Around The ATA – August 2026
Around the ATA
Information for Around the ATA is provided to TRAP & FIELD by state and provincial ATA Delegates and/or their designated representatives.
Shooters and local officials: Please inform your ATA Delegate of news about shooters and clubs in your area.
Illinois
Hi, everyone. I am going to begin with a report about the Illinois State Shoot. It was an interesting week to say the least. We went from monsoon rains to gale force wind with also some pleasant weather mixed in for the week. Through it all, the shooters showed up and shot well. In the Illinois AIM shoot, the winners were: singles, Braxton Dent, in-state, and Hunter Alber, out-of-state. In doubles, Lucas Mc Vaigh won in-state, and Grayson Bradshaw won out-of-state. In handicap, Reid Henry won in-state, and Carter Spangler won out-of-state.
In the Illinois Vintage Championship, Tony Fortino won the singles and handicap, and Rodney Johnson won the doubles.
As for the the championship events, in singles, Mason Bartlow won in-state, and Michael Day won out-of-state. In doubles, Ian Lawrence won in-state, and Ricky Marshall won out-of-state. In handicap, Ian Lawrence won in-state, and Parker Lewis won out-of-state. In the HAA, Ian Lawrence won in-state, and Izaac Zihlman won out-of-state. Finally, Ian Lawrence won in-state HOA, and Keith Ditto won out-of-state. Congratulations to all the winners through the week.
Ian Lawrence has been on a tear this year. We are going to start to call this shoot the Ian Lawrence Invitational.
Emma Smith and Nick Nenne both shot their first 100 straights over the course of the shoot.
We had some great shooting also at the U.S. Open by Illinois shooters. There were so many place winners that I can’t list them all. However, Noah Goeddel won the Doubles Championship, and Ian Lawrence dominated the junior gold category.
Illinois shooters have reached several milestones over the past month. William Michels reached the 25,000 singles mark. Richard Samples and Bryan Murphy reached the 50,000 achievement, Richard in doubles and Bryan in handicap. Kevin Showalter and Tom Clark both reached the 100,000 plateau in combined targets.
Finally, I want to say goodbye. I did not run for reelection to be Delegate. I am old and tired, and it’s time for new blood to do the job. I want to thank everyone who has helped me through the years. You can’t imagine how much it means to me. The new Delegate is Micheal Ruebhausen. Mike is a good man, and I know he will do a good job for Illinois.
Bill Duncan
Former ATA Delegate
Indiana
Greetings, Indiana shooters!
Hopefully while many of you are reading this August edition of T&F, you are doing so at the Grand American in Sparta, IL! It’s hard to believe that the Grand is already here, and I hope you are having a good time and shooting great scores.
I am writing to you a few weeks before the Indiana State Shoot happens, so by the time you read this, we will already know how our state shoot went this year. My trusty crystal ball is telling me we just can’t believe what a great shoot it was this year! I’m certain the targets were perfect, the scores were high, and most importantly the weather was absolutely fantastic! Nobody got wet, and there was no mud anywhere to be found. Shooters were impressed with all the trap improvements that were made since last year, and really liked how the pavilion is now enclosed and all classification and squadding takes place there in the new ITA Registration Building (aka “IRB”). Check back in next month’s T&F to see how I did with my predictions.
Going back a bit to May, I want to congratulate all of our winners and thank our host clubs for the Indiana zone shoots. In the northern zone at Fulton Co. Gun Club, Alexander New won the singles with 198, doubles with 99 and the HAA buckle. A couple of members of the Reith family had a good Handicap Championship event with Alexzandra Reith and Greg Reith both breaking 96s, and Alexzandra winning the shootoff with a perfect 25! In the central zone at Kingen Gun Club, Joe Summitt won the singles event, Ronnie Pitcock won doubles, Gregory Smith won the handicap, and Nathan Hall led the way in the HAA race. At the southern zone shoot at Evansville Gun Club, Michael Grannan was high in singles for the zone, Jackson Sokel won doubles, Tom Tepool was the handicap victor, and Jesse Saltzman won the HAA.
Good luck, shooters, and I look forward to seeing you all at a gun club in the near future!
Jason Barnett
ATA Central Zone Vice President
Iowa
Hello from Iowa!
As I write this article, the Iowa SCTP Trap Championship has concluded. There were some big scores for the week across all divisions, including Rookie, Intermediate and Senior. Winners included, in the Rookie Division, Owen Lawler with 93; Intermediate Division, Brynn Schumacher with 196, which included a 100 straight during the second round; and Senior Division, Lexi Henning with 99 from the 25-yard line and 98 in doubles. Hayley Burke broke 97 from the 25-yard line. Caydren Manary had his first career 100 straight in singles. This year during the SCTP State Shoot, the ISTA threw 1,036,100 White Flyer targets. We had 6,055 individual entries across three divisions, Rookie, Intermediate and Senior.
I received news on June 16 that Roger Brown from Oskaloosa passed away. Roger was a past state champion. Condolences to his wife Gayle and his family.
At the time of writing this article, the 150th Illinois State Shoot was in full swing. Iowa was well represented at Illinois as well as the Colorado State Shoot.
The 149th Iowa State Shoot will be held in Cedar Falls. Please make plans to attend this year.
As always, if there is anything I can help with or news to report, feel free to reach out to me via email or cell phone at mick.trpshtr@gmail.com or 319-759-3336.
Mick Friedel
ATA First Alternate Delegate
Michigan
Hello, shooters! At the time I’m writing this article, we are on the eve of the 115th Michigan State Shoot. This is always a fun time of the year, as the weather is great in Michigan, and it’s a great way to spend the Fourth of July holiday weekend and celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary.
Before I get ahead of myself, I have to recognize a very special young lady. At the Spring Team Shoot in early May, Anna Suda shot her very first registered targets. As many of you know, Anna’s dad, Andy Suda, and I have been great friends for a long time (some people even think we are brothers from another mother), and it was fantastic to be able to participate in Anna’s first registered shoot. Our Team Diesel squad consisted of myself, Andy, Anna, my wife Maggie and my son David, and we loved the fact that our two families were together as the trapshooting tradition was carried on to another generation of Sudas! I think Anna was a little nervous to go out there and actually shoot 100 targets in a real competition. She had very high expectations for herself, and in true Suda fashion she did great! Anna is shooting a BT-99 Micro that her Grandpa Bill (Wild Bill) Suda gave to the kids, and she was smackin’ targets with that baby! I can tell you right now that this may have been Anna’s first registered shoot, but everyone better watch out because she is gonna be dangerous. I can’t wait until she beats her Hall of Fame dad for the first time. Congratulations, Anna, and I can’t wait to shoot with you again.
Memorial Day weekend in Michigan brings the Great Lakes Grand, and this year was the 38th hosting of the event. Turnout for the week started out very strong but then tailed off a bit leading up to the weekend, as the forecast called for less than ideal conditions. Unfortunately, we did experience our fair share of liquid sunshine, but it didn’t seem to dampen the fun or the scores. Despite the weather, we even got an opportunity to spend some time with the Central Zone VP, our friend and the 2027 ATA President Jason Barnett. It was great to see you, Jason, and glad you could make it up for the Satellite Grand. If I’m being completely honest, I really questioned whether I wanted to shoot the handicap on Sunday. I had just gotten my clothes dried out, and my gun put back together for the third time, and the weather did not look like it was going to cooperate, no matter how many times I looked at the radar. My squad hadn’t paid yet and I thought, I’m going to be out there alone and wet. Finally, I said the heck with it and paid my money to go shoot. To my surprise, when I got to my bank, there was my squadmate Bill Hoffman. He said, “I couldn’t let you go out there alone!” What a wingman! Turns out we had a four-person squad with Bobby Hubble and Mike Williams from Indiana. Great shooting with you guys and thanks for being there.
