season!

Bill Duncan

ATA Delegate

Michigan

The Michigan State Shoot was a fun event this year. There were a lot of great scores; unfortunately, very few of them were mine. Congratulations to our Michigan singles champions, Donald Romine, open, and Ava Larson, who won Lady I.

At the annual meeting, it was announced that more than $28,000 was raised in response to the donation request letter and that donations were still coming in. These funds are in a separate account and will be used for some improvements needed around the grounds. The audited balance sheets and profit-and-loss sheets for 2019 were handed out to all who attended. Jason Marzette was added to the MTA Board of Directors.

On the Wednesday after the state shoot, the USA Clay Target League National High School Championships began at Mason. As in 2019, it was a full house with a packed parking lot! About 1,760 young shooters attended. With parents, grandparents, siblings, coaches, etc., there were about 6,000 people on the grounds. Between Wednesday at noon and Sunday afternoon, just under 500,000 targets were thrown. In individual competition, there were four 200 straights, which required a shootoff. In the team competition, the winning team of five high school students shot 969×1,000. I’ve already made some notes to myself to classify all five of them in AA when they next come to a registered shoot at Mason.

See you at the Fall Team Shoot.

1. B. Lewis

ATA Delegate

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State! Hopefully your summer of shooting has been going well.

The Minnesota State Shoot is history for another year. We were very thankful that we were able to host a state shoot in 2021 after being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Attendance at this year’s shoot was down for a variety of reasons, but the shooters in attendance had a great time. Weather, with the exception of Tuesday, was very good. Unfortunately the SCTP shooters had a full day of rain, as did the seven shooters who shot the Warm-Up Singles and six who braved the weather for the handicap. The Warm-Up Doubles was canceled.

For the first time in Minnesota history, a woman shooter broke 200 in the championship singles. Laure Zumbusch had the perfect score and ended as Lady I champ after missing in the shootoff. Hunter Brown was the singles champion, Scott Gens led the doubles with a lone 100, Ross Larson prevailed in the handicap after a shootoff of 99s, John Kelly was the all-around winner, and Peter Walker led the HOA. Nebraskan Dagen Voigtman paced all out-of-state shooters with top scores in the HOA, HAA, singles, handicap and doubles. Congratulations to all award winners!

The gun raffle that was scheduled to take place at the 2020 state shoot was held a year late. The winner of the Blaser F3 shotgun was Duane Bohn, the CZ shotgun went to Al Pickett, and the life membership was won by Dave Smith of Chisago City. Since he was already a life member, Dave donated it back to be given to a youth shooter next year.

Jason Vlasak has been named a northern zone director, while Rich Wolf and Kari Potter were elected to be directors in the southern and central zones, respectively. The slate of officers of the MTA will remain intact for another year.

The Iowa State Shoot concluded last weekend, and Minnesota had a good representation. Bill Van Nieuwenhuyzen had a great shoot and made a clean sweep of the senior veteran awards (singles, doubles, handicap, HOA, and was the high non-resident winner over the field in the HAA). Squadmate Dean Neumann was the top non-resident veteran. Other Gopher State shooters to win trophies in Iowa were Daniel Eckstrom, Ali Peterson, Jeff Vollmar, Abigail Malecha, George Pappas, Scott Messenger, Anthony and Leo Brand, Eric Munson, Cody Smith, Troy Haverly, Todd Herring, Peter Walker, recent Hall of Fame inductee Jim Walkowiak, and Brennen Boltjes. Several of these shooters won multiple awards. My apologies to anyone who I omitted.

As I write this, I am getting ready to leave for Owatonna and the Zone Shoot then on to the Grand. Hopefully in next month’s column I can report on the success of Minnesota shooters at the Grand.

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

Paul T. Cyr

for ATA Delegate Randall Jones

Ohio

As I write this, we are getting ready to head out to the ATA Central Zone Shoot at North Lawrence F&G. When you read this, we will be sitting around wondering where the past shooting season went and planning our trips for next year. Hopefully the shell shortage will be over, and the next shooting season can be somewhat normal.

