Indiana

Greetings, Indiana shooters! I hope everyone had a great fall and you were able to get your new target year off to a fantastic start. This time of year can still be good for getting out and supporting our local Indiana clubs and taking advantage of hopefully mild weather.

The only thing I want to update everyone on this month is to introduce you to the ITA Board of Directors for this year. Keith Weller is now president, and vice president is me, Jason Barnett. Our central zone directors are myself, Mike Williams and Sal DeSantis. Southern zone directors are Dave Wade, Larry Schauss and Jason Seitz, while northern zone directors are Bill Mager, Don Barker and Mike Powell. Dave Cates will serve as ex-officio, and I will continue as your ATA Delegate, with John Voliva and John Harden as Alternate Delegates. The big change for this year is after serving as our secretary-treasurer for several years, Bill Radwan will be transitioning out, and this position will be split into two separate jobs. I am pleased to welcome to the board our new ITA treasurer, John Voliva, as well as our new ITA secretary, Diana Powell.

I encourage everyone to join me in expressing a great deal of gratitude to Bill Radwan for everything he has done for the ITA. An enormous amount of work goes into the secretary-treasurer position, and on behalf of all Indiana trapshooters, thank you, Bill, for everything!

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything or would like to have anything included in this article for Indiana. My e-mail is [email protected].

Jason Barnett

ATA Delegate

Iowa

The Fall Handicap just completed. Weather is changing fast as usual in Iowa. The Heartland Grand was a huge success this year. Stockdale GC hosted a fantastic competitive shoot filled with huge scores in handicap, singles and doubles every day. Food was served nearly every night and was complimentary to shooters and guests. It was cooked to perfection. Target-setting was very good, as the scores reflected it. Even with some rain, events were completed daily. Dale and staff worked hard, and it shows on how well the shoot is ran. I want to thank everyone who attended the Heartland Grand, and I hope it will continue to grow, as it did this year.

I also attended the southeast Iowa zone shoot held in September at Fairfield T&S. It was a great shoot with around 100 shooters supporting their zone, and a handful of non-zone shooters showed to get some targets in for the new year as well. It was a great time of year to have a zone shoot, as other tournaments are not going on, so more shooters who travel are able to attend local events. Thanks for everyone attending and supporting their zone and trap club hosting. Thanks for all who worked the shoot, as it was run very well.

I can be reached at 712-830-2612 or [email protected].

Heath Kasperbauer

           ATA Delegate

Michigan

As the trapshooting season in Michigan is winding down, a look back at some of the milestones and accomplishments over the 2018 target year is in order.

Congratulations to the nearly 70 shooters from Michigan who competed in the 119th Grand American. The following shooters brought hardware back to our great state: Jerry Mathias (three), Michael Allen, past MTA president Larry Telfer (two), Aiden Blaz, Dave Schultz, MTA president J. B. Lewis, ATA Alternate Delegate and MTA secretary-treasurer Jeff Russell (four), Lauralee Heiden, past MTA president Jerry Glisson and Hugo (Moe) Rinke. These 10 brought back a grand total of 16 trophies. The Grand American has again been a milestone shoot for past MTA president Jerry Glisson, who at the 2017 Grand American achieved his 100,000 registered 16-yard target pin. He received his 50,000 doubles pin this year. Please congratulate Jerry on this amazing achievement.

The 2019 ATA All-American team was announced, and Michigan is certainly proud of the two shooters who are on the team: Jacque Snellenberger, Lady I first, and Bill Hagerty, veteran second.

I had the opportunity to attend the 105th Birmingham GC Club Champioship Shoot. It was great to see so many of the shooters who helped make the competition level of this sport great over the years. Father and son Scott and Michael Berry tied for top gun and were declared co-champions. A great time was had by all.

I also had the opportunity to attend the first registered shoot at the Richmond SC in over a decade. It was an amazing tournament and another great time had by all. They gave away silver coins for trophies, and everyone on the job enjoyed themselves. Hats off to everyone involved in making this wonderful shoot happen.

Well wishes and safe travels to the Michigan shooters who will be heading to warmer climates during the winter. Next month MTA president J. B. Lewis will be providing you his president’s report.

Until next time, shoot well!

1. Darryl Hayes

ATA Central Zone Vice President

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State. I am writing this the day before the opening of duck season here in Minnesota. I will go out with my dad, who turned 89 in April. I believe this is his 79th opening day! By the time you read this, many of you will have a coat of heavy oil on your trap guns, and a number of you will turn your attention to hunting.

You will be getting this in your November Trap & Field, and jackpot shooting is in full swing in Minnesota, mostly at the Minneapolis GC and Buffalo GC. Minneapolis shoots their jackpot on Saturdays, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. For more information, you can contact the club at 952-469-4386. Jackpot shooting at Buffalo is held on Sundays beginning at noon. The club is also interested in hiring trap help who are 16 years and older. For information about a job or other information, call 612-483-6388 and talk to Wally Shelstad (one of our Hall of Fame inductees in 2018).

The registered shooting season has come to a close here in Minnesota, but not before a number of state shooters performed very well at the Heartland Grand and the Steer and Calf Shoot in St. Cloud. The Heartland Grand had 71 shooters from Minnesota brave the torrential rain that was prevalent for most of the shoot. The list of trophy winners from the state was lengthy. Troy Haverly led the way with wins in the sub-vet HOA and HAA. Troy was one target behind in the HOA for all shooters with 1,072×1,100. Bill Van Nieuwenhuyzen also was a double winner in the vet category. Ben Dietz was the HOA junior gold winner but lost the flip for the HAA and ended as AAA champ. Anthony Klassen was the sub-junior HAA champ and won his category in the singles. Bob Neumann (summer league champion at the Owatonna GC) was veteran champ in the Heartland singles with 199.

Other trophy winners at the Heartland Grand were Peter Walker, his wife Dawn and dad Dean; Nick Kubasch; Kallista Roers; Jeannie Stone; Dave Smith (Bemidji); Steve Fortmann; Corey Heitz; Tom Townsend; Erik Knight; Ed Dietz; Claude Banyai; Rich Wolf; Dannyelle Moon; Scott Gens; Mike Crepeau; Cody Smith; Jordan Trenne; Scott Larson; Bernie Merchlewitz Jr.; Curtis Peterson; Jeremy Knight; and MTA president Matt Bickell. Congratulations to all! My apologies to anyone I may have omitted.