Finally, on Father’s Day weekend the MTA hosted the Michigan High School Shoot. Approximately 1,300 high school shooters came out to compete over the course of two days with some great scores being posted. We took the opportunity to hand out a ton of ATA literature and hundreds of complimentary ATA memberships. Let’s convert those shooters into ATA members! Please keep encouraging and supporting new youth shooters coming into our sport. Thank you to the MTA board and all the volunteers who made this event a success.
There are a couple of nice target milestones this month. Mark Shost and Mike Berry completed their 25,000 singles. Michael Adrianse matched them with 25,000 in doubles, and Mark Bristoll (who also volunteered his time and covered a lot of ground at the high school shoot) achieved his combined 100,000 target mark. Congratulations, guys, and great shooting.
Good luck and have fun out there!
Dave Guaresimo
ATA Delegate
Minnesota
Greetings from the North Star State. When you read this in your August issue of T&F, it will be the “on-the-grounds issue” at the Grand. The weather for the first part of our shooting season has not been very conducive to shooting any big scores, whether here in Minnesota or elsewhere.
At the Kyle Wolfe Memorial in Owatonna, Thursday had rain to begin the day and was mostly dry for the remainder of the shoot, although winds varied from moderate to somewhat of a gale. The turnout was about average for the shoot, and Saturday’s turnout was aided by the prospect of the famous OGC pork supper for all shooters and families. I speak for all of us at the club when I say, “Thanks for coming to the shoot, and we hope to see you next year.”
While the memorial shoot was taking place, a number of Minnesota shooters were in Kansas for the state shoot. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were all “bad hair days” at the KTA, but it didn’t seem to bother Jack Knaus very much. Jack Sprat, as I want to call him, had a 100 straight in the preliminary handicap on Friday and won the non-resident HAA (389×400) and the HOA (1,067×1,100). Congratulations to Jack! The only other Minnesota trophy winner was Troy Haverly, who was the high sub-vet in the Thursday doubles with 96.
The state zone shoots are going on as I write this, and I was unable to attend due to other commitments, but generally good weather was prevalent around the state on the weekend. The central and southern zones are shooting all 400 targets on Saturday, while the northern zone splits their shoot into two days. Randy Cook led northern zone singles shooters with 199, Marcus Berger and Nick Kubasch had 196s at Lester Prairie. Becky Kelly, Anthony Brand and Kyle Berens broke 197s to top the central zone. You will be able to find complete results in future issues of T&F.
News from Dean Neumann wasn’t so good as I called him to see why he left the U.S. Open early. The 2025 Trapshooting Hall of Fame inductee is dealing with a pinched nerve that makes his leg go numb and causes him severe pain. Having dealt with this issue myself, I can tell you that it can be quite uncomfortable but can be corrected with a relatively minor procedure. Dean was hoping to be well enough to shoot the Grand. Jimmy Bowen was also dealing with some medical issues that had him on the disabled list for a time in early June, but I did see that he was shooting at the Illinois State Shoot in mid-June. Hopefully both will be fully recovered by early August!
I am optimistic that I will be able to write about a successful Minnesota State Shoot in my next column. Maybe some good news about scores that you shot!
Paul T. Cyr
For ATA Delegate Randall Jones
Wisconsin
Now that the Wisconsin State Shoot is over and in the history pages, we all can reflect on our shooting, friends and happiness. Did you do your best? Did you make new friends? Help others out? These are things that are important for your journey on to your next trapshooting venture. Writing down some details about your shoot would be a good idea. I keep a spiral notebook for each year listing all the trapshoots I attend. On the page for each shoot, I write details to include hotel, squadmates, banks, squad number, weather and so on. Doing this helps the mental game and allows you to check for details when you are thinking a year from now, “Who did I shoot with, what banks did I like, did I shoot too early for my eyes to adjust, was the bed good at the hotel, and importantly did I reserve a room for 2027?” Scrambling at the last minute does not help the game. The state shoot results will be coming in an upcoming T&F magazine. It’s always fun to look back and see winners, including yourself.
I scroll through every shoot that I can find on Shootscoreboard or SOS Clays to see who is shooting and winning. Some of the shoots do not show the winners or even list the events for the week. This makes it difficult for me to highlight shooters. If you do not see your name in my articles and won trophies, reach out to me and I can share in my next article. This article takes me at least an hour of trying to figure out the winners, and when clubs don’t list the event winners, then I do my best to figure out who you are. Some shoots do not list the state on the trophy report, so this can make it difficult for me if you are a newer shooter. Thank you for all of your patience and understanding.
Tennessee had the pleasure of having one Wisconsin shooter at their state shoot. Jake Ruehl ventured to shoot and won trophies in three events. Congratulations.
The Western Grand at Vernal, UT, had a few Wisconsin shooters attending and winning trophies. Congratulations to George Hass and Marvin Pete Rustad for winning trophies.
Colorado had two shooters, with Tyler Buchanan winning the HOA, HAA and Handicap Championship. Very impressive, Tyler.
The Illinois State Shoot went well for George Hass, Clifford Andrae, Sandra Jo Jack, Brianna Thompson, Marvin Pete Rustad, Bruce Anding, Lillian Longworth, Louetta Loehr and Keith Lehmann all winning trophies to add to their collections. In all, 18 shooters participated. We did have a rain delay on Sunday, but the skies opened to a bit of sunshine for us to complete the shoot. Thank you for the great shoot Illinois State!
Hopefully you enjoy shooting at the Grand American. I will be hanging out behind Bank 10 if you want to share some great information for me to share to readers. Or email me at sandrajjack@yahoo.com.
Sandra Jo Jack
For ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring
Atlantic Provinces
In June, five shooters from the Atlantic Provinces traveled to Alberta, Canada to attend several shoots. Troy Coldwell, Janaya Nickerson and Herbie Nickerson joined me at the DVine Trap Range in High Prairie, AB, for the Alberta PITA Provincial Shoot and then the club’s annual D. Hazen All Peace Shoot. It was my second visit to High Prairie, and I wasn’t disappointed. Club operators Jesse and Lynn Smith and a large group of volunteers host great shoots and extend a level of hospitality and friendship that is welcoming and heartwarming. It feels good to be treated so well. Christian Winter then joined us in Edmonton for the Canadian Trapshooting Championships hosted by the Edmonton Gun Club.
For complete shoot reports and a list of winners, visit the Atlantic Provinces and Canadian Trapshooting Association websites.
The St. John’s Rod and Gun Club are excited to host the Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot over the Labour Day weekend Sept. 3-6. Preparations for the four-day, 800-target shoot plus the Big 50 Sponsor’s Challenge warm-up shoot Sept. 2 are coming along nicely. September is a great time to visit Canada’s east coast. The coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean are at its warmest, and that helps to extend nice weather well into September and October. Bring a rain jacket if you do plan on visiting, as hurricane season can come early.
For more information on the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association, feel free to contact me at aabassan@gmail.com or visit shootatlantic.com.
Andrea Bassan
ATA Delegate
Connecticut
Greetings to all.
Shooting is well underway, as several state shoots have taken place along with many of our great local club shoots. The Connecticut State Shoot will start tomorrow, as I write this column, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the hard work and preparation unfold as the targets fly. Many thanks to all of the officers, board of directors and the Hartford Gun Club who made this event possible.