On a sad note, Ohio lost another shooter. Pat Owens passed away July 21. He will truly be missed by all who knew him.

I hope everyone was able to accomplish all the goals they set for 2021 and set even higher goals for 2022.

Mike Blair

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin State Shoot was well attended from all over the U.S. We have a new trophy claimer of the Moser Memorial Singles resident first 100 straight. Congratulations go to Tyler Buchanan.

Because this is our state shoot, and in every event there is a Wisconsin winner, I will mention the champions of the singles, handicap and doubles only. You can see them on the Wisconsin page. George Hass won the Doubles Championship with the only 100. With 200 in the program, Dwight Fitzsimmons shot his way to the win in overtime for singles champion. The handicap champion with the only 99 was David Gervasi. HOA winner with 1,065 was Fitzsimmons, and HAA winner with 393 plus shootoff was Chad Blanke.

Whether you won a trophy or shot your personal best, you did it, you shot at the state shoot with your heart. Good shooting, everyone.

Please help out where you can, pitch in to do your part as a shooter in the state.

With all of the shoots that I have attended and worked at, this article is shorter than most. Look for a full report of the state shoot submitted by the board.

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. The Highland GC in Yarmouth Co., NS, held well-attended singles and doubles marathons July 3 and 24. Doug Blades topped the singles scores, while Jim Hannah had the doubles high score.

The Petitcodiac SC in NB held a 200-target registered shoot July 17. Brian Blades, Kevin Clannon, Ken d’Eon and Jim Hannah topped the singles with 96s. Ken also shot a 96 in the handicap to earn a half yard and a punch to the 24-yard line.

The St. John’s R&GC and the Stephenville SC held the Newfoundland and Labrador Trapshooting Championships July 17. The satellite shoot held in 2020 seemed to encourage more local participation, so the two clubs decided to try the same format again this year. Troy Coldwell claimed the singles and doubles with 97s in both events. John Tucker won the Handicap Championship with a 96 to earn a half-yard punch to the 21-yard line.

Complete shoot results are available on www.shootatlantic.com.

To manage the multi-site (11 clubs in nine provinces) Canadian Championships, the Canadian Trapshooting Association developed the CTA Scoreboard—a web-based shoot management application. The CTA Scoreboard also had a public-facing section so shooters could view event results and keep an eye on the top scores through a leaderboard-type display. The CTA Scoreboard, a list of host clubs, schedule of events, trophy schedule and a shoot program are all available on www.shootcanada.ca.

The 2021 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot is a go for Sept. 2-5 at the Highland GC in Yarmouth, NS. COVID-19 restrictions in the Atlantic Provinces continue to ease as a greater percentage of the population are receiving their second COVID-19 vaccine shot. Reopening plans in all four Atlantic Provinces are on schedule, and the Atlantic Provinces are open to the rest of Canada. Complete results will be posted on shootatlantic.com and on the CTA Scoreboard on the Canadian Trapshooting Association’s webpage www.shootcanada.ca.

For 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

Well, can you believe it is the start of the 2022 ATA target year! Where did the 2021 target year go? Do not forget to renew your ATA membership, and while you are at it, take advantage of the discounted rate when you sign up for Trap & Field Magazine too.

The Mallard TC in Monroe Township held their 14th annual Hot Dog Shoot June 26. The club champion was Dan Fishman with 99, Mike Fishman was open winner with 98. Steve Ottrando won Class A, and John Homan was runnerup; Class B winner was John Messeroll and Neil Downing runnerup. Class C winner was Tom Smith, and Stephen Lokos runnerup, and Mark Sciaraffo was the D winner, and Gary Rodgers was runnerup.