At St. Cloud for the Steer and Calf shoot, the weather really cooperated, and there was a great turnout. I don’t have any official results, but if I can find some, I’ll include them next month. The MTA fall meeting was held Sept. 8 in St. Cloud. There were a number of items of interest on the agenda, and I will give you a summary in a future column. You can look at the MTA website for the minutes.

By the time you read this, I will have ventured off to our northern neighbors in search of some waterfowl, primarily mallard ducks. If you are a hunter, I hope you have a safe and successful season. If you are gearing up for the weekly jackpots, let’s hope for some big scores. If you are taking a break from any form of shooting, I hope you enjoy the downtime. I can be reached at 507-456-2000 or at [email protected]. Until next time, keep your head down.

           Paul T. Cyr

           ATA Delegate

Ohio

As we launch a new shooting season, I would like to take this time to congratulate all the Ohio shooters who made the All-American team: open first team, Joseph Charnigo; open second, J. Michael Wengerd, Patrick McCarthy and Tate Hendrick; Lady I first, Summer Gobrecht and Elizabeth Ternes; Lady I second, Elaina McCarthy; Lady II first, Mary C. Thompson and Betty Peterson; sub-junior first, Ryan Denes; junior first, Andrew Bush; junior second, Adam Bush; junior gold first, Austin Jacob and Ryan Minyo; sub-veteran first, Dean Townsend; sub-veteran second, John A. Erick and Steve Corwin; veteran second, Roger Peterson; senior veteran first, Louie Morgan and Mike Dehabey; senior veteran second, Craig Blank. It takes a lot of time, traveling and dedication to achieve what you have accomplished.

It’s that time of year to support your local gun clubs to help during the winter months.

If you ever have any questions or comments, I can be reached at [email protected] or 937-416-3979. Have fun and break ’em all.

Mike Blair

ATA Delegate

Saskatchewan

Greetings from the prairies of Saskatchewan, where the leaves are turning and the mornings now bring the white glow of frost until the sun rises enough to burn it off. Fall is definitely in the air on the northern plains. Shotgunners are thinking of ducks and geese rather than clay targets. Fall is usually a fairly slow time for clay busting in this area, unless a group of hunters use a small thrower to sharpen up the hunting swing. Yorkton GC has their annual Hooty Owl Shoot, which has three days of registered targets along with an “under the lights” non-registered 50-target event, which gives shooters who don’t get to experience night shooting a rip at white targets. Most of the weather this time of year is not really good, with cool temperatures and the usual winds of the fall equinox. It is still too early for the snowbirds to migrate to Arizona, but it is cool enough to get them antsy about leaving.

There were the usual forms to fill out for our annual funding that we receive from SATA. Western Canada Lottery Foundation and Sask Sport give our parent organization SATA (Saskatchewan Amateur Trapshooting Association) monies derived from lottery sales to be used for the betterment of our sport. There are certain things the money can be used for, and as with anything that government is involved in, there are forms to be filled out. Ron Todd is our administrator who keeps all of this running smoothly, but he has deadlines and will let us all know in no uncertain terms when things have to be submitted, which is a good thing as it seems that trapshooters will leave everything until the last minute.

Estevan TC has demolished their old clubhouse and is getting ready to build a new one in preparation for the provincial championships they will be hosting in 2020. We all wish them good luck with their new construction project. Swift Current GC benefited from the ATA money they received this fall; it went toward the renovations they did before hosting this year’s championships.

The all-star team for Saskatchewan will be named at our fall directors meeting in Saskatoon. The team will be five first team and five second team, and the next 10 shooters are considered as high performance for funding.

The weather was dull, windy and snowy for the Churchbridge GC shoot.

Good shooting.

           Rod Boll

           ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

I left my house for the 9.5-hour drive en route to the Missouri Fall Handicap. I ended up stopping about halfway for gas and lunch in Iowa. I walked into Arby’s, and there sat Bill and Shawn Roy from Wisconsin. We said hi and went on our way. I arrived at my hotel and decided to get pizza in Osage Beach, MO. Walking into the pizza place, I looked at the table, and there sat Bill and Shawn. We exchanged some laughs on who was stalking who and said it sure is a small world to run into each other at random places twice in one day. Of course we saw each other at the shoot and exchanged laughs again. Friends are what makes this sport as special as shooting the targets. The targets fly through the air, and as my mom always says, “Sandy, you shoot at them, and ‘poof,’ they are gone, but friends stay with us and help us through good and bad days at shoots and our daily lives.”

The Missouri Fall Handicap was very well run, and if you have never been to this shoot, please put it on your list. The staff is great, and targets were really nice. If you want to add to your belt buckle collection, this is the shoot, as all the trophies for championship week are belt buckles. Weather was really nice for a fall shoot, and the area here is to enjoy many of its beauties.

Wisconsin shooters did well, even though not many arrived. But we made up for it by our winning. Congratulations to those who took home trophies: Thomas Hoppe, three; John Halambeck, five; Ronald Rousseau; Sandra Jo Jack, 10; and Peter Nygaard, two.

The new target year has begun, and I would like to wish all much success in your shooting. Our state shoot will be here before we know it; please contact Amy for your camping spots or vendor spots soon. We fill up very fast. If you are staying in a hotel, make your reservation now. You can always cancel if plans change. Our shoot has become so popular, and we would like to see everyone there.

Those of you who will be deer hunting this month, please be safe and have much success to your harvest. Happy Thanksgiving and safe Thanksgiving to you and your families.

Clubs might be closing for winter, so please help get them winterized. Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to read my articles. If you know of any information you want me to write about, please e-mail me at sandrajjack @yahoo.com.

Sandra Jo Jack

           for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. The big question leading up to this year’s Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot was, “Can a three-trap club successfully host the Provincial Shoot?” Our shoot attendance averages 50 shooters, but based on the overwhelming interest in this year’s tournament, that number was expected to climb to at least 60 and perhaps closer to 70. The biggest concern was finishing the day’s events while there was enough daylight. Most everyone involved was confident that it would be a challenge but certainly doable.

