SCTP Blog Archives - Scholastic Clay Target Program

SCTP International Team at USAS Selection Match

Written on February 27, 2023.

Held at the Tucson Trap & Skeet Club, February 3rd-8th, 2023, this USA Shooting Selection Match was used in combination with the 2022 USAS Nationals in Hillsdale last summer to determine the 2023 National Team as well as this year’s World Championship Team. This was also the first part of the selection process for the 2023 Pan American Games Team. The World Championships will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan and the Pan Am will be in Santiago, Chile.

SCTP International Team athletes Ramsey Bodeen, Sophia Bultema, Caleb Cutler, Heidi Griner, Cole Prince, Abbey Wigh (2022 alumna) and Lacy White were present for their concentration of Bunker Trap, while Josh Corbin (2022 alumni), Jerrod Croley, Kyle Fleck, Zach Hinze, Westley Kiter, Matthew Peterson, and Emily Rasmussen shot International Skeet. The SCTP International Team is supported by SCTP Red Diamond Sponsor, Winchester Ammunition.

“While we didn’t have any of our current team members earn a place on the National Team at this match, we had some very solid performances. I was extremely proud of the effort every single one of these athletes gave. They had to contend with strong winds and some cold temperatures. I can’t help but think that the miserable weather we experienced at the training camp in Crossville helped prepare them for this!”
SCTP International Team Head Coach, Terri DeWitt

Congratulations to Caitlin Connor-Royer, SCTP International Team Skeet Coach, for earning a slot on the 2023 National Women’s Skeet Team!

Other significant results:

Josh Corbin – Silver medal, Collegiate Men, Skeet

Kyle Fleck – Bronze medal, Collegiate Men, Skeet

Emily Rasmussen – Silver medal, Collegiate Women, Skeet

Caleb Cutler – Gold medal, Men’s Under 18, Trap

Heidi Griner – Gold medal, Women’s Under 18, Trap

Cole Prince – Gold medal, Collegiate Men, Trap

Lacy White – Bronze medal, Collegiate Women, Trap

Sophia Bultema – Gold medal, Women’s Paralympic Trap

Heidi Griner (far left) and Lacy White (far right)

Winchester Continues Support of SCTP Through 2024

Written on February 13, 2023.

Winchester Ammunition has continued its support of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) as a Red Diamond Sponsor in 2023. This three-year agreement through 2024 is indicative of Winchester Ammunition’s long-term support of the youth shooting sports program. Despite an extremely high demand for their products, Winchester Ammunition continues as the official ammunition of the SCTP and the SCTP International Team, which is made up of the top 15 SCTP youth shooters in the international disciplines of skeet and bunker trap.

“As the official ammunition for SCTP and the SCTP’s International Team, Winchester remains committed in supporting the growth of the shooting sports,” said Jason Gilbertson, Director of Marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “The SCTP is an exciting and growing organization built with committed leadership, coaches, athletes and parents. We’re excited for the upcoming season.”

“We are thankful for and encouraged by the tremendous support from the best in the industry, year after year,” beamed SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. “Our shared vision of the exponential growth of youth shooting sports is realized through Winchester’s remarkable support. As a Red Diamond Sponsor of the SCTP, Winchester has shown their dedication by supporting our members across the board. From the newer shooter benefiting from the spring shotshell program, all the way up to our elite SCTP International Team who is given the resources to compete at the highest level. We are thrilled to have the continued support of Winchester Ammunition!”

SCHEELS Continues Sponsorship of SCTP

Written on February 6, 2023.

SCHEELS continues their support of youth shooting sports as part of their 3-year sponsorship of the Scholastic Clay Target Program through 2024. The outdoor retailer, with over 30 locations throughout 13 states works closely with the SCTP to support the vision of exponential growth of youth shooting sports.

“Scheels is Proud to Partner with SCTP to support their goals of creating an environment to teach life lessons and skills that emphasize positive character traits and citizenship values.” -Nathan Johnson, Communications & Sponsorship Manager

“The SCTP is fortunate to have support from some of the biggest names in the outdoor space,” commented Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “SCHEELS is a notable supporter of youth shooting sports and as a SCTP Red Diamond Sponsor, that support can be seen from SCHEELS headquarters all the way down to the local retail stores. This top to bottom effort stands as an exceptional example of support from the industry that goes beyond just money. We are very thankful for dedication of SCHEELS throughout the years and look forward for years to come!”

The SCTP is excited to be working with SCHEELS, with a focused partnership between SCTP teams and their respective community’s SCHEELS retail locations. The opportunity to start new teams in areas as well as grow in communities with current team/store overlap will prove to be a win-win scenario in the current youth shooting sports season and beyond.

If you or your company are interested in getting involved with the SCTP in support of youth development and youth shooting sports and teams, please contact SCTP National Director Tom Wondrash at tom@mysctp.com

SCTP International Team Training Camp Highlights

Written on January 3, 2023.

_{Pictured back to front, left to right:
Zach Hinze, Matthew Peterson, Cole Prince, Jerrod Croley, Westley Kiter
Lacy White, Emily Rasmussen, Gracie-Marie Hensley, Ramsey Bodeen, Caleb Cutlerex}

With a year-long shooting season, the SCTP closed the calendar year with two training camps to hone skills and prepare for important events down the line. Sponsored by Winchester Ammunition, the SCTP International Team is made up of some of the best SCTP athletes in the country. These athletes showed they were ready to earn their spot when it came time to the finals shootoffs, held at SCTP Nationals each July.

As the official youth feeder program for USA Shooting, the SCTP International Team focuses on preparing for high-level events. The team’s Head Coach, Terri DeWitt, a former Olympian herself, sets the team up for success by providing a breadth of additional training that includes sports science topics and realistic conditioning.

In early November, the team traveled to Crossville Shooting Sports Park, in Crossville, TN for the first training camp of the season. Joining the coaching staff for the camp was SCTP alumna, Caitlin Connor-Royer, an 8X ISSF World Cup Silver Medalist, 2018 World Champion, 2022 World Cup Gold Medalist, and 2022 President’s Cup World Cup Final Gold medalist. Caitlin provided world-class instruction for the team’s International Skeet athletes.

Serving as an introduction to performance skillsets (technical, tactical, mental, physical), the camp incorporated range time with sport-specific stretching, core and balance exercises, vision training exercises, and discussions about the importance of self-talk and mental strategies. Always focused on realistic conditioning, or “practice like you play”, this training embraced cold and wet weather. “In spite of less than ideal conditions, I think we got some excellent training in the sense of accepting the things you can’t control, adapting to the situation and still getting the job done,” said DeWitt.

Pictured back to front left to right:
Caleb Cutler, Josh Corbin, Ramsey Bodeen, Kyle Fleck, Matthew Peterson, Zach Hinze, and alumni Jordan Sapp, Emersyn Berck, Ashlyn Berck (walk-on), alumna Loretta Christian

Closing out the calendar year was a trip to Tucson, Arizona for preparation of USA Shooting’s Selection Match in February, 2023. “We wanted to get some training time on the same ranges they’ll be competing on,” commented DeWitt. “In addition to setting look and hold points on each field, we emphasized pressure training in the form of finals practice. Athletes also started building their individual mental workouts, based off of Dr. Jason Selk’s book, 10-Minute Toughness, setting one or two outcome goals for next year with process goals in place for each.”

Returning again to instruct International Skeet athletes was former SCTP athlete, Caitlin Connor-Royer. “The 2022 SCTP camps were great, we have a lot of talented young athletes across both international disciplines of trap and skeet,” said Connor-Royer. “I am very excited to see each of them accomplish their goals in 2023 and beyond.”

2023 Collegiate Clay Targets Championship Official Match Program

Written on December 6, 2022.

2023-ACUI-Collegiate-Clay-Target-Championships-Match-Program-Version-12.5.22

Briley Continues Support as SCTP Bronze Sponsor

Written on November 15, 2022.

Briley, famous for chokes and tube sets is continuing its support of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) at the Bronze Level. Historically, Briley’s support of the SCTP surges ahead of the National Championships, with Briley’s expert team lending assistance to teams and athletes preparing for the biggest competition of the year. Now as a season-long sponsor, Briley is doubling-down on their support of youth clay target teams in the SCTP with their Bronze Level Sponsorship.

Founded by an avid skeet shooter and experienced machinist, Briley Manufacturing quickly set a standard in the industry with their screw in choke system and sub gauge tube sets. As their client base continued to grow, their expertise was sought out, going on to produce and supply key components and prototypes to such industry giants as Ruger, Remington, Krieghoff, Browning, Smith & Wesson, Colt, H & K, U.S. Repeating Arms. Now as a powerhouse in the industry, Briley has expanded to offer rifle and pistol gun services, accessories, and other products for original equipment manufacturers.

“Myself and the entire Briley Mfg team are thrilled to continue our support of SCTP!” Said Hannah Price of Briley Mfg. “We truly believe these youth competitors and their families are the future of this incredible sport. It’s been a privilege to see the amazing work SCTP does along with watching these kids grow. We will continue to support, educate and help in any way we can with the best products!”

“We’ve come to work closely with Briley each year, especially leading up to our National Championships in July,” commented SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash. “Their team works closely with our members and offer exclusive pricing for youth athletes as they prepare for the biggest competition of the season. We are very thankful to officially welcome aboard Briley as a Bronze Sponsor of the SCTP and are humbled to have their continued support of youth clay target sports.”

Dawson Enterprises Joins as SCTP Bronze Sponsor

Written on November 7, 2022.

Dawson Enterprises, clay target sports retailer and Cardinal Shooting Center vendor, has signed on to support youth shooting sports at the Scholastic Clay Target Program’s Bronze level. The retailer has proudly served clay target competitors for over 44 years and specializes in high-end competition shotguns and equipment. Dawson Enterprises was founded by avid trap shooters whose involvement in the Ohio trap shooting community continues to this day as a multi-generation family business. Present during the SCTP’s record-breaking 2022 National Championships at the Cardinal Shooting Center, Dawson Enterprises has doubled-down in support of SCTP athletes year-round.

“We are very excited to be a sponsor for the SCTP. It is imperative that we do all we can to educate and support today’s youth about the shooting sports. We have enjoyed watching the growth of their National competition over the years and are glad we have had the opportunity to interact with the youth competitors, families, and coaches at Cardinal Center.” -Kim McCarthy, CEO

“We are always happy to see new and returning sponsors each season,” commented Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “When a venue vendor such as Dawson Enterprises reaches out to directly support our youth program, we are further energized in our mission of youth development through shooting sports. The SCTP is thrilled to have Dawson Enterprises on board as a new Bronze Sponsor!”

ACUI & SCTP 2022–23 Season Updates – September

Written on September 28, 2022.

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2022 Coach Training Update

Written on September 15, 2022.

Coaches,

Since we have rolled out of our SSSF Shotgun Coach and Action Shooting Coach programs, SCTP and SASP will no longer be requiring coaches to take the Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double-Goal Coach®: Coaching for Winning & Life Lessons class online. Removing reference to the class and the expired code from SHOT are being planned for a update this season. We did not want to cause any confusion for our coaches with the code now having expired, so thought we would send you this message. We look forward to seeing you at an SSSF coaching class in the future, and thank you for all you do for the athletes and our programs. Any questions on this please feel free to reach out to the SCTP or SASP National Offices.

Thanks,

Tom Wondrash and Rick Leach

National Directors

Terri Dewitt Joins SCTP as Southeast Director of Development

Written on September 12, 2022.

Terri DeWitt, former Olympian and Head Coach of the Scholastic Clay Target Program’s International Team has joined the SCTP full-time as the Director of Development, Southeast Region.

As a DOD, DeWitt will bring her previous experience with the SCTP to help grow established programs and start new teams in her designated region, as well as assist with state, regional, and national SCTP competitions. This assigned southeast territory includes KY, VA, TN, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, and MS.

Terri DeWitt has an exceptional resume to further assist the growth of youth shooting sports through the SCTP. DeWitt won three silver medals and one bronze in team trap/ team trap doubles at the World Shooting Championships since 1994, some under her maiden name of Terry Wentzel. She was a six-time National Champion, and in all, won 16 medals at World Cup events. In 1996, she was a U.S. Olympic Team Member as part of the Women’s Double Trap Team.

As Head Coach of the SCTP’s International Team since 2017, DeWitt has helped cultivate and prepare the next generations of international competitors, including recent Olympians. With a Master of Sport Science, Sport Coaching from the United States Sports Academy, DeWitt offers enhanced knowledge for the clay target competitor at the highest level. As the official youth feeder program for USA Shooting, the goal of the SCTP’s International Team is to provide additional opportunities for competitors with a path to the USA Shooting Team in mind.