The Pennsylvania Grand was held in Elysburg July 2-4; 27 New Jersey shooters were in attendance. David E. Brown Jr. and George Wright led the trophy winners with four each, Gene Moir won two, and Isaac Mansoura, Raymond Dirisio, Justin Malone and Ray Padovani each won one.

The New York State Shoot was held in Bridgeport July 6-11. Thirteen New Jersey shooters made the trip up to the Finger Lakes part of the state. Angelina Moir and George Wright led the trophy winners with five each, close behind were Brown and Zac Cucunato with four each, Gene Moir Jr. and Joe Sissano won two, and Bob Malmstedt and Thomas Green Sr. won one each.

The Ground Swiper’s GC in Forked River held their Firecracker 400 July 10-11. On Saturday Rick Batesko led Class A, Pat Shulack Jr. B, David Snyder C and Jason French D. Caitlyn Barton took the ladies’ award. On Sunday Batesko led Class A in doubles, Michael Lott B, Jack Martin C and Tripp McCombie D. Sunday’s handicap was won by Michael Fishman over Jason French, French took runnerup, Daniel Fishman took 19-21, Batesko 22-24, Tony Fischer 25-27, and Linda Septak the ladies’ award.

The Garden State Grand was held July 16-18 at the Pine Belt SC. Weather was extremely hot and humid, especially on Friday and Saturday. A cold front came through Saturday night and cooled things off for Sunday, at least. Because of this and the ammo shortage, attendance was down from last year. Donald Trimble from Pennsylvania led Friday’s singles with 100. Keith Guinn won the handicap on Friday and was punched back to the 27-yard line for the first time. Congrats, Keith. Keith Miranda from New York won the doubles with 96. On Saturday Jamaal Brown from Maryland led the field with 199. Keith Barton won the handicap on Saturday after a three-way tie of 94s. Sunday’s singles were won by Tony Pietrofitta, and the main handicap on Sunday was won by Patrick Shulack Jr. with 94.

The ATA Eastern Zone was held at Elysburg, PA, July 22-25. Fifty-seven New Jersey residents attended. George Wright shined in the championship singles on Saturday, breaking the only 200 of the 622 entries, George won three other trophies, Angelina Moir secured the junior trophy in the singles, and David E. Brown Jr. earned the sub-junior runnerup trophy in the singles. David won three other awards during the shoot. In Sunday’s Handicap Championship, Tom Clarke came in sixth, Tom won two other awards for the shoot. Robert Battista secured the veteran trophy, and Robert Bishop claimed the senior vet award in the championship handicap. Others winning one trophy were Al Raimo, Cucunato, Thomas Green Sr., Sissano and Brown. During Saturday’s singles event, Linda Septak ran her first 50 singles. Congrats to all! To see who won what, for all the shoots at Elysburg, you can go to rjstuart.com and look up the results.

I do not know if you have been noticing the target attainment printed each month in Trap & Field of shooters here in New Jersey. So I will list them here for you to see: Steve Armstrong, Angelina Moir, Fred McDonald, Ed Sharpe, Charles Shire and Robert Bishop each attained 25,000 singles. Jim Pagliughi attained 25,000 doubles, Thomas Green Sr. and Eduardo Bulaong 50,000 doubles, Robert Mazzacco 25,000 handicap, and Benn Cole 50,000 handicap targets. Robert Brown reached 100,000 combined targets. Nice going guys.

September is a busy shooting month with Pine Valley’s club shoot Sept. 4-5 and the Lady Bird Shoot on Labor Day, Sept. 6. It’s then on to Elysburg again for the Westy Hogans Sept. 10-12. Following that is the Northeastern Grand in Cicero, NY, Sept. 14-19. Then is the 2022 New Jersey northern zone at the North Jersey CTC in Fairfield Sept. 24-26. There will be a satellite shoot on Saturday and Sunday, the 25th and 26th at Pine Valley so our neighbors to the south have the chance to win open trophies. Pine Belt is having National Trapshooting Day Oct. 3. It’ll be 100 singles, 100 handicap and 50 pair of doubles. Then Oct. 9-10 is the NJSTA’s President’s Shoot.