Well, the simple answer is, “Yes, a three-trap club can successfully host the Atlantic Provinces Provincial Shoot.” The more complicated answer is that to have a successful shoot, it takes countless hours of work and planning plus a dedicated group of volunteers to ensure everything is in order. Shoot promotion, preparing a shoot program, trap maintenance, scorer training and ordering prizes are just some of the tasks that need to be done well in advance of the shoot. Fall behind or neglect any of these, and the end result will be evident. During the shoot, it takes a dedicated shoot committee to keep things moving smoothly and on schedule.

APTA treasurer and Highland GC trap chairman Doug Blades and his large group of volunteers were determined to make their first time hosting our Atlantic Provinces Shoot a success. Our 2018 championships had a 25% increase in attendance, with 64 entries from the Atlantic Provinces and visiting shooters from Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. We had no trap breakdowns, no trap issues, the scoring was top notch, and the club made sure we were all fed well. The daily lunches featured fresh, local seafood, and between events bacon-wrapped scallops were being served. The Highland GC has definitely set the bar higher for our annual ATA shoot. Congratulations to everyone who helped make it a success.

Our 2018 Atlantic Provinces champions were as follows: singles, Reynold d’Entremont; doubles, Troy Coldwell; and handicap, Rejean d’Entremont. Non-residents dominated the open championships and included singles, Jim Wood (Ontario); doubles, Serge Pelletier (Quebec); and handicap, Jim Lee (Ontario). For complete shoot results and photos, check the coverage in Trap & Field and visit shootatlantic.com.

The 2019 Atlantic Provinces Shoot rotation will take the event to Newfoundland and Labrador, where the St. John’s R&GC members are no strangers to hosting our annual shoot.

For more information on our annual provincial shoot or the APTA, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or visit shootatlantic.com.

Andrea Bassan

           ATA Delegate

New Jersey

Well, we can’t complain about our weather here in New Jersey after what happened to our neighbors to the south in North and South Carolina! Our hearts go out to them and what they’re still going through after the storm has passed over the area.

The first weekend in September saw shooters gathering at the Pine Valley GC for their annual Labor Day weekend Club Shoot and Lady Bird Shoot. This year George Vogel was honored for his volunteer work over the years at the club. Sam Osterhoudt led the singles on Saturday with 196 after a shootoff with Dan Biggs, who took the runnerup trophy. Neil Downing led the handicap on Sunday, and Dan Biggs topped the doubles. George Snyder was high-over-all winner.

The Lady Bird winners in the singles were Lori McClure coming in first, followed by Meher Downing, Rachel Osterhoudt, Patricia Slimm, Karen Fini, Kimberly Armstrong and Susan Moore. Slimm led the ladies in handicap, followed by Armstrong, Linda Septak, Candace Bishop and Osterhoudt. Class and category winners can be found on the Pine Valley website.

It was then on to the annual Westy Hogans event up in Elysburg, PA. Seventy-two New Jersey shooters attended all or part of the three-day shoot. Single trophy winners were Angelina Moir, Sue Emma, Bob Brown, Ed Shea, Pete Frederiks, Ray Padovani, Justin Malone, George Wright and Brian Skeuse. All scores and winners may be found on the PSSA’s website, or go to rjstuart.com.

The following week was the annual Northeastern Grand American in Cicero, NY. Gene Moir Jr. broke 100 in the class doubles event. His daughter Angelina led the trophy winners with five, followed by Ray Padovani, Gene and George Wright with three, and Joseph Clarke, Bob Malmstedt, David Brown Jr., Joe Sissano and Tom Clarke with one. All the winners and scores can be found on nysata.com.

We just finished the 2019 northern zone at the North Jersey CTC in Fairfield. Satellite shoots were also held at Howell TC and Pine Valley GC. Dan Brandreth’s 195 led the Singles Championship on Saturday, edging out Terry Shaffer’s 194. Ryan Moore of Mountainside captured the handicap and doubles titles. We’d like to thank the shooters at the satellite locations for participating, especially on Sunday where rain blanketed the southern portion of the state.

On a sad note, Dennis Hughes of Jamesburg passed away Aug. 24 at his home; he was 76 years old. Dennis was a sheet metal worker, retiring in 2002. He was a Navy veteran, finishing at Machinist Mate Third Class. Dennis was president of the Mallard TC in Monroe Township for 25 consecutive years, contributing countless hours at the club. He was the go-to guy for anything related to guns, trap machines, and organizing and running shoots. He single-handedly kept the club going during the lean years of the early 1970s, when there were only five members, to the current membership at 40. He joined the ATA in 1986, and during his career he registered 15,200 singles, 2,650 handicap and 5,250 doubles. He is survived by Margaret, his wife of 53 years, plus sons Thomas and Jeffrey, two brothers, a sister and two grandchildren. A memorial service was held at the Mallard TC on Sept. 22.

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

Hello to everyone from the Empire State. I hope everyone is doing well and had a very enjoyable October and Halloween.

At the time of writing this article, I have learned of the passing of 1990 New York State ATA Hall of Fame inductee David Hurley. David passed away Sept. 22. That is all the details I know of now. I will inform you when I receive more information.

Also passing away was 1992 New York State ATA Hall of Fame inductee Les Hastings. Les passed away April 7 and was 78 years of age.

During the NYSATA annual meeting on Sept. 13 during the Northeastern Grand American, the election of officers and board of directors was held. Tim Herbstsommer was reelected president, along with Sam Bonetto as treasurer and Cathy Flint as secretary. From the eastern zone, elected were Dennis Hart as vice president, along with eastern directors Robert Oswald, Michael Waschitz and Tom Horenburg. In the central zone, Jim Wright was elected vice president, along with directors Jeff Bell, Joe Macewicz and Robert Green. In the western zone, elected as vice president was Larry Daigler, along with directors John Fassbaugh, Todd Hosbach and Mike Manzo. Jonathon Karp remains as legal counsel. During the state shoot in July, Susan Gullotta and Travis Dann were reelected Alternate Delegates along with me as Delegate.