On May 31, Wolcott Landowners held the first Paul Lyga Memorial Shoot. Tony Lobo broke the lone 100 straight to take the singles, Bo Kicak posted a 94 to lead the field in handicap, and David Hadd was the doubles leader with 92. The Nutmeg Mid 50 began with $500 donated by shooters. It had grown to $7,200 by this shoot. The excitement was growing along with the size of the pot. Many had come so close. Congratulations to Matt Wahl, who became the lucky winner shooting the second and third traps clean! There were hearty handshakes and well done wishes for Matt. Many thanks to Dave Bicknell for bringing forth the idea and getting it started. It was truly a success and definitely increased attendance for the local clubs. The pot has started up again, and I can’t wait to see who the next lucky winner will be.
Pahquioque held the Garofalo shoot on June 7. Randy Fairchild was the singles high gun with 98. Bo Kicak was the handicap winner with 97, and along with 94 in the singles, became the Garofalo Cup winner based on the high combined score. Fairchild was the doubles champion with 89.
The Bristol Fish and Game Money Shoot took place June 14. Randy Fairchild was the A class winner, Andrea LaFrance the B class winner, Glenn Van Moffaert and Charles Riga tied in C, and David Pabis was the D winner with 95.
Connecticut represented at the Pennsylvania State Shoot this year. Martin Palmer was the third-place winner in the Hall of Fame Handicap with 90, Geno Lupinacci doubled down landing D class in the Bedford Co. Sportsmen Doubles with 176, and again in the Attorney General’s Cup Doubles with 83. In the Past President Singles, the C trophy was awarded to Kiley Palmer after breaking 96, and in the Handicap Championship he took fifth with 90. Matthew Bunker was the sub-vet runnerup in the same event, posting a 92. Matt Wahl was the non-resident B class runnerup, breaking 191. John Fryer IV took non-resident junior honors with 87 in the Elysburg Handicap. Congratulations to all!
Good shooting to everyone, and I’m excited to see what happens at the 110th Connecticut State Shoot.
As always, if you have any highlights you would like to see shared in this letter, please contact me at cap145@yahoo.com. I would love to hear from you!
Cheryll Pittera
ATA Delegate
Maryland
At the time I write this, our team is gearing up for the 2026 Maryland State Shoot. We have lots of exciting things on the books, and I hope you have made plans to join us. When you read this in August, our Fall Handicap will be right around the corner, Sept. 5-6. We shoot 300 handicap, 200 singles and 100 doubles over the two days, and it is a great way to get a jump on target attainment for the 2027 target year. We again are giving away silver trophies for this tournament.
Shoot well and shoot often!
- Nick Hughes
ATA Alternate Delegate
New Jersey
Hello, New Jersey shooters. The tournament season is in full swing at this point. The weather has been challenging with heavy wind and rainy conditions. Despite the conditions, 13 New Jersey shooters took 42 trophies from PSSA at the Colonial Classic and the Pennsylvania State Shoot. Scott Kalnas led the group with 12, Andrew DiGiacomo with eight; Bob Jarvis with six; Justin Malone with five; Pat Shulack Sr. with three; Pat Shulack Jr. with three; Richard Batesko with two; and Ray Padovano, Marc Invidiato, Isaac Mansoura, Joe Sissano, Joseph Clarke and Barry Ferriolo each took home one. I had the pleasure of seeing the support by New Jersey residents for their fellow in-state competitors at shootoffs throughout the week.
Congratulations to Richard Batesko for reaching 100,000 combined registered targets as well as Joseph Clarke with 50,000 singles.
As I travel to different state shoots, I see J.P. Horgan from Piscataway has shot 20,350 registered targets for 2026, as of July, and he continues to pile up those targets. He is on track to shoot the most targets if he keeps up the pace. New Jersey has lost another member of the trapshooting community. Victor Gallina passed away June 3 at the age of 99. Victor was the longest living member of the North Jersey Clay Target Club in Fairfield. He loved trapshooting and was often fixing guns for fellow shooting friends. Victor served in the United States Army as a heavy weapons specialist and was a drummer in the Army band. “Vic” will be missed.
Pine Valley will be hosting the Silver Grand Aug. 29. This is the second year for the Silver Grand. The northern zone is Sept. 25-27. Please use the NJSTA webpage to get all of the information on all our member clubs’ shoot dates.
Support our local clubs, and I hope to see you all at the Grand American.
Tom Clarke
ATA Delegate
New York
Hello from the Empire State of New York. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer weather. I know that I am.
The USA Clays high school tournament was held June 5-7. The event was held at the New York State ATA Homegrounds in Cicero and hosted by the New York State ATA and Bridgeport Rod and Gun Club. On Friday, there was a total of 615 shooters. On Saturday, 640 shooters participated. Finally, on Sunday, there were a total of 678 shooters for a total of 1,942 participants for the event. A total of 7,768 rounds of 25 were fired, for a total of 194,200 targets thrown. For practice, there was a total of 13,750 targets shot. The tournament was a huge success. The New York State ATA and Bridgeport Rod and Gun Club would like to thank everyone who participated and those who helped. Thanks to everyone.
The New York State ATA western zone tournament was held at Mumford Sportsmen’s Club June 13-14. During the Singles Championship on Saturday, Ron Sank was the champion with 193, and Chris McEwen was runnerup with 190 on a very windy day. During Sunday’s Doubles Championship, Christopher Lehmann was the champion with 93, and Chris Rumfola was runnerup with 91. In the Handicap Championship, Christopher Lehmann was the champion with 92, and Thomas Walter Jr. was runnerup with 89. Finally, in the high-over-all, Martin Gawron was champion with 364×400, and Chris McEwen was runnerup with 359. A total of 14,200 targets were thrown. Mumford Sportsmen’s Club would like to thank all those people who participated and all those who helped to make the event a success.
Some target attainments to mention. Registering a total of 100,000 combined targets are David Kestler and Jack McIlroy. Finally, Stephen Kruh has registered a total of 25,000 singles targets. Congratulations.
From my understanding, four shooters from New York State attended the Great Lakes Grand for 2026. The shooters were Pamela and Patrick Anderson, Jim Woodhams and Don Alderson. Patrick and Pamela both won trophies. Jim Woodhams won two veteran trophies, one for singles and one for handicap. Finally, Don Alderson won a class trophy, two senior vet champion trophies and one senior veteran runnerup trophy. Congratulations to everyone.
Aaron Leone represented New York State at the U.S. Open in Sparta, IL, at the World Shooting Complex. In the class singles championship, Aaron posted a 99 and won the Class AA trophy during the carryover in the Singles Championship with a 197 on Saturday. With the 197 on Saturday’s Singles Championship, Aaron posted his first 100 straight during the morning’s first 100 targets. Congratulations, Aaron.
If anyone wishes to have something placed in one of these articles, you can contact me at Trapshooterdavec@yahoo.com or phone at 585-519-9543. Please stay safe and healthy. May God bless.
Dave Cichelli
ATA Delegate
Alabama
The Alabama State Shoot is over, and there were some “first times” at the shoot. Dixie Davis shot her first 200 straight to win the Singles Championship, John Davis shot his first 200 straight to win the non-resident Singles Championship. Also, Alley Cat, aka Jase Lee Royal, shot his first hundred during the Singles Championship and backed it up with a 99 on the second hundred, winning non-resident sub-junior. Congratulations and good shooting to all!
Be sure to check out the complete results for the Alabama State Shoot in this issue.
Joke of the month: Signs from a vet clinic: I don’t think it’s fair that only roosters are allowed to start the day screaming. If you love someone, let them nap. Accidentally used the dog shampoo, now I’m feeling like such a good girl. What do you call a rabbit with fleas . . . Bugs Bunny. Jellyfish are just wet ghosts. Home is where the dog hair sticks to everything but the dog. If you are being chased by a pack of taxidermist . . . DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Word of the month: Mash: To press, as in 12an elevator button. “Want me to mash yo floor for you, Ma’am?”