On a sad note, unfortunately there were a few deaths of friends of NJSTA. John Allen of Quinton passed away June 23; he was 49. John was born in Salem and was a truck driver for Eagle Pallet of Millville. He was a member of the Quinton GC. John enjoyed gardening, fishing and trapshooting. He joined the ATA in 2000 and registered 8,600 singles, 2,750 handicap and 3,200 doubles targets. He is survived by brothers Charles and David and a sister Connie.

Tom Burkey of Pennsylvania passed away July 4. Tom was the PSSA treasurer as well as the ATA Treasurer for decades. His stewardship of the ATA treasury each year gained an impressive return on investment, even in the most economically challenging times here in America. Tom will be missed.

Dennis Hart of Millbrook, NY, passed away after a brief illness; he was 74. He was the eastern zone vice president of NYSATA. Dennis was a fixture at all of our NJSTA events for decades. He was a retired deputy sheriff in Dutchess County. Before and during his retirement, he became involved in working his beloved dogs at the duck and pheasant hunts up at the Orvis Sandanona Facility in Millbrook. Dennis enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapshooting. He joined the ATA in 1974, and I met him shooting up at Troy Meadow in Parsippany in the 1980s. At the New York State Shoot, he would hold the Ronald McDonald House Lewis on Friday’s singles, giving out donated items by the shooters as prizes. Over the years Dennis had raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Ronald McDonald House charity, which is dedicated to supporting families with sick children. He volunteered to classify shooters back in 1997 and did so for the next 25 or more years during our state association meeting on Sunday morning of our state shoot, along with classifying shooters at our annual northern zone shoots in Fairfield. He was so proud of getting his combined 500,000 pin recently from the ATA. At the New York shoots up in Cicero, he would bring processed game, usually venison extruded into hot dogs with a spicy cheese filling, that he hunted during the winter to grill under Dennis Sharp’s tent behind the trapline. During his career, he registered 258,700 singles, 148,250 handicap and 102,900 doubles targets. He is survived by two nieces, Kelly Jensen and Sheri Moran, who both reside in Florida. I, and a lot of Dennis’s friends, are still in shock of his passing.

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

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Greetings to everyone. I am wishing everyone good health, wellness, safety and happiness. I hope everyone has enjoyed the summer and has had plenty of fun shooting trap.

It is with a very heavy and sad heart that I have to report the passing of my old and dear friend Dennis Hart, New York eastern zone vice president. Dennis passed away July 11 in the hospital. He was 74 years of age. The last targets that Dennis shot were at the Ohio State Shoot at the Cardinal Center in June. Dennis competed in the Singles Championship. Last July at Elysburg, PA, during the Pennsylvania Pre-Grand shoot, Dennis shot at and broke his 500,000th registered target. During his career, Dennis registered 258,700 singles, 148,250 handicap and 102,900 doubles targets. Dennis was standing on the 25-yard line. He also loved to hunt and fish and was a retired police officer. I worked with Dennis in the classification office at the homegrounds in Cicero for 16 years, along with helping with shootoffs. Dennis was a big proponent of the Ronald McDonald House charity and was the chairman of the Ronald McDonald charity event and option during the Singles Class Championship at the state shoot. I will miss him dearly. Our deepest sympathies to all his family and friends on his passing.

The New York State Shoot was held July 6-11 at the homegrounds in Cicero. Approximately 270,000 targets were thrown, and the shoot was a Competition Factor 4 for All-American points. The state shoot most likely would have reached the normal amount of 300,000 targets thrown if the Canadian border had been open.