Dates for next year’s shoots at the homegrounds in Cicero: Empire Grand American, May 8-12; New York State Shoot, July 9-14; and Northeastern Grand American, Sept. 10-15. The Eastern Zone Shoot will be held at the Pennsylvania state homegrounds July 18-22.

The Grand American at Sparta, IL, is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 10.

The Northeastern Grand American was held in September, and the shoot was a success. Weather was beautiful each day, and the scores were high. Over 300,000 targets were thrown, and the shoot was a Competition Factor 4 for All-American points. Congratulations to NYSATA eastern zone director Robert Oswald on posting his first 200 straight in Saturday’s Singles Championship. Three other 200s were posted, and after shootoffs, Chris Vendel won the championship. Don Schaffer Jr. entered a 99 in the Doubles Championship and took the title. Jake Levin was the handicap champion with 98 and also the high-over-all champion with 970×1,000. Schaffer was the all-around champion with 391×400.

We had four very successful shoots in 2018 at the homegrounds in Cicero. Everyone worked very hard to make them a success. I must offer my congratulations for our new cashier Don Rada, central zone director Jeff Bell, and all the personnel who did the squadding and cashiering during the 2018 Northeastern Grand American. This was the first time they did this for a shoot at the homegrounds, and they did a wonderful job. Great going, everyone.

If you would like to have anything written in these Trap & Field articles, please contact me at [email protected] or 585-519-9543. Thanks.

I hope everyone has a wonderful time during the upcoming holiday season. Have an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Remember to vote. Your gun rights depend on it.

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

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada. November is in many states and provinces slow, or downtime, for registering targets. The Satellite Grands of 2018 are almost complete, and 2019 Grands won’t start for a few months. A lot of shooters take a break from heavy competitive shooting.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to attend every Satellite Grand venue except for two—one being the Heartland Grand at Ackley, IA. For the last couple of Grand Americans, I had the privilege of shooting on a great squad that included Dale Stockdale. Dale owns the range that hosts the Heartland. If you have the time and interest, Dale gave a great interview (which was on the ATA website and can be found there or on YouTube). Dale describes how his father took some acreage out of corn production on their farm years ago and built a trapfield. Over the years, more and more trapfields were added until now there are 17. The shotfall area is—you guessed it—a cornfield. The theory was, “If you build it, people will come.” The Stockdales built the fields, and people came! What a wonderful success story and legacy.

Coincidentally, I was recently watching a rerun of a 1989 American fantasy/drama/sports film, Field of Dreams. Kevin Costner starred as a novice Iowa farmer (Ray Kinsella). He, his wife Annie and daughter Karen lived and worked on this family farm. Ray had had a troubled relationship with his father John, who had been a devoted baseball fan. John passed before Ray could mend the relationship. As a teenager, young Ray typically knew “everything” and denounced Shoeless Joe Jackson as a “criminal” because of his role in the 1919 Black Sox scandal which resulted in Shoeless Joe and seven other players receiving a lifetime ban on playing their beloved sport, baseball. While walking in his cornfield one evening, Ray heard a voice “If you build it, he will come” and sees a vision of a baseball field with all the bells and whistles, including full night lighting. Ray convinces his wife Annie that they should build the field, and a ball field was built. To do so, productive corn acreage was removed, which imperiled the financial viability of the farm. The ball field was surrounded by corn.

A number of additional voices and visions followed, and one thing led to another until long-deceased Shoeless Joe emerged one evening from the corn and started practicing on the baseball field. He asked Ray permission to bring friends to play, and shortly the other seven members of the 1919 Black Sox came to practice. Eventually there were so many long-deceased baseball legends that they turned practice into spirited games.

I will leave it to you to watch the movie to see what “go the distance” meant and “people will come” and “ease his pain.” Ray eventually gets his opportunity to reconcile with his dad. The farm was saved because “people came” and paid to watch legends of the past play baseball. The movie ends with the lighted baseball field front and center and a long line of car lights en route to watch baseball. At one point a question is asked by one of the players to Ray, “Is this heaven?” Ray responds, “It’s Iowa.”

I hope to participate there some day. I hope more and more ATA shooters will also be able to visit the Stockdale “fields of dreams.”

Paul Shaw

ATA Eastern Zone Vice President

Pennsylvania

Starting out the 2019 target year, and ending the 2018 calendar year, the PSSA hosted the annual Westy Hogans shoot. Friday started out a bit hectic, as volunteers were needed for scoring and loading traps, and attendance was on par with last year. A big thank you goes to all those who helped throughout the day. Saturday was looking shaky, and Sunday turned into duck-hunting weather. The shoot was down overall by 628 entries, 618 of those on Sunday. Congratulations go out to our event winners: John Kirksey, singles, 200; Mike Blaisdell, doubles, 100; Jim Hartman, handicap, 99; Deborah Ohye-Neilson, HAA and HOA, 387 and 581; and Tammy Van Blargan-Hensel, Lady of America, 197. Look for more details in the full T&F write-up.

Continuing with a big start to the new target year were 15 shooters earning 74 trophies in Cicero, NY, at the Northeastern Grand American the following week. PA had several multi-trophy and event winners with Donald Schaffer Jr. and Chris Vendel bringing home the big awards. Don had six wins, including the Doubles Championship and the HAA, while Chris earned five trophies, including the Singles Championship. Frank Pascoe and Deborah Ohye-Neilson took turns in winning events while hauling back 10 and nine awards, respectively. Our ladies and youth shooters added a U-Haul to their rigs for the ride back home, as Bethany Breighner (11), Peggy Carney (five), Luke Cowart (eight), Kyle Kanuha (six), Wesley Beaver (four), and Zeke Raub (two) posted strong category wins. Don Neilson added four awards from the week, while Louis Toth Jr., Sheldon Hostetter, John White and Steve Fitch added a few more trophies to the PA contingent. Congratulations to everyone!

Over the past month I’ve been told of Matt Rebuck and Zach Missimer breaking their first 100 straights as well as Stephen MacNeal and Tyler Brown making the 27-yard line for the first time. Congratulations to all four for hitting these achievements!