Please keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers. Without the men and women in our Armed Forces protecting this country, we would not be able to enjoy this great sport. When you see a soldier, thank him or her for their service.
If you need my help or have any news to report, contact me at wasartwell@charter.net.
Wayne Sartwell
ATA Delegate
Florida
Recently I have been asked, “How can I make it into the Trap & Field Magazine?” Good question. A few ways come to mind, with the first being you or your gun club representative contacting me about your outstanding achievement! Another is by ATA recognition. For example, shooting your first straight or making AA, AAA or 27-yard line status. If you achieve any of these feats, please let me know. I can’t give you proper props if I don’t know!
Hello, all, and I got to tell you it is hotter than a two-dollar pistol here in Florida right now. I have lived here all my life, and each year it seems to get hotter and hotter! In July we had our ATA Southern Zone Shoot, and us Floridians are no doubt at a disadvantage because of the heat! I tried to have the event moved to a cooler date, but we couldn’t manage it because of having to have this shoot before the Grand American, and some of the states in our Zone need the time to have their state shoots to have their champion of champions sorted out. So, we will just suffer.
I have the great pleasure of being a member of two prestigious shooting organizations, the Okobojis and the Fawgawees. The Okobojis is the oldest clay shooting club in America, which started in 1898. Past members include people like John Philip Sousa, Charles Budd and Harvey McMurchy. Some current members include folks like Past ATA President Terry Roush and current ATA Secretary Hunter Galloway. Here is what I am leading up to. On Wednesday, the first day of our Pow Wow, we have a golf outing for those shooters who also golf. Recently Dee Dee and I have taken up golf. We have a golf team that includes Todd and Beatty Cole. We play mostly for bragging rights. On Friday night, we as Okobojis have a formal dinner and dance. But they also give the results of the golf outing. No surprise that Bob Keaver and his “loaded” team win every year, and he has the pleasure of announcing the winner and places, but the awful thing is the team I’m on always get the title of “honorable mention,” and it only goes to us! So, this summer Dee and I started taking lessons. Unfortunately after starting the lesson, it reminded me why I took up trapshooting in the first place! Anyway, we are trying real hard not to get “honorable mention” this year. I’ll let you know.
Another funny story for you to enjoy. I was on Field 2A practicing singles (Silver Dollar), and Nora Ross was giving a lesson on Field 2B. I kept watching her and her shooter, and the more I watched, the more I got restless. Then I came up with an idea to get her to help me. So, I went inside the clubhouse and asked Belinda for a sticky note. Of course she obliged. On the sticky note I wrote this: “Hello, my name is Mike Reynolds, and I am the Florida Delegate for the ATA, and I suck! Could or would you help me?” Then I took the sticky note over to the gun rack where she was teaching and placed the sticky note on her notepad where she had to see it. Then I watched until she went back over to the gun rack with her note pad and read my note. Then I saw her look up and look at me and chuckled and waved me over. She said, yes, right after the lesson she was currently giving. And she did! It was the best singles lesson I had ever received! Thanks, Nora!
I will keep you up to date on the Florida zone shoot when it happens.
Congrats to Mark Hall and the Palatka Trap & Skeet Club for getting their fourth trap field up and going! Congratulations to the following shooters on their milestones: Bruce Burton, 50,000 singles; Sarah Jacobs, 75,000 handicap; John Miller, 25,000 singles; Brent Miller, 100,000 total targets; Donald Keith, 25,000 handicap; James Price, 25,000 handicap; and Pete Cukan, 25,000 singles. Good job, guys!
ATA By-Law
SECTION II INFORMATION FOR SHOOTERS A. PROCEDURE FOR JOINING ATA 1. ANNUAL MEMBERS Application for Annual Membership may be made online at www.shootata.com by following the membership instructions and payment method or at any registered shoot by filling out an application and the payment of $20 dues to the ATA. Sub-junior, junior and junior gold annual members shall pay $12 dues to the ATA. A temporary receipt will be given to the shooter upon receipt of a proper application. The temporary receipt should be retained as evidence of payment and be used in lieu of an Average Card until the Average Card is received. The ATA will issue an annual Average Card in the normal course of business. This card will be marked to indicate the shooter’s handicap yardage. Full membership rights are effective upon receipt by the member of the Average Card. Annual members have all the shooting rights and privileges of life members, but may hold no office in the ATA. Annual members, who have been active members (e.g., having registered targets) in any two (2) target years, are entitled to vote for the State/Provincial Delegate and Alternate(s), at the annual business meeting of the state or province. Annual memberships are renewable by mail or at any registered shoot. To renew by mail, send your complete name, address, including zip code, and $20 ($12 for sub-juniors, juniors or junior gold) to ATA, 1105 E. Broadway, PO Box 519, Sparta, IL 62286. 2. LIFE MEMBERSHIPS Life memberships are obtained by the submission of a properly completed application and the payment of $500. Senior life memberships for those 65 years and older are $250. Life members pay no annual dues thereafter. Upon approval of the application, the ATA will issue a Life Membership Certificate and the life membership is effective upon receipt by the member. Life members, provided they are members of the state/provincial association are entitled to vote for their state Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the ATA. Only life members may hold office in the ATA. PLEASE NOTE: If a shooter pays dues at a shoot, he/she must retain his/her receipt until receipt of an ATA Average Card. Unless the shooter can show evidence of membership fee payment, he/she may have to pay again. Shooters must record all scores before receipt of an ATA card and then transfer these scores to the new card. If a shooter does not receive an ATA card within four (4) weeks, he/she should send a letter to the ATA, 1105 E. Broadway, PO Box 519, Sparta, IL 62286, advising the ATA that an application was made on a certain date and give ATA the name of the gun club that received the application and payment.
Mike Reynolds
ATA Delegate
Kentucky
Kentucky shooters have continued an impressive season, with many shooters sitting atop the leaderboards at the Missouri State Shoot, U.S. Open, Tennessee State Shoot and Illinois State Shoot in the last month. At the time of this writing, many shooters are competing in Ohio at their state shoot, and many of us will head to Central Kentucky Gun Club in the coming days to attend the best shoot of the year, the 2026 Kentucky State Shoot! By the time you read this, the state shoot, Southern Zone and even the Grand may be over, but I am nevertheless looking forward to seeing what Kentucky shooters can accomplish!
At the Missouri State Shoot, Maverick McClure shot a perfect 200 to capture the non-resident sub-junior Singles Championship after a shootoff for event champion, while Keith Ditto finished as non-resident AAA runnerup in the singles.
At the U.S. Open, Kentucky shooters also performed extremely well. Keith Ditto led the way by winning HOA and HAA honors over the field, while also finishing third in the championship handicap and runnerup in the Doubles Championship. Maverick McClure claimed the sub-junior HAA and Doubles Championships while also finishing as sub-junior runnerup in the Singles Championship, and sub-junior third in the Handicap Championship. Hunter Smiley earned junior fourth place in the Handicap Championship, while Reed Spiceland finished junior fifth in the same event. Andy Tilford was runnerup in the Singles Championship, while Ethan Riley earned AA runnerup honors, James Brooks finished as A class runnerup, Lily Chainey claimed C class runnerup, and Aiden Nace placed fifth in junior gold.