During the Singles Championship, Michael Fox Jr. was the champion with 199, and Justin Slater was runnerup with 198. In the Doubles Championship, Fox was the champion with 98, and Justin Slater took runnerup honors with 97. In the Handicap Championship, Hunter McCumber was winner with a 98, and Shawn McCumber placed second with 95. Fox was the all-around and high-over-all champion. Runnerups were Rick Kenyon in the all-around and Slater in the HOA. All trophy winners can be viewed on our webpage www.nysata.com and in Trap & Field.

Elections were held for state Delegate and Alternate Delegates. Travis Dann and Todd Hosbach remain as the Alternate Delegates, and I remain Delegate.

Thanks must be given to all those who worked and helped make the shoot a success. Thanks to all the scorers, trap-setters, clubhouse cleaners, grounds clean-up crew, camping chairman Ken Davis, Mike Manzo, Jim Wright Jr. and John Fassbaugh, the squadding and cashiering staff. Special thanks, as always, to Wayne and Joyce Morris of Rhode Island for all their help and guidance. Last, but not least, all of the board of directors of the New York State ATA for all of their hard work. If I have missed anyone, I apologize. Thank you!

A very generous donation was made by the Staten Island SC for the 2021 state shoot. The club found out that a number of junior shooters from the Hudson Valley Claybusters team could not afford to pay their entry fee for the state shoot. The Staten Island SC paid the entry fees for all of the junior shooters on the team. Also, Sal Papasidero and Nicola Gabriele paid for the team’s uniforms and ammo. This is a tremendous donation by the club and Sal and Nicola. Thank you so much for supporting our junior shooters. Our youth shooters are the future of our sport.

Hopefully all the many shooters who attended the Grand American in Sparta, IL, this year, had a safe and enjoyable shoot.

Next up at the homegrounds in Cicero will be the 36th annual Northeastern Grand American Sept. 14-19. There is a change in program from past years. The high-over-all will begin Sept. 15 with the singles event and consist of 1,200 targets. Also there will be only two events on Friday, 100 singles and 100 handicap. We all hope you plan to attend.

If anyone would like to have something written in one of these articles, please contact me at [email protected] or 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. I write this article in late July. Our ATA Eastern Zone competition is being shot at Cicero, NY, but I’m here in Canada, unable to cross the border due to the COVID-19 lockdown. For us Canadians, it’s like we’re in jail and unable to get even a day pass to shoot a tournament south of the border.

As the pandemic continues to rage, it is becoming more uncertain what the new “normal” will be. Embraces and handshakes are already a distant memory. Sneeze barriers and social distancing may be with us indefinitely. Plastic credit cards and debit will probably continue to replace reliance on cash. Big office settings are already giving way to people working remotely.

Many people tell me they won’t be returning anytime soon to crowded restaurants, theaters and sport arenas. Might that lead to what was all the rage decades ago with drive-in theatres, A&W drive-ins, take-outs and pick-ups? Even after a vaccine, the new social habits may linger.

Enjoy trapshooting to the extent possible. We’re all in it together.

Paul Shaw

ATA President

Alabama

As I sit here writing this article on this rainy and warm July afternoon, the 2021 ATA Southern Zone Shoot was completed this past weekend with more than 400 shooters from 14 states. It was a very fine shoot, and after the smoke cleared, the winners were Zeke Yeager as the singles champion, Dan Ryan as the doubles champion, and Jaycee Beckham as the handicap champion. Congratulations to all of the participants on their fine shooting.

Joke of the month: Remember, medical insurance is like a hospital gown. You’re never covered as much as you think you are.

Word of the month: Arn—An electrical instrument used to remove wrinkles from clothing.

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.

If you need my help or have news to report, contact me at [email protected].