Just short of sending this month’s article, the All-American teams were released. Pennsylvania representatives include captains Deborah Ohye-Neilson (Lady II) and Chris Vendel (sub-vet). Awesome consistency throughout the year for both shooters. Our other All-Americans: open first, Donald Schaffer Jr.; open second, Ian Darroch; Lady I first, Bethany Breighner; Lady II second, Kim Bateman, Lisa Long and Criona Doorly; sub-junior second, Joseph Breck IV, Kyle Kanuha and Kurt Willman; junior first, Luke Cowart; junior second, Wesley Beaver, Tyler Brown and Corre Smith; junior gold second, Aaron Hower IV; sub-vet first, Frank Pascoe and Ken Darroch; sub-vet second, Donald Neilson Jr.; veteran second, Steven Huber; and senior vet first, Sheldon Hostetter. Twenty-one All-Americans from Pennsylvania! Congratulations on a great target year and for representing our state on the various teams. Look for the full details of these shooters’ accomplishments in the coming issues of Trap & Field.

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate

Rhode Island

As the weather cools and the leaves start turning here in Rhode Island, I would like to take a moment to congratulate our shooters on a terrific 2018 season. We were able to have several shoots at both the Wallum Lake and Narragansett clubs that were well attended, and a great time was had by all. I would especially like to thank all the shooters who attended from out of state for their support and hope to see them again next season. We would not be able to run these events without the help of the respective trap committees and club members. Thank you all for giving your time and hard work.

We had four outstanding performances from Rhode Island shooters who made the All-American teams for 2018. First, our Lady II champion and multi-time team member Sue Smith. Joining his mom and making his first appearance on the sub-junior team was Jameson Smith. Jameson also won his first-ever shootoff while at the Cardinal Classic, smashing 25 straight for the win. Our state team captain Ron Pedro made the sub-veteran team for the first time. And our multi-time All-American team member John Federici had another excellent year for veteran placement. Congratulations to all, and thank you for representing our state on these prestigious teams.

The Narragansett GC will be holding a non-registered winter league continuing on Nov. 11 and 25, Dec. 9 and 23 and Jan. 6 and 20. These events are open to all and are lots of fun, so dress warm, come on out and break some clays.

We will be having our annual banquet and awards dinner at the end of January to include the election of officers, awarding of high average and state team members, and recognition of the 2019 R.I. Hall of Fame inductee. Invitations will be mailed next month, so please plan to attend and give some thought to serving on the board. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Visit our website ritrapshootingassoc.org for updates and shoot results.

If there are any Rhode Island shooters with milestones, first-time wins, or other trapshooting accomplishments, please let me know so we can celebrate these events with you in Trap & Field. I can be reached at [email protected] or on my cell at 401-474-0142.

Louis DiPrete

ATA Delegate

Alabama

Here it is November, the Dixie Grand is behind us, and we have just finished the Rebel Yell at Dixie Trap. I will be reporting on those events in December. The trapshooting year has just started, and shoots are going on all around us. Try to make it a point to get out and shoot at the local clubs. The small clubs in Alabama and surrounding states are the backbone to keeping our sport growing. Some clubs shoot year-round and afford shooters a chance to keep in the game. Practice is a very important part of shooting good scores. It is tough to hang it up in the fall, not compete for several months, and then come back and hope to have that edge you had at the end of the target year. I can tell you from experience, it does not work. It is so easy to forget foot placement, where you see the target to lock on it, etc. Why punish yourself with a long layoff? Just keep shooting; you know you love it, so why put your guns up until spring? There are plenty of deer in the woods, so missing one weekend in the deer stand may help you improve your scores when spring comes. See you out at the club getting that all-important practice in.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving, and don’t eat too much. It is a great time of year for family and friends.

Please continue to check out the website. There are always some scores to look at and maybe some important news.

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.

I hope to see you all on the line somewhere soon. If you need my help or have news to report, contact me anytime at 205-410-8201 or [email protected].

Fred Jensen

ATA Delegate

Florida

Fall has arrived in Florida, and trapshooting is ramping up here. This is the time of year when you want to get in some serious trapshooting practice. Practice at your local club will prepare you for those big tournaments later on. Following are the Florida clubs that have committed to have a registered shoot for you this month: Silver Dollar, which will be hosting the FTA Fall Championship Nov. 8-11; Volusia Co.; Robinson Ranch, look for its annual Buckle Shoot Dec. 1-2; Sarasota; Indian River; Tallahassee; Flagler; South Florida SC; Hurlburt; Gulf Coast Clays; Imperial Polk Co., which just received a financial grant from the ATA’s Gun Club Fund, so trapshooting improvements are on the way; Chuluota; Gulf R&P; and Markham Park. If you haven’t received a Florida shoot card, log onto Florida Trapshooting and print one off.

Amelia GC, under new ownership, will be making their debut scheduling some Big 50 shoots. When I receive dates and contact information, I will get that out to everyone. Gator S&T in Ocala has some new blood and renewed interest in registered targets. Again, as soon as I have their information, I’ll get that out to you. It just takes some interested individuals to get things rolling again. I wish them all success, as it would be extremely advantageous to rekindle registered shooting at these two fine clubs.

The ATA BOD approved by a vote of 28 to 20 to remove the 18-yard line from our handicap yardage. This change had effect on 74 shooters in our state. Those moved to the 19-yard line that was occupied by 211 handicap shooters. So the new total of 19-yard shooters in our state became 285. What does this mean? Just a little research further into our state’s handicap records show that we have approximately 650 active handicap shooters. If we would simply deduct the 285 handicap shooters from the total of the approximately 650 handicap shooters in the state, then numbers show that approximately 44% of our handicap shooters are on the 19-yard line. The remainder would be on some yardage from 20 to 27. As I look at those numbers, 74 shooters at 18 yards was about 12% of our total handicap shooters. And for the prior 211 handicap shooters that were on the 19-yard line added up 32%.

A word on membership average cards. At the Grand this year during our Southern Zone meeting and perhaps other meetings, the mailing of membership average cards was discussed. The electronic age and Internet have made the mailing of these cards an impractical method of doing business. The cost of mailing and handling prohibits the ATA from going back and resurrecting this procedure. The current method of printing your membership average card remains the same.