Across the border at the Tennessee State Shoot, Austin Bratcher shot a perfect 200 on Saturday to win the non-resident Singles Championship. Andy Tilford followed with a non-resident runnerup finish. For category shooters in the singles, Garret Tucker earned non-resident junior gold runnerup honors, Linda Cox captured non-resident Lady II runnerup, Dwayne Wilson won non-resident sub-vet, Doug Cox claimed the non-resident vet crown, Gary Richardson finished as non-resident vet runnerup, and Steve Childers earned non-resident senior vet runnerup honors. In the Doubles Championship, Charles Fowler won non-resident A class, Aiden Nace captured the non-resident junior gold title, Mike Castle earned non-resident sub-vet honors, and John Kerr won non-resident vet. In the championship handicap, Kevin Polson won non-resident vet honors, while Carl Swift finished as non-resident runnerup. To cap off the week, Aiden Nace won non-resident junior gold HAA, while Mike Castle and John Kerr finished with non-resident sub-vet and vet HAA, respectively. Lastly, Kevin Polson won the non-resident HOA over the field.
The success of Kentucky shooters continued at the Illinois State Shoot, where Maverick McClure won the non-resident sub-junior Doubles Championship and HOA while also finishing sub-junior runnerup in the championship singles. Keith Ditto continued his excellent shooting by winning the non-resident HOA over the field as well as AAA class honors in the Doubles Championship. In the Handicap Championship, Andy Tilford earned non-resident third place while Kevin Polson claimed the non-resident vet title.
These are just a few highlights from the tremendous amounts of success Kentucky shooters have had over the last month. Hopefully we will continue to see these names and many more atop the leaderboards in the coming weeks, and hopefully we can see some Grand rings heading home to the Bluegrass State in August. Good luck and safe travels in the weeks to come!
Jack Holland
For ATA Southern Zone Vice President Dan Ryan
Mississippi
Hello from Mississippi, where it’s said, “You cannot go to the moon without first going through Mississippi.” Mississippi’s John C. Stennis Space Center tests NASA’s rocket engines before they fly.
It’s August, and summer is quickly passing. Our state shoot, as well as our neighboring states’ shoots, are behind us, and the Grand American is either in progress or already in the books. I probably do not have as many Grand American pins to display as many of you, but my times at the Grand have been fun and enjoyable, shooting and meeting countless friendly and interesting people from many states and countries. As August ends, so does our trap year. I hope your year was a good one, enjoyable, memorable with good scores. The 113th Mississippi State Shoot is in the record books. My grandson’s graduation from high school kept me from attending this year’s shoot, so I’ve asked Jerry Tharp, Mississippi’s Alternate Delegate and previous ATA Delegate, to give a report on this year’s state shoot.
“Our Mississippi Delegate, Bill Burke, thought it would be good for our readers to hear about our state shoot from the perspective of a shooter. Thus, I will give you my shooter’s description. I’ve attended the Mississippi State Trapshoot for some 20+ years, and I cannot remember a single time that it rained. They were all shot under clear skies and usually hot and humid weather. Not so, this spring. Two words come to mind for this year’s rendition, wet and overcast. It suffices to say that scores and attendance took a hit. The worst of the weather was on Friday, when morning showers gave way to a steady downpour, complete with some serious thunder and lightning. The bad weather forced the preliminary handicap event to be shortened to 50 targets and the preliminary singles event to be canceled. Saturday and Sunday came off on schedule, just shot under some sprinkles and gradually clearing skies.
“The good news was that despite the weather, 107 shooters from 18 states braved the elements to join with us on the trapline. They came from as far away as Colorado and Arizona to the west, New York and North Dakota to the north, and Florida and South Carolina to the south and east. Not a bad showing, I have to say. Of course, we are always thankful for the support of our fellow trapshooters wherever they come from. It is always interesting to meet new friends and visit old ones while we enjoy the trapshooting sport we love. Then there were the winners. It seems to me that some familiar names just keep showing up every year. Certainly, no stranger to winning, Jonathan Baker took the Mississippi Singles Championship with 197. In the handicap, Donald Webb’s 94 took that championship. And of course, perennial winner, Zeke Yeager, cleaned up the doubles with 99, the HAA with 386×400, and the HOA with 820×850. Harrumpf! All I got was wet, a bunch of empty shells and some gear to clean up. Oh well, that’s what keeps me coming back. There’s always next time. Congratulations to all our winners.
“The highlight for me this year was actually away from the shoot on Saturday afternoon at the wedding of one of our young lady trappers. LeeAnna Singleton started shooting with us at age 11. I can still see her sweet smile that would melt your heart when she showed up for the first time at Capitol Gun Club in Jackson. Needless to say, she endeared herself to us all in very short order. Not only her warmth and friendliness, but she quickly learned how to shoot. Soon she was beating us all, rather routinely I might add. Today she is a graduate of Delta State University and a newlywed. She has made us all very proud, and we can’t wait to have her back on the trapline.
“Finally, I can’t say enough about Coast Rifle and Pistol Club. Their hosting of our 2026 state shoot was top notch. Their hospitality and genuineness are the utmost. I hate to mention names for fear of leaving somebody out, but a few names just must be mentioned. Brian Harmon, Tami Daniel-Means, and all the other members that gave of their time and effort to this year’s event just can’t be thanked enough. These folks got us through the weather with precision and skill. Targets, meals, accommodation, were the finest you could ask for. Again, I cannot say enough about their dedication and a big job, well done!
Happy trappin’!
Jerry Tharp”
Thank you, Jerry, for a great review.
Summer with its hot weather is ending and we are moving into fall. Down here in the South, many conversations will be about football, dove season and better weather for shooting trap. I hope you shoot well and enjoy the coming change.
Bill Burke
ATA Delegate
South Carolina
Hello from the Palmetto State! It is with a sad heart that I begin this update. Russ Wright, a dear friend and avid shooter, passed away May 14. Russ was a terrific person, an involved shooter and a leader in the Georgia Trapshooting Association who will be greatly missed. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.
South Carolina shooters have been on the move and shooting extremely well. South Carolina had 15 shooters participate in the North Carolina State Shoot June 10-14 at the North Carolina Homegrounds. South Carolina had 26 out-of-state trophies won by 15 shooters. Singles Championship trophies were won by South Carolina shooters as follows: George Powell, A class; Chad Taylor, D class; and Dean Adams, sub-vet. Doubles Championship winners from South Carolina were: Todd Wutrick, D class; Kenneth Inman, vet; and Doug Stenback, senior vet. Handicap Championship winners from South Carolina were: Kenneth Inman, non-resident winner; Shawn Speakman, sub-vet; and John Pendergast, vet. HAA trophies won by South Carolina shooters were Kenny Inman, non-resident winner; Chad Taylor, D class; and Doug Stenback, senior vet. Doug Stenback also won senior vet HOA.
South Carolina also had three shooters travel to Tennessee for the Tennessee State Shoot June 11-14 at the Tennessee Clay Target Complex: Garry Welch and Randy and Teresa Knight. South Carolina shooters won six out-of-state trophies, and Doubles Championship winners were Randy Knight, senior vet, and Teresa Knight, Lady II. Teresa also won Lady II HAA.
South Carolina clubs continue to host Big 50s and 300-bird events, and we welcome your participation in these competitions. Thank you for your continued support of our sport and community.
Hope to see you shooting soon.
Teresa Knight
ATA Delegate
Tennessee
Hey there, fellow trapshooters! Shooting season is in full swing, and it’s time to register targets. By the time you are reading this, the Grand American will be underway, and most of the state shoots will be behind us. However, we did have our Tennessee State Shoot June 11-14, and even though I am biased, I think it was a home run. We had some great scores, and the shoot went off without a hitch (well . . . for the most part). We had too many winners to list them all here, but I would like to recognize a few of the top champions.
Gabe Johnson is our new singles champion. Gabe turned in a strong 200 straight to capture the title after a shootoff with last year’s singles title winner, Cade Harvey. Congrats to Gabe.
Speaking of Cade Harvey, he made a great appearance this year in the Doubles Championship event, turning in one of two scores of 99. After a close shootoff with Hayden Jacobs, he closed the deal, winning by one target, and he is our new championship doubles title winner. Congratulations!
Our handicap champion is also no stranger to the winner’s circle. Tyler Honnold ripped off an impressive 97 in the championship event and edged out some stout competition in a shootoff to shore up the Tennessee Handicap Championship. Congratulations to Tyler on the win! Tyler was also the top dog in the HOA and is our Tennessee state champion with a score of 977×1,000. If that’s not impressive enough, he captured the HAA state title as well with 394×400. Congratulations once again . . . and again!
Moving on to other items of interest, our own Richie Bolin was inducted into the Tennessee state Hall of Fame this year at the state shoot. This is a well-deserved accolade considering his achievements in this great sport. Congratulations to Richie for all that he has contributed to the sport of trapshooting!
We have some changes to the board for 2027. Richie Bolin will take over as president. Also, Mike Carmen will assume the position of vice president for 2027. We also have elected two new directors at large for next year, and we would like to welcome Steve Rice and Steve Conley to those positions. Both are accomplished trapshooters and will serve the board well. By the way, congrats to Steve Conley for a personal best at the state shoot with 199×200 in the Singles Championship. Great job!
On another great note, our AIM State Championship singles event was up 50 shooters over last year’s contest. When you consider the increase in gas, groceries, entry fees and shotshells, I would consider this a win. If you are up in those conditions, it has to be a good indicator!
Lastly, I would like to extend congratulations to Mitchel Loveless. For those of you who don’t know, Mitchel will be the first shooter from the state of Tennessee to be inducted into the Trapshooting Hall of Fame at this year’s Grand. Mitchel is a phenomenal shooter, and he has represented the state of Tennessee in an exemplary manner. Congratulations for all your success. We are proud to call you a Tennessean.
Here we go off to the Grand. Good luck to everyone there, and safe travels. Hope to see you all in Sparta, and thanks for all you do for our great sport!
Remember . . . the rulebook is your friend. Read it please!
Mark Cantrell
ATA Delegate
Louisiana
Louisiana sent a contingent of 15 shooters to enjoy the Mississippi State Shoot held at the Coast Rifle and Pistol Club in D’Iverville. They have a great facility, and all our shooters enjoy shooting there. Of course, the great lunches they serve are a plus also. They had the same nemesis as we did at our state shoot, i.e. rain but had a lot more lightning than we had. Prelim singles had to be canceled and prelim handicap cut to 50 targets to finish for the day. Attending from Louisiana were Brooks Barnett, Dalton Brooks, Keith Crissman, Alex Eaton, Trey Heusel, Jim Jenkins, Cole Masestrini, Johnny Pollard, Ava Richmond, Coran Richmond, Donny Sanders, Al Sikes, Amie Skipper, Steven Skipper and Thomas Smith along with family and friends.
Our group did a good job of representing Louisiana, and here are some winners.
Warm Up Singles: Thomas Smith was out-of-state champ with a perfect 100, Donny Sanders with a 97 lost in a shootoff for A class. Warm Up Handicap: Brooks Barnett was short-yardage champ with 88, Donny Sanders forfeited a mid-yardage shootoff with 90. Warm Up Doubles: Donny Sanders was B champ with 89. Preliminary Handicap: Brooks Barnett was short-yardage champ with 47×50, (the event was shortened due to weather). Trey Heusel was mid-yardage champ with 46×50. Singles Championship: Thomas Smith was non-resident runnerup with 198 with a perfect 100 on the first 100, Jim Jenkins was veteran champ after winning a coin toss with 194. Doubles Championship: Thomas Smith was AA champ with 91, Jim Jenkins lost a B champ coin toss with 89, Brooks Barnett won a shootoff for sub-junior champ with 89, Donny Sanders was senior vet champ with 92. Handicap Championship: Keith Crissman was event runnerup with 90, Thomas Smith lost sixth place by forfeit with 88, Trey Heusel won sub-vet with 93, Jim Jenkins won vet with 93. HAA: Thomas Smith won AA with 377×400, Brooks Barnett lost in a shootoff for B champ with 362×400. All in all, this was a successful shoot for our Louisiana shooters.
MCGC held their second shoot in May on May 30. A small crowd of eight showed up for their 300 doubles marathon, which was enjoyed by all present. Thomas Smith continued his dominance in doubles with 95, 99 and 96 in the three events. No one else came close except for Caleb Coody in the last event with a tying 96.
TBMGC held their June monthly shoot on June 13. A group of 22 braved the heat to break a few targets. Our good friend Dennis Whitlock drove in from out of town to take singles honors with 98. Trey Heusel was slightly behind with 96, Avery Dumas had a 95, and three followed with 94s. Whitlock also took top honors in handicap with 94, leaving all the rest far behind in the dust. Whitlock and Brooks Barnett turned in top scores of 85 in doubles, with Barnett winning the coin flip. Donny Sanders was close behind with 84.
Well, on an August note, how did you do at the Grand? Did all your dreams come true? We should all be back at home now either celebrating our victories, licking our wounds, or for most of us just glad we were able to attend and participate. Guess what, it’s the end of the 2025-2026 target year, and the new one starts here shortly. Are you worn out from this year’s efforts? Are you already planning for next year? For me, the answer is yes and yes.
Check out our website, www.latrap.org. There’s information on registered shoots of interest to our shooters, the scores and winners of our LA shoots, and information on all the gun clubs in Louisiana that host registered shoots.
Jim Jenkins
ATA Delegate
New Mexico
By the time you read this, a good number of us will be loading up for Sparta and the Grand American. Before we go, let me take you back to our 78th New Mexico State Shoot, held May 20-24 at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton.
If you have never shot at the Whittington Center, add it to your list. It sits on more than 30,000 acres in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos, with clean mountain air and a view off the back of the trapline that will pull your eye right off the target if you let it. Mother Nature was kind to us, the traps stayed busy, and we had five good days.
Thank you to everyone who set up, ran squads, pulled, scored, cooked and stayed late so the rest of us could shoot. A shoot this size does not run itself. Our volunteers and the Whittington Center crew made it look easy.
Now for the part you came for. Your 2026 New Mexico state champions are Chase Dobrinski, singles, 199; Zachary Foster, doubles, 99; and Hunter Bowman, handicap, 98. Chase also walked away with high-over-all and high-all-around for our in-state shooters, which is about as good a week as anyone can have. For every winner by category and class, the full trophy report is posted at nmtrap.com and in the July issue of Trap & Field.
New Mexico put names on the board all week. Greyson Bollinger kept the junior gold trophies coming and shot big numbers in handicap and doubles. Aidan Riley led our in-state juniors over the long haul. Mike Grady was right in the thick of the veteran race again, and our lady shooters held their own against a deep out-of-state field.
A big congratulations to Kim Grady, our 2026 New Mexico Hall of Fame inductee. Well earned.
What really made the week was who showed up. Shooters rolled in from 10 states—Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona, Wyoming, Nebraska, Maryland, Pennsylvania and our own New Mexico, and the entries climbed every single day, from 88 in the opening singles to 196 by the time we set the Singles Championship. Our neighbors did not drive all those miles just to fill a squad either. Colorado’s Scott Obenchain broke a clean 200 in the championship singles, Texas and Kansas tied for the out-of-state high-over-all at 1,243×1,300. We are a small state, and a turnout like that only happens when other associations decide our little shoot in the mountains is worth the trip. To everyone who loaded up and came, thank you.
A little local history before I go. The Whittington Center sits near Raton Pass, one of the old crossings on the Santa Fe Trail, and a stretch of the original trail still runs across the property. You can break a round of trap and walk a piece of 19th-century history on the same afternoon. Only in New Mexico.
See you all on my travels.
Samantha Rainsdon
ATA Delegate
Texas
Texas was well represented at the Kansas State Shoot with 44 shooters. Event 1 singles winners were: AAA, Mike Whitaker, 99; D, Colton Fryman, 95; Lady II, Yaani-Mai Gaddy, 93; sub-vet, Billy Hopson, 100; vet, Elvin Clayton, 98. Event 2 handicap winners were: 22-24, Michael Slater, 95; 27, Drew Fryman, 95; Lady II, Jerri Webb; sub-vet, Mike Whitaker, (24-21 over Darin Clawson); vet, Elvin Clayton, 94. Event 3 doubles winners were: D, Kelly Watkins, 85; Lady II, Jerri Webb, 90; sub-vet, Mike Whitaker, 95; senior vet, Larry Tagtmeyer, 90. Event 4 singles winners were: D, Colton Fryman, 93; Lady II, Allison Allbright, 90; sub-vet, Mike Whitaker, 99. Event 5 handicap winners were: 19-21, Colton Fryman, 90; Lady II, Allison Allbright, 89; vet, Billy McFarlen, 89; senior vet, Gary Sherrod, 92. Event 6 doubles winners were: AA, Billy Hopson, 96; Lady II, Jerri Webb, 86. Event 7 doubles winners were: Lady II, Yaani-Mai Gaddy, 81; sub-vet, Darin Clawson, 96. Event 8 singles winners were: sub-junior, Hagen Weber, 190. Event 10 doubles winners were: C, Tony Fox, 91. Lady II, Jerri Webb, 89. Event 12 Singles Championship winners were AAA, Jake Hamm, 199; AA, Randy Burton, 199; B, Greg Ramalho, 197; Lady II, Allsion Allbright, 190. Event 13 Doubles Championship winners were: AA, Drew Fryman, 95; senior vet, Jeff Webb, 89. Event 14 Handicap Championship winners were: 19-21, Chris Burton, 91; Lady II, Allison Allbright, 88; sub-vet, Mike Whitaker, 89; senior vet, Tony Fox, 88. Texas’ only HAA champion was Lady II, Allison Allbright with 337. We had two HOA champions, D, Colton Fryman with 948, and Lady II, Yaani-Mai Gaddy with 900. More info can be found on shootscoreboard.com.
Congratulations to Darin Clawson who shot at and broke his 50,000th doubles target in Kansas during the Doubles Championship event. I appreciate him texting me and letting me know.
I hope to have more information on other state shoots that took place in late May and early June, so stay tuned for that.
I guess that’s it for now. If you have anything you’d like included in a future article, please email me the details, and I’ll do my best to feature it in the next update. Be sure to visit the TTA website (shoottta.org) for additional news and a list of upcoming events across Texas.
As always, I encourage everyone to volunteer at your local club and support our youth shooters. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me or any of the current TTA officers—we’re always happy to help! My email is texasatadelegate@gmail.com.
Again, thanks for your support, and I will see you at the next one.
Billy Hopson
ATA Delegate
Arizona
Greetings from sunny Arizona!
While the second season in Arizona has finally arrived and all of our out-of-town guests have left to cooler habitats, our Arizona shooters are still actively turning clay into smoke, both locally and abroad. Thirteen shooters flew north to some cooler weather to compete in the Western Satellite Grand American in Vernal, UT. Starting things off, Jimmy Heller shot a very nice 94 in the Uintah County Handicap to garner a senior vet win. On Wednesday, Tim Robb brought home the senior vet trophy in the Craig & Sharon Hart Doubles with a solid 95. Robb bettered himself by a target with a 96 in the RHO RHO’s Rally Doubles, with Jimmy Heller and David Landwerlen close behind with impressive scores of 94. Tim Robb, determined to fill his trailer full of hardware, concluded the day Wednesday with a winning senior vet score of 94 in the All-Star Contributors Handicap. Continuing to the class singles, Robb smoked an outstanding score of 99 to take senior vet runnerup. Max Peevyhouse and Don Williamson rounded out the top Arizona shooters with 98s. Ending Thursday’s events, Robb continued his dominance with a solid 92 and a two-round shootoff to claim senior vet champion. Jimmy Heller and Gerry Williams weren’t far behind with scores of 91.
Friday, beginning with the class doubles, Jimmy Heller scorched the competition with a cool 97 to win senior vet. Beginning the all-around was the Doubles Championship, Gerry Williams flexing his muscle took Class A runnerup with 94, not to be outdone by fellow Arizona shooter, Kelly Dwyer, scoring a C class runnerup finish with 94. Southern Arizona’s once again, Jimmy Heller with a 97 edged out Jim Copsey (95) for the senior vet trophy and runnerup, respectively. Moving on to the Caesar Guerini Handicap to finish off Friday, shooters Kelly Dwyer and David Landwerlen kept things edgy with strong scores of 94.
With a beautiful day ahead, Saturday was the Singles Championship, with several Arizonans putting up some pretty good performances. Darrell Goen clinched Class A runnerup with a very nice 195, joined by Gerry Williams with a senior vet runnerup trophy. Ending the shooting activities for this year’s Western Satellite Grand, Tim Robb (93) and Gerry Williams (92) took home champ and runnerup honors in the senior vet category. Kelly Dwyer and Tim Robb both stayed in the mix with scores of 93.
Another great week of shooting in Vernal, great hospitality and a great venue. Props to Sean Hawley and crew for another successful Satellite Grand American!
Locally, Tucson Trap and Skeet held a one-day event, with Clifton Braley leading the field in the singles event with a lone 96, and Thomas Braden not far behind with 95. Bruce Hobbs led the field during the handicap event with 95. Closing out the activities in Tucson for the month of June, Jim Copsey dominated the doubles event with a too-hot-to-handle 98.
While there were a few braving the 100° temps in Tucson, there were a few that played chicken with the weatherman and beat the rainy forecast at the cool Northern Arizona Shooting Range in beautiful Flagstaff, site of this year’s Western Zone Championships in July. This two-day event started with a bang after shooter David Landwerlen crushed the field with a nearly perfect score of 99. Kelly Dwyer, not too far behind Landwerlen, garnered a solid 96. Handicap saw Landwerlen leading the field with a nice 94. Doubles gave a different result, with Greg Holden pulling off a dominant 95.
Sunday would begin with the breakfast of champions, Breakfast Doubles . . . Landwerlen skipped the Wheaties and took the edge over Holden with a score of 95 and Holden a 94. Landwerlen continued to smoke targets in Sunday Singles, with a perfect 100. Winding down the first shoot of the year for the Flagstaff club, Holden topped the field with a 94 in ’caps.
That pretty much wraps things up for Arizona this month. Next month will be the Western Zone in Flagstaff, one-day shoots in Tucson and Casa Grande as well as Big 50s in Casa Grande weekly, and at the end of the month in Prescott. Arizona shooters tend to travel pretty well, especially when it gets well into the heat of the summer! I look forward to seeing everyone in the coming weeks and months. Remember to hydrate, wear sunscreen and keep the sun off your neck! Until next time, fellow shooters!
Keep diggin’
Greg Spiczka
ATA Alternate Delegate
Idaho
In the last article, I gave mention to the main event winners of our state shoot and also who your latest ISTA officers are. What I neglected to mention was this year’s (Actually it’s for the target year of 2025) All-Star State Teams. So here is is!
First Team—Grant Williams; Bruce Bradley; Michael Houser; Blake McCutcheon; Scott Abo; Casey Stoddard; vet; Del McDaniel, senior vet; Aiden Visser; junior; Gavin Mills, sub-junior. Second Team—Daniel Kruger; Kyle Perry; Waylon Klundt; Russell Pierce; Josh Nelson; Leonard Wehking, vet; Butch Watson, senior vet; Corbin Daley, junior; Nolan Romero, sub-junior. Ladies’ Team—Kelsey Wickham, Keira Bohannon, Lahoma Turner, Kelli Kennedy, Tammy Shuyler.
The high-average leaders were: singles, Michael Houser, .9847; ladies’ singles, Kelsey Wickham, .9644. Handicap, Grant Williams, .9383; ladies’ handicap, Kelsey Wickham, .9159. Doubles, Grant Williams, .9523; ladies’ doubles, Gwendolyn Houser, .9200.
Other notes of accomplishment worth mentioning are some 100,000 lifetime target milestones. James Larson, Casey Stoddard and Waylon Klundt all reached these milestones recently. Scott Abo was recognized for once again hitting the 25,000 mark for a single target year.
On a more somber note, longtime Boise resident and ATA shooter Dick Clark passed away in April. He was a member of the Boise Gun Club for more than 50 years and amassed over 100,000 lifetime ATA targets. He was a quiet spoken man who served on the board of directors in previous years. Recently, he assigned himself to tend the flowers on the front porch of the club. He also created the “Dick Clark Annual Volunteer Award”for his club. His presence will be missed.
Final note: Anyone, family or friend, cand send a Completed Careers obituary to T&F to honor someone they admired or loved.
Leonard Wehking
ATA Delegate
Nevada
One thing I notice about shooting in Nevada is how many people are willing to step forward to make it all happen. For example, there is a substantial group of shooters in northern Nevada working tirelessly to promote trapshooting. Deb Main, Jason Nelson and Mark Dagher are just a few of the many people in northern Nevada working for trapshooters.
Deb, Mark, Jason and others will be hosting the ATA Western Zone at Mason Valley Gun Club in Yerington July 16-19. Another great Nevada gun club that is run by a very committed group of volunteers is the Lincoln Co. Trap Club (LCTC) in Pioche. Larry Gearheart, Bill Daniels, Lorin Wilkins, Amy Wilkins, Bobby Orr, Steve Linrode and a small but dedicated group of hardworking individuals see that the Lincoln Co. Trap Club is a great place to shoot. Lincoln Co. Trap Club also will be hosting the ATA Western Zone shoot July 16-19, along with ATA Big 50s in June and August. See Nvtrap.com for details. Bill Daniels will be providing a hand forged miners knife for a main trophy at the LCTC Western Zone. I encourage everyone to attend one of these great clubs for the Western Zone July 16-19, and their other fun shoots.
Recently, the Nevada State Trapshooting Association (NSTA) selected three more members to the very important NSTA Advisory Committee. Merle Acampora, Ken James and Robert Hazelton are newly appointed members. They join Pat O’Neil and Larry Gearheart on the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is a non-voting but highly valued group that gives their insight and perspectives on NSTA policies and procedures. Advisory Committee members also work to promote shoots, including the state shoot, in any way possible. Congratulations to all these Advisory Committee members. I know that I speak for many ATA shooters when I say thank you for your contributions and time.
About 30 shooters participated in what may be the last cool weather shoot of the spring for southern Nevada shooters. Cole Rosario won the handicap with 49, and was punched to the 22-yard line. It seems as though handicap punches are getting to be a regular occurrence for him. Congratulations, Cole. Always competitive shooter Clayton Philipp won the 16s with a perfect 50 straight. Rosario was back in the winner’s circle with 45 in doubles.
Here is another typical example of many people pitching in to make trapshooting a success. Nevada shooter and NSTA board member, Jack Wang, who was cashiering a recent shoot and shooting the events, jumped in the chair without hesitation when he saw we were short one scorer. We often see this kind of support from Nevada shooters. Thanks to everyone who helps keep targets in the air for Nevada shooters.
The long awaited NSTA Spring Handicap May 9-10 drew shooters from around the country. Although the temperatures were very hot, in the high 90s, almost 40 shooters braved the heat to tackle the 500 handicap targets. The shoot boasted more than $4,000 in added money and awards over the five 100-target handicap events. Event winners in reverse event order were HOA, Mark McDowell; Event 5, Howard Hughes, 95; Event 4, Joe Atkin and Matthew Riffe, 95; Event 3. Joel Laborde, 96; Event 2, Greg Holden, 94; Event 1, Don Mayhall and Gary Rusch, 93. Congratulations to these outstanding shooters for the winning scores, all of which earned either punches or honorary punches for each of the winning shooters.
Rounding out the month of May shooting in southern Nevada was the NSTA Race for the Buckle Big 50. The Big 50 was held under clear, cool temperatures at CCSC. Thirty-nine shooters competed over the three events. Greg Holden won the singles and doubles with 50 straight singles and 48 doubles, respectively. Murray Dominguez received a half-yard punch while winning the handicap with 48. Important note: Just around the corner is the huge Nevada State Shoot. Dates are Oct. 27-Nov. 1. You will want to pre-squad early for this shoot, as several hundred shooters are expected again this year. Early planning for accommodations is essential. Again, see Nvtrap.com for details. You won’t want to miss this shoot. I hope to see you there!
Until next time, let’s remember it’s a game. Have some fun out there!
Danny Talbot
ATA Delegate
Washington
Greetings from the 85th WSTA Championships. I’m writing after Day 2, and it has been a pretty smooth running shoot so far with contestants from Canada, Montana, Idaho and Oregon to complement the Washington contingent. I think I even saw AZ, for Arizona, on the scoreboard. The crowd has been staying around in the evenings to see results of the draw score and SOS Clays Silver shootoffs. They have been highly competitive so far, a few extra cranks on the trap spring and turning on the wobble switch have added to the excitement. Thank you to those sponsors who have contributed the prizes for these events; Montana Knife Company and Kalispel Case Line prizes have really made shooters bear down if they have been fortunate enough to be drawn. These and the support from SOS Clays provide quite the incentive. Another shoutout is due to Bob McLendon for sponsoring the trophy package for Thursday’s preliminary events. Jake Turner will be inducted into the WSTA Hall of Fame after Saturday’s events. A steak dinner will be provided, along with a celebratory cake to honor Jake’s achievements. This is far from the end of his career, however, and we look forward to seeing what else he adds to his already impressive resume.
On a sad note, we were informed of the passing of Darel (Dick) Kohn today. The Hall member was a stalwart in the trapshooting community along with his wife Teresa and late son Darel. Dick was for many years seen out on the traplines setting targets early in the morning. He was a supporter of youth shooters, loved being at a shoot, and really wanted to see everyone reach their potential and beyond in our sport. He spent several years as a director and was our Delegate to the ATA at one time. He will be missed, and not only by the trapshooting community.
It’s time to get some sleep and prepare for the Singles Championship in the morning. Thank you to all who have attended. There were more contestants signing up today, so our weekend should be pretty busy. Watch for pictures and results in T&F. There should be some exciting news to report!
Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.
Sean Lewis
WSTA Director
Wyoming
Trapshooting season is in full swing in the great state of Wyoming. The state shoot is now just days away. Laramie is ready and waiting; see you all there.
We have three attainments this month—Gene Robinson, 25,000 handicap; James Burd, 25,000 doubles; and Craig Garwood, 100,000 combined. If you see these guys, congratulate them on a great accomplishment. I will have a complete list of state winners next month.
Till then, we’ll see you on the range.
Ron Miller
ATA Delegate
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