Wayne Sartwell

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

Trapshooting has really picked up all over this month. The Kentucky State Shoot began on June 29 with 109 entries in the AIM Singles Championships. It was an outstanding event, as usual, with three competitors scoring 200s. After the shootoff, Nathan Haycraft emerged champion, with Nick Mercer claiming the runnerup prize and Elijah Wilson third place. Nolan Hardesty won AA with 197. Trace Hardesty claimed A with 198, and Brennen Ross was runnerup with 195. A junior, Aaron Lee, claimed the B award, with Jared Chesser winning runnerup with 195. Junior Wes Jackson claimed C with 198, and the runnerup was James Smith with 192 after shootoff with Caden Lippert. D class was won by Logan Waly with 195; runnerup was Gavin Ray following a shootoff with Nathan Arnold, both with 193 scores.

The sub-junior category saw an amazing group of rising stars post outstanding scores, with Jack Holland leading the way with 195, followed closely by Mason Johnson with 190, Samuel Wilson with 189, Fulton Manning with 188 and Drake Reynolds with 187. Overall, fourth and fifth places were claimed by two amazing juniors, Andrew Collins and Zackary Glass, both with 198s. The Nora Ross high ladies’ award was claimed by Caroline Hope.

The Kentucky Trap League awards two one-time scholarships annually to graduating high school seniors. The awards this year went to Allen Everett, who will be attending Murray State University this fall. The other went to Zackary Glass, who plans to attend Central Kentucky Community College this fall.

Following the AIM Championships on Tuesday, the state program started on Wednesday with 233 shooters. All the events were very well attended, with a total of 531 shooters participating—325 in-state and 206 out-of-state. Tennessee shooters accounted for 70 of those, Ohio 42 and Georgia 20.

The Robert Dyer championship singles saw 436 shooters squad. Total squads were limited to 80 regular program, and nine squads of high school shooters participated in the President’s Challenge. The event saw four Kentucky and three non-resident shooters post perfect scores of 200. Those included Andrew Collins (junior), Keith Ditto (current captain of the All-American open team), Robert Dyer (last year’s champion) and Preston Philpot. After the shootoff, Collins emerged champion. Ditto was runnerup, Philpot junior gold champ and Dyer senior vet champ. Bobby Fowler was AA winner, and Henry Winn runnerup after a lengthy shootoff. Aaron Lee was A class victor, and Cameron Decker runnerup. B champ was Edward Harris, and Jeremy Beasley the runnerup. Henry Barton was C winner followed by Robert Fields. D class saw Jamie Garrison claim champ and Keegan Dunn runnerup. Category shooters saw sub-junior Jack Holland claim champ with 199 and Rylan Hardesty runnerup. The junior category saw Nick Mercer and Nathan Haycraft engage in a lengthy shootoff with Nick emerging champion and Nathan runnerup. Lady I saw Caroline Hope claim champ with Melissa Tracy runnerup. Lady II saw Martha Humphrey claim the champion slot with Marian Asher runnerup. Sub-vet Kevin (Tank) Polson claimed the No. 1 slot, with Richard Langdon runnerup. The veteran category saw Steve Childers win the championship, with Otis West runnerup. Johnny Caudill claimed the runnerup slot in senior vet behind Dyer. In the chairshooter category, Mitchell Miller emerged champ over runnerup Bobby Bilbrey. In the siblings team event, sub-junior Samuel and junior Elijah Wilson were winners. The parent-child winners were Henry and Reid Winn. Among the husband-wife teams, Marion and Zandell Asher were winners. Non-resident winner was Austin Jacob.

In the championship doubles on Sunday, after both carding 100s, Jordon Foley emerged champion after shootoff with junior Allen Everett. Runnerup was Bobby Fowler with Keith Ditto AA champ and Ritchie Dalton runnerup. Kenny Brown was A class champion with Lee Miles the runnerup. B class saw Jarrod Everly emerge champ with Mitch Morris runnerup. C class champ was Lance Turner with Herbert Lewis runnerup. D class champ was Donnie Smith with Jaxon Rees runnerup.