On Saturday during the FTA Fall Championship Shoot Nov. 8-11, the FTA will conduct its meeting, so if you are there, please make this part of your day.

I can be reached at 321-427-6553 or [email protected].

Larry Grenevicki

ATA Delegate

Georgia

The 2018 season is in the rearview mirror, and we all have a clean slate on which to work. I sure am glad to have some of those handicap scores that I shot behind me and am virtually certain it won’t happen again (right).

I’d like to start by congratulating J. T. Osborne and Gary Blair on making the All-American team for the second consecutive year. Guys, go on and make it three in a row. Also I’d like to announce that J. T. earned the Georgia state team captainship with the high composite average. I can’t remember a junior shooter ever achieving this in our state.

Since my last report, we have held the John Hiter Memorial and Hall of Fame shoots. The Hiter Memorial, with its sought-after trophies, brought out a good crowd as always. Randy Knight won a shootoff over Sam Weil and Max Owen to take the Singles Championship. Gregory Satterfield took ’caps with 93, and Mike Wasielewski won a coin toss over Mike Reed to take doubles with 96. Boone Butler earned HOA with 285×300.

The Hall of Fame shoot honored James Ray Grimes as our most recent inductee. Ray shared with us a John Hiter story that led to his nickname Double A Ray. You had to be there to truly appreciate it. It had to do with John’s reaction to Ray’s performance at Ray’s first Grand American, which he entered as a D-20-D shooter and exited as AA-26-A.

As for the HOF shoot results, Stephen Williams won the singles with 196 in a shootoff over the aforementioned AA Ray Grimes and Gavin Cosper. Shirley Duong took ’caps with 183×200, while doubles went to Boone Butler over Sam Weil on Saturday via coin toss after a pair of 96s. Sunday’s doubles went to Mike Wasielewski over John Harris by way of a coin toss after a pair of 92s.

I would like to express my gratitude to Ralph Reed for his service the past five years on the Hall of Fame Committee. You will be missed, but I know your replacement, Bruce Swinsky, will carry on your high standards.

Rich Griffith

           ATA Delegate

Kentucky

The first opportunity for trapshooters to register targets in the new target year was at the Heartland Grand at the Stockdale GC in central Iowa. The Kentucky trapshooters who took advantage of this opportunity were our KTL president John Kerr, Lady II All-American Martha Humphrey, sub-junior All-American Drew Wyatt and myself. Weather was mild and very wet. All of the Kentucky participants won trophies except yours truly.

The ATA All-American teams were announced on Sept. 15, with the following Kentucky trapshooters making teams: Keith Ditto, open first team; Kevin (Tank) Polson, open second; Melissa Tracy and Hannah Simpson, top two members of the Lady I second team; Martha Humphrey, No. 4 slot on the Lady II first team; Linda Cox made her first appearance on the Lady II second team; Drew Wyatt claimed the No. 4 slot on the sub-junior first team; D. Allen Everett made the sub-junior second team after being selected age-group Rookie of the Year; Connor Richardson, junior second; Bobby Fowler No. 3 slot in one of the toughest categories, junior gold; Donnie Sherrard, No. 2 slot on the sub-vet second team; Doug Cox and Chuck Minyard, also sub-vet second; Robert Dyer, captain of the veteran team with the highest total points for a Kentucky team member; Clayborn Hunter, senior vet first; and Bobby Bilbrey was third on the chairshooter team.

The Dixie Grand was Oct. 2 in Bostic, and the Autumn Grand in Tucson is coming up shortly. There will be opportunities to enjoy the great sport of trapshooting all winter and spring. Don’t put your gun away and forget it. When you can and weather allows, support your local clubs. Youth teams will start organizing shortly for next year, so take a young shooter with you when you can this winter. Please, if you have news that you think needs to be shared with other trapshooters, e-mail me at [email protected] or call 270-227-2262. Until next month, this is hoping everyone good health and many broken targets.

Vernon R. Anderson

KTL board member

Mississippi

Down here in the sunny South, it’s time for some good ole wintertime Mississippi trapshooting. We are fortunate that we can enjoy shooting year-round. Yes, it can get cold and rainy, but we can shoot all year, for the most part.

It is also a good time to look back and check our results from 2018. Mississippi placed Zeke Yeager on the 2019 junior gold All-American second team and longtime outstanding trapper Larry Rickman on the chair team. We are proud of our All-American team shooters just as we are proud of all our Mississippi shooters.

What’s new down here? We have a new shooter who has joined our ranks coming to us from up in Minnesota. His name is Scott Harrison, and he operates Collina Bed and Breakfast at Port Gibson. Scott has built a trap range and is working toward ATA certification. It sounds like a new trap venue in Mississippi and one at which we will enjoy in the years to come.

Want to shoot some Mississippi trap? Check our schedules on the ATA website and come join us. Our two primary facilities are the Capitol GC in Jackson and Coast R&PC down on the Gulf Coast at Biloxi. Both clubs offer year-round shooting and are always welcome to shooters from around the ATA.

Happy trappin’!

           Jerry Tharp

           ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Hurricane Florence is still affecting South Carolina with flooding as of this report. The good thing is Gary Olson reported all of the low state folks are okay. I am sure there will be a number of stories about the storm. We in the upstate were very fortunate; light rain and a max of 30 mph winds. As you know, we had to reschedule our Hall of Fame Shoot. I should have the results in next month’s report. We’re hoping all the bad weather is past. I’m looking for a long list of South Carolina winners from the Dixie Grand.

We have a husband-wife All-American combo in South Carolina, possibly a first for our state. Teresa Knight made first team Lady II, and Randy Knight made second team vet. Quite an accomplishment, Teresa and Randy; way to go, and keep the good shooting going.

John Mouson (father of Scott and Jon) shot his first 100 straight at a recent shoot at Hog Heaven in Tennessee. Congratulations, John. I am sure the boys will follow you soon.

Belton GC has resumed their Big 50 program, as Greenville will this month. Mid Carolina GC remains the leader in the Big 50 progam with two per month.

I am hoping everyone has a great Thanksgiving with too much food shared with your family and friends. We in South Carolina have several reasons to be thankful. We have generally good weather all year and great gun clubs that allow us to shoot all year.

I can be reached at [email protected].

Jim Faber

           ATA Delegate

Tennessee

It’s fall in Tennessee. As the leaves change and football is in full swing, this is a great time of year to get a head start on the 2019 registered target year. There are several fall shoots across the state that you can experience.

Tennessee is well represented on the ATA All-American teams again this year, including several shooters who are also AIM shooters. Tennessee shooters making All-American honors included Brooke Barnett, Lady I first (AIM member); Amy Dement, Lady I second; Gage Jarnigan, sub-junior second (AIM member); Caleb Clayton, junior first (AIM member); Hunter Morton, junior second (AIM member); Chandler Brown, junior gold first; Garrett Sweeney, junior gold second; and George Reese, senior vet second. Congratulations for representing Tennessee shooters on the ATA All-American teams.

Tennessee teams won awards in two of the National Team Races at the Grand American. Garrett Sweeney, Dillon Tosh and Taylor Bolin won runnerup in the junior gold category. Landon Meadows, Gage Jarnagin and Logan Meadows were third in sub-junior.

Get out and enjoy the cooler temperatures and support your local registered shoots. For gun clubs and shoot dates, visit www.shootatatn.com.

Rob Mathis

Tennessee AIM Director

for ATA Delegate Billy Cook

Colorado

September is coming to a close, and as usual for this time of year, shooting is slowing down. I hope you are able to go see all the wonderful colors before the snow comes. Where did the summer go? I don’t know about you, but I have had what I would call a kamikaze summer. I got so much done, but I’m not sure I accomplished anything.

I heard from my friends on the Eastern Slope that Tim and Lisa Brough at the Pawnee GC put on a mighty fine Harvest Handicap shoot over Labor Day weekend. I believe this was their 10th annual. I was told the weather was mostly sunny and warm, just right for pumping out some top notch scores. Tim tells me Michael Stevens posted his personal high score of 100 then backed it up with a solid second hundred straight (way to go, Michael).

Not to be outdone, Kevin Davis put up another one of his many 200 straights. The 200 handicap, which was shot on two consecutive days, was won by Denis Bringelson with 193.

Coming in with 97s were Raymond Knox and Scott Obenchain. Sunday’s doubles was won by Obenchain, 195. HOA went to Bringelson with 584×600.

There were shooters from Wyoming, Nebraska and all around the state of Colorado, 50 shooters in all.

Delta had their 58th Labor Day Shoot, and as expected, things went well with only a few minor setbacks. Good weather contributed to the high scores, including many hundred straights. There were 122 shooters who enjoyed a great brisket meal that was put on by the Cedaredge FFA kids. It looks like Delta’s new president Dennis Kelly and the rest of the staff were thinking out of the box when they contracted the Cedaredge High School football team and the girls’ basketball team to be trap help; good idea.

Colorado had a two-club east/west state zone shoot this year, with four zones competing on the east slope and one zone competing on the west slope. There were 108 shooters representing the five zones. Northern zone, which I believe is the smallest, won the team race this year. Members were AA, Scott Obenchain; A, Kelly Stout; B, Sharon Boller; C, Lori Linderman; and winning category were lady Michaela Worley and vet Jim Moyer.

ATA Vice President Mike Herman, with his vast programming skills, was able to keep both clubs lined out and running smoothly. Thanks, Mike.

After listening to many shooters from many clubs, I have come to the conclusion both clubs were run well and had few issues. I congratulate both Colorado Springs and Grand Junction for a job well done.

Bob Semsack, Colorado’s Alternate Delegate, says if you are looking for a place to eat a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings, go see the friendly folks at Cactus Flats on Nov. 11. Turkey and ATA, how can you go wrong with that?

I know it is a ways off, but next July 28, when the weather is hot and you need a break, go to the first ever Buena Vista SC state zone qualifier. Buena Vista, nestled in a beautiful part of Colorado, is a great getaway.

Once again, thanks to all of you for making my job easier.

Irv Effinger

           ATA Delegate

Missouri

Congratulations to the following Missouri shooters for their outstanding performances during the 2018 target year and making the ATA All-American team: open second, Darrell Farr and David Deitch; Lady I first, Samantha Foppe (captain); sub-junior second, Hayden Miller; junior second, James Boswell, Cody Crabtree and Bubba Darr; junior gold second, Ethan Boyer; sub-vet first, Marvin Beumer; sub-vet second, Steven J. Fuller; veteran first, Gary Gooch.

Shooters, it is your responsibility to read and understand the rulebook. You don’t necessarily have to be able to recite it word for word, but you should have an understanding of the rules. Recently at a shoot that I was attending, a shooter had a problem with the scoresheet and came to the clubhouse to explain the issue, which should have been addressed while on the field. The problem was an incorrectly marked box. The following rules apply to this situation; Section IV A. Paragraph 2. “The referee/scorer shall keep an accurate record of each score of each contestant. If he/she rules “DEAD” or “LOST,” the referee/scorer shall promptly mark / or X for “DEAD” and 0 for “LOST” on the score sheet.

“Any target scored other than clearly with /, X or 0, or which appears to be scored, with both an X and 0, shall be “LOST,” unless the word “DEAD” is clearly printed beside it. The scores of the competition shall be official and govern all awards and records of the competition. Paragraph 12. It is an error if the referee/scorer fails to properly mark the results of any shot in the section of the score sheet where the results should be recorded. In such cases it is the duty of that contestant to have any error corrected before he/she has fired the first shot at the next post or in the case of his/her last post before leaving the trap. If the shooter fails to have the score corrected, the recorded score(s) shall remain unchanged and no valid protest will be entertained.”

In this case, the shooter lost two targets from one post. There is a system in place in the ATA rulebook to address most any instance that can happen on the field during the competition. Please remember, we are all human and prone to making mistakes. Sitting in the scorekeeper’s chair all day is not an easy job. A kind word to them and thanks now and then certainly can’t hurt.

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

Stephen Ricketts

           ATA Delegate

New Mexico

Silver City had a shoot Sept. 14-16. I heard it was a good shoot. Farmington had their annual shoot Sept. 22-23. It was a good shoot with about 60 entries, good targets and better food. It’s about time for the Autumn Grand.