Sub-junior champ was Drake Reynolds with 99 and Jack Holland the runnerup. Andrew Collins was junior runnerup behind Everett. Junior gold champ was Tristen Miles followed by Blake Williams. Lady I champ was Melissa Tracy over runnerup Caroline Hope. Lady II saw Linda Cox emerge champion over runnerup Deanna Horn. Sub-veteran Michael Castle emerged champ over Tony Willoughby runnerup. In the veteran category, Steve Childers emerged champ over Wayne Hale, the runnerup. Senior vet category saw Dyer emerge champ over Royce White. Bobby Bilbrey was the chairshooter winner. Chase Horton was non-resident victor.

The championship handicap saw a junior competitor break the sole 99, champion Jacob Senters. Jonathan Riley claimed the runnerup slot with the sole 98. After a lengthy shootoff, Bobby Fowler claimed third, Garey Cartmill fourth, Jeremy Beasley fifth and Robert Fields sixth. Yardage group winners were 19-20, T. C. Crossland; 21-23, Lance Turner; 24-26, Jerrod Everly; 27, Ditto. Category winners were sub-junior, Jack Holland with Rylan Hardesty runnerup; junior, Jaxon Rees with Hunter Lyons claiming runnerup; junior gold, Preston Philpot with Blake Williams runnerup. Lady I champ was Melissa Tracy with Alyson Stevens runnerup; Lady II champ was Deanna Horn with Marion Asher runnerup. Sub-vet saw Clark Hamons emerge champ with Roger Stephens runnerup; veteran category saw Donald McMichael emerge champ with Larry White winning the runnerup slot. Senior vet category saw Vernon Anderson emerge champion after shootoff with runnerup Melvin Watkins. The chairshooter champ was Mitchell Miller. Non-resident champion was Andrew Herbig.

HOA winner was Ditto with Everly runnerup. HAA champ was Ditto with Fowler runnerup.

The Kentucky State Shoot continues to be one of the top state shoots in the country. There were some significant improvements this year, thanks to the leadership of president John Kerr and vice president Michael Castle as well as the dedicated effort of youth chair Crossland, with Linda Cox assisting as well as the rest of the board. Can’t wait until next year.

The week after the Kentucky State Shoot was the Indiana State Shoot, and as usual, Ditto was the high man in the HOA.

The ATA Southern Zone was in mid July, with three clubs hosting: Kentucky GC at Berea, North Carolina at Bostic and Florida at Odessa. Shooters at Berea led the trophy count dramatically with 79; Bostic, 20; and Odessa, 12. In the Singles Championship, Zeke Yeager was champ followed by Fowler and Danny Ryan, all with 199s. Ryan won the Doubles Championship with Henry Winn and Trey Wilburn right behind with 98s. The handicap champ was Jaycee Beckham with the lone 99 at Berea, with Rex Kidd runnerup. HAA was won by Fowler by one target over Henry Winn.

This report has become too long, and more news will be shared next month. As always, if there is news you wish to share with our trapshooting family, please do at vernonray@twc.com or 270-227-2262. Stay safe, stay well and shoot ’em straight.

Vernon Anderson

KTL Board Member

Tennessee

Hog Heaven GC will host their annual Fall Festival Sept. 16-19. Located at 560 Highway 113, White Pine.

The 23rd Dixie Grand American will be Sept. 28-Oct. 3 at Bostic, NC.

Recently at the Kentucky State Shoot during the Memorial Handicap, Zach Emmons shot a 96 from 26.5 for a first-time move to the 27. That afternoon during the Memorial Handicap, Jacob Duren broke 96 from 26.5 and moved to the 27. Two weeks later at the Southern Zone at Berea, Rick Sweeney broke 97 from 26.5 for a first-time move to the 27. The same week, 82-year-old Marshall Horn, while shooting at Henderson GC, broke 98 singles to reach 100,000 total combined registered targets. Congratulations to all four.

Next month I should have results from the Grand and how well Tennessee shooters did.

Read the new Rulebook, please. If you don’t have a copy, get on the ATA website and print one.

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

Billy Cook

ATA Southern Zone Vice President