Make sure you print out your average cards on the ATA website, that way your average is current. The Internet isn’t always up to date, and if you get a yardage increase, make sure to let the classifier know.

Shoot well.

Bob Leibel

           ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

At Iowa Park’s Aug. 26 shoot, Pat Stacey won the singles with 100. Troy Collier topped the doubles, and handicap with 98. Ada S&TC will hold their club shoot Nov. 3. Mark Medlock won the Aug. 14 Tuesday evening shoot with 47, Ron Adams won the Aug. 21 shoot with 47, and Mike Grove headed the Aug. 28 shoot, also with 47.

Shawnee Twin Lakes TR had a beautiful day for their Sept. 2 shoot. Grove secured top honors in the singles with 98. Woody Barnes won the handicap and doubles with 90 and 95.

It rained off and on for OTSA’s Red Earth Shoot Sept. 8-9. There were 500 doubles shot on Saturday, and Rick Bliss won champion with 483. On the first 100, Grove and Kevin Lemke were high with 96s, and on the second 100 Rick Bliss and Grove were high with 96s. On the third 100 Ron Bliss was high with 99. On the fourth and fifth 100s, Rick led with 100 and 98. During the singles on Sunday, Grove broke 200 for champion. Colt Quisenberry and Pat Stacey had 199s. Charles LeadingFox broke 100 on the first 100 of the 200 singles. In the handicap Payton Cole broke 98 for champion, and Paul Hooper and Quisenberry both received a half yard for their 96s, winning categories. Tim Mount won short-yardage with 92, Nathan Lemke won mid-yardage with 95, and Stacey was long-yardage victor with 91. Young shooters Dakota Sliger and Kenyon Bert were awarded their first belt buckles.

Duncan’s Sept. 16 shoot was well attended. Targets were good, but it was cloudy, and the overcast made them hard to see at times. Several new shooters attended, and of them, Cole, wearing his Red Earth belt buckle he won the weekend before, broke 97 to win the singles. The handicap was won by David Maxwell with 94. In the doubles Lemke and Nash Farmer tied with 90s. Billy Pierce told me he started shooting trap at Duncan and visits his mother, who still lives there. He also told me he had a heart attack several weeks ago. After roto-rooting an artery and being shocked back to life, he is his ornery self again.

Collin Rindal won the Ada Sept. 18 Tuesday evening shoot with 47. Ada’s Sept. 22 Big 50 was rained out, but three shooters shot anyway, and Medlock’s 46 was high. Ada’s Sept. 25 shoot had three people tie with the high score of 43: Greg Belcher, Rindal and Don Bowers. A new 11-year-old shooter broke his first 25 straight. Creed Cooth was presented a 25 patch by Lowell.

Reaching milestones in their shooting careers were Pat Stacey, 75,000 handicap, and Robert Rimer, 50,000 doubles.

Abagail Colton was honored with her picture on the front page of the September issue of Trap & Field. Zane Arnold’s picture was also in the magazine.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin declared Sept. 22 National Hunting and Fishing Day for Oklahomans. Only in America!

Early in my 51-year career selling paint, I met a gentleman by the name of Troy Smith. He had a vision to start a drive-in food service with carhops. Thus Sonic Drive-Ins were born. Troy wanted every drive-in to be the same, so they would be recognized. He had me ship paint for every drive-in he built for years. Bill Griffin was another gentleman involved with Sonic. Bill was one of the Pot County Four who shot every week when I ran the Shawnee Twin Lakes TR. Pot is short for Pottawatomie County. They were there shooting, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Troy’s start of the first Sonic Drive-In turned into hundreds, then thousands. On Sept. 5 there were 3,606 Sonics in 45 U.S. states. Some of them had been relocated and expanded, but not one had ever been closed. The one in Purcell, OK, was moved across the street and made twice as big. The 3,000th Sonic was built in the city where it all began, Shawnee, OK. It was announced on Sept. 25 that Sonic was sold to Inspire Brands, who owns Buffalo Wild Wings, Arby’s and others, for $2.3 billion.

It was fortunate for shooters that the Dixie Grand was able to be held, despite the devastation Hurricane Florence caused. Oklahomans responded to the North Carolina recovery efforts. OG&E sent 79 trucks with personnel, Oklahoma firefighters, high water rescue teams, Oklahoma Baptist disaster teams, and Oklahoma Red Cross teams. All went to lend assistance where needed. This is the Oklahoma standard we all represent.

On Sept. 25, 350 Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers of the First Squadron 180th Regiment returned from a one-year deployment in Afghanistan. Some of them have been in multiple deployments. For one soldier having served for 19 years, this was his sixth deployment. This takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice of soldiers as well as their families. Let’s thank them and support them as they transition back into their lives.

           Tim Deister

           ATA Delegate

Texas

By the time you read this, it will be cold in the Texas Panhandle. November can sometimes have some very nice weather, but the cold, windy days will outnumber the pretty days. The older I get, the more the cold bothers me. I guess that’s just the penalty for living so long.

I am extremely proud of our Texas shooters; 10 made the All-American team: Dalton Jennings, open first; Jennifer Wilburn, Lady I first; Bridget Bearden, Lady I second; Patrick Hopson, junior gold first; Jeff Webb, sub-vet second; Joe Altom, veteran second; Marvin Allbright, veteran second; Larry Tagtmeyer, senior vet first; Charlie W. Long, senior vet first; and Gary Sherrod, senior vet first. Congratulations to each and every one of you.

Not having an up-to-date average card is still a huge problem. When you print an average card or hand me your phone instead of printing an average card, you must remember that there may be scores you have shot not on there. A club has eight days to send the shoot results to the ATA. Depending how busy they are at the ATA office, it could take a few days for the scores to be posted. You could possibly shoot two more shoots that will not be reflected on your card or phone. Please help the people who do classification (including me) to do their job correctly.

Read the rulebook. Who knows, you may learn something. Enough of that. (Can you believe you are getting off this easy?)

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope you can spend it with family and friends.

If you have news, please let me or Princess know, and I’ll do my best to get it in the column. Till next time, y’all shoot well, y’all shoot often, and y’all have a great time.

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate