shotgun Archives - Scholastic Clay Target Program

Allen Eagles Competitive Shooting Team wins 6th straight Texas State Championship

Written on May 10, 2018.

While thousands gathered for the NRA annual convention in Dallas on May 4-6 to pontificate about firearms, about 300 sixth through twelfth graders comprising two dozen youth shotgun teams convened at Ellis County Sportsman’s Club just 20 miles away for the Scholastic Clay Target Program’s 2018 Texas State Shotgun Championships. “Ellis County is one of the few venues in North Texas that can handle a tournament this size,” noted Coach Rich Keele. “For anything bigger, we pretty much have to use the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio.”

More than 70,000 targets and 3,000 boxes of shotgun ammo decided individual, squad, and team state champions in American Skeet, American Trap, and Sporting Clays. According to longtime supporter Bill Alford whose son shot on the first national champion squad for the Eagles, “The growth of youth shotgun sports is incredible. You know it’s grown when parents and coaches get frustrated because all the shoots fill up on the first day of registration.”

Hundreds of medals, trophies, and belt buckles were awarded to athletes in grades 6-12 competing in their respective classifications. For most, this was the pinnacle of their season having battled the elements throughout the 6-month league which started back in November. Many will compete in the Lower Midwest Regional Tournament in San Antonio June 16-17 along with athletes from OK, AR, and LA. A few will go on to represent Texas at the SCTP American Team Nationals July 18-22 in Marengo, OH versus 3,000+ shooting athletes from across the nation. Among the Eagles who have already qualified for the All-State-Team representing Texas at Nationals are Rob Beach (Trap), Trevor Christensen (Skeet), Sean Packer (Sporting Clays), and Grant Stelmach (Sporting Clays). Beach and Packer also qualified as All-Americans in Sporting Clays, while Morgan Scott and Brandon Stone qualified as All-Americans in Skeet.

The Allen Eagles Competitive Shooting Team won the High Overall Team Championship by a margin of 42 targets out of 1,500 over the Southlake Carroll Target Program who earlier this year placed 1st in the North Texas League by 29 targets over the Eagles out of 4,500 shot in 9 league events.

Also in the running for the HOA team state crown, 1 target separated 3rd place Red Oak High School Shotgun Team from 4th place Grace Cougars of Tyler with newcomer Keller High School Clay Target Team in 5th place by just 4 more targets.

Allen and Southlake tied for the Skeet team award. But, Allen got the win in a shootoff with Southlake veterans Nicholas Godfrey and Tyler Hall demonstrating exceptional sportsmanship. The Eagles took the Sporting Clays team award by 3 targets over the Dragons. And Pleasant Grove Shotgun Club bested Allen by 1 target out of 500 for the Trap Team Championship.

The level of competition just keeps getting tougher. Every year, there are more and better teams competing. “Every year, we graduate a bunch of great shooters and fool ourselves into thinking we’ve seen the best of the best. But each year, a new crop of young shooters step up to the plate and raise the bar,” noted Eagles head coach Jason Anderson. “We just reload.”

Allen had a host of individual and squad award winners too!

SKEET
Team: GOLD-Trevor Christensen, Morgan Scott, Nick Welch
Varsity Squad: BRONZE-Morgan Scott, Robert Beach, Sean Packer
Varsity Lady: GOLD-Morgan Scott, BRONZE-Bailey Finnelly
JV Squad: Trenton Christensen, Meredith McCarty, Garrett Koch
Intermediate/Advanced Squad: SILVER-Owen Lyons, Riley Showah, Brandon Martin
Intermediate/Advanced Athlete: GOLD-Owen Lyons
Intermediate/Entry Squad: GOLD-Nick Welch, Dylan Little, Tyler Stelmach
Intermediate/Entry Athlete: GOLD-Nick Welch, SILVER-Dylan Little

TRAP
Team: SILVER-Robert Beach, Bailey Finnelly, Sean Packer, Morgan Scott, Kaleb Carper
Varsity Squad: GOLD-Robert Beach, Bailey Finnelly, Morgan Scott, Jackson Harper, Jake Lundberg
& SILVER-Sean Packer, Kaleb Carper, Thomas Keele, John Lyons, Grant Stelmach
Varsity Lady: SILVER-Bailey Finnelly, BRONZE-Morgan Scott
JV Squad: SILVER-Ellie Moeller, Oliver Harrison, Presli Richmond, Hunter Rhodes, Joseph Showah
JV Lady: BRONZE-Ellie Moeller
Intermediate/Entry Squad: GOLD-Dylan Little, Nick Welch, Tyler Stelmach, Brett Windham, Luc Tomczak & SILVER-Austin Hodge, Alex Martin, Connor Bowles, Alex Bull, Samantha Gott & BRONZE-Hudson Cooper, Logan Martinez
Intermediate/Entry Athlete: BRONZE-Hudson Cooper
Intermediate/Entry Lady: BRONZE-Samantha Gott

SPORTING CLAYS
Team: GOLD-Sean Packer, Grant Stelmach, Thomas Keele
Varsity Squad: GOLD-Sean Packer, Grant Stelmach, Thomas Keele
Intermediate/Advanced Squad: SILVER-Owen Lyons, Brandon Martin, Riley Showah
Intermediate/Advanced Athlete: GOLD-Owen Lyons
Intermediate/Entry Squad: GOLD-Nick Welch, Dylan Little, Tyler Stelmach & BRONZE-Austin Hodge, Brett Windham, Luc Tomczak
Intermediate/Entry Athlete: SILVER-Nick Welch

HIGH OVER ALL

H.O.A. Team: GOLD-Allen

Skeet: Trevor Christensen, Morgan Scott, Nick Welch, Grant Stelmach, Sean Packer

Sporting Clays: Sean Packer, Grant Stelmach, Thomas Keele, Kaleb Carper, Nick Welch

Trap: Robert Beach, Bailey Finnelly, Sean Packer, Morgan Scott, Kaleb Carper

H.O.A. Varsity Athlete: BRONZE-Sean Packer
H.O.A. Varsity Lady: SILVER-Morgan Scott, BRONZE-Bailey Finnelly
H.O.A. Intermediate/Advanced Athlete: GOLD-Owen Lyons
H.O.A. Intermediate/Entry Athlete: SILVER-Nick Welch, BRONZE-Dylan Little
H.O.A. Intermediate/Entry Lady: BRONZE-Samantha Gott

Interested in Coach Training?

Written on August 31, 2017.

Do you have a need for coach certification in your area? If so, please let us know! Several of our SCTP and SASP staff are members of the NRA National Coach Development Staff and can travel to your location to conduct coach certification courses.

NRA Coach Development Schools are the heart of the NRA Coach Education Program. The instructors use up-to-date materials and multimedia presentations to present discipline-specific coach courses. The registration fee includes a copy of the discipline-specific coach school student study guide and other materials to help you with the details of coaching. Upon successful completion of the coach school you will be a Coach (Level 1) (or Youth Trainer if under 18 years old) in that discipline. Once approved, coaches may print their coach certificate and wallet card for their use.

What Is Taught In The School?

The Level 1 coach school is two days of sports-specific lessons and practical coaching exercises designed to teach the coach candidate the basics of coaching beginning and intermediate shooters. The following general subjects are taught:

Introduction to the Coaching Program
Safety and Risk Management
Competition Events
Rulebook use and shooting etiquette
Equipment and Facilities
Fundamentals of Shooting
Coaching Ethics
Coaching Methodology
Mental Training
Training Planning
Building Quality Programs
How To Conduct Tournaments

For more details or to setup a shotgun coach class in your area, please contact Chet Tuinstra (eastern US) or Carlton Nether (western US).

For more details or to setup a pistol/rifle coach class in your area, please contact Rick Leach.

For more information on the NRA Coach Education Program, please visit the NRA website.

SCTP Featured in Washington Times News Article

Written on September 22, 2015.

A recent Washington Times news piece highlighting the growth of the shooting sports among high school-aged youth boasts the accomplishments of Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) team member Lindsay Martin and acknowledges the SCTP for its valuable role in recruitment of millennials into the shooting sports. The article refers to the thousands of teens who participate in competitive shooting, saying it’s one of the fastest-growing sports for high schools in recent years.

The Washington Times interviewed Tom Wondrash, SCTP director, about the influx of youth participation in shooting sports in schools and the community. Wondrash told the publication he believes the growth is due to its inclusivity and opportunity for participation.

He’s quoted as saying, “What separates shooting sports from stick-and-ball sports is that when it’s time for our kids to go to a tournament, all the kids can compete — heavy, thin, tall, short, fast, slow, boy or girl — it doesn’t make them any different,” Mr. Wondrash said. “That’s what really lends itself to our sport.”

An Olympic hopeful, 17-year-old Martin is a member of the Dusters trapshooting team, which was established by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF). The senior at Glen Allen High School in Virginia is considered a rising star in her community. The only girl on the team, she’s becoming known as the “shotgun shooter.”

Martin says she is a fan of women learning to shoot, and she even teaches women how to fire a shotgun at her local gun range in Charles City County.

Martin is one of many youth featured in the media in recent years who are being recognized not only for their superb shooting skills, but for their positive character traits and citizenship values, which are promoted and encouraged through the SCTP and other SSSF programs.

Raise Team Funds with SKB Model 200HR Shotgun Promotion

Written on September 11, 2015.

Your SCTP or SPP team can raise operating money and endowment funds with the SKB shotgun promotion being offered by MidwayUSA Foundation. An SKB Model 200HR 28 gauge shotgun is offered to all youth shooting teams with a team endowment account.

MidwayUSA Foundation will provide a registration packet with additional details about the promotion and the information you need to sign up. Funds returned to your endowment account from this promotion will be matched.

This beautiful shotgun has a scalloped receiver with a rounded and sleek profile. The receiver, forend iron, and trigger guard are enhanced with hand-engraved scroll accents and finished with genuine bone charcoal color case-hardening. It also has a gold accented trigger. Accessories include a fitted luggage case, five thin-walled choke tubes, a choke wrench, and a trigger lock.

Your team can design its own promotion, such as a raffle, to raise funds with the shotgun.

See the promotional flyer for more information.

Briley Offering Pre-ordering for SCTP Nationals Purchases

Written on May 15, 2015.

Briley Mfg. is making plans for the SCTP National Championships in Sparta, and to help the company be well prepared to serve the participating athletes, they are offering pre-ordering of chokes and selected accessories to be picked up at the event. The “Buy One Choke, Get One Free” is a popular Briley offer each year, and with limited inventory at the event, they want to make sure to have the products you need when you shop in their store.

“The ‘Buy One, Get One’ is a once-a-year sale we love to do for the kids,” commented Briley’s Hannah Price. “We feel very strongly that youth are the future of shooting sports and hunting, and we are committed to helping in any way we can.”

Please note that the offer is for SCTP members only.

All orders must be placed no later than Wednesday, July 8. To order chokes, wrenches, and accessories, you should send the following information by email, mail, fax, or phone:

Please be specific regarding the style of chokes you want, i.e., silver extended, black extended, spectrum (color bands), ported, titanium, etc. Then list the constrictions (sizes) you want, i.e., SK, IC, LMOD, etc.

Helix chokes are $50 each and are not included in the Buy One, Get One offer.

If you need help selecting your chokes, contact Briley; any sales rep will be able to help you.

You should also include any wrenches, grease, choke cleaning brushes, snap caps, or other accessories you wish to purchase.

All orders must be paid for and picked up in Sparta. Shipping is not available for pre-orders.

“All the kids and their families have always been top notch, polite, grateful, and truly a pleasure to do business with,” said Price. “Briley would also like to thank all the parents, coaches, and chaperons for their hard work and commitment to the kids and this sport. Without you, this week of shooting would not happen.”

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Briley’s sales team in Houston at 713-932-6995 or smp@briley.com.

Kolar Announces SCTP Sponsorship

Written on February 5, 2015.

Kolar Arms has announced its support and sponsorship of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) for the 2015 shooting season.

“We are extremely excited to be part of the program promoting the shooting sports through our junior shooters,” stated John Fournier, Kolar Arms’ Director of Marketing. “We are looking forward to this great relationship and helping the SCTP in their endeavors.”

As a result of this sponsorship, some lucky person will win a Kolar Max Low Profile Over/Under shotgun. The winner will be able to exchange the barrels for a different set of either skeet or sporting clays barrels (at no charge) or can upgrade to a trap combo set for an additional cost. The winner will be drawn from tickets sold by teams across the country, benefiting both the SCTP and those teams.

“We are very happy to have Kolar Arms joining the lengthy list of industry supporters of the SCTP,” claimed Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “Kolar is a great fit into our program. This will certainly help support not only the SCTP, but also our teams and athletes.”

In further support of SCTP, Kolar, based in Racine, Wisconsin, will also be attending the SCTP’s National Championships being held July 13-18 in Sparta, Illinois. This will add to the large number of industry representatives making their presence and support of SCTP and youth shooting felt this summer.

A Trio of Shotgunning Tips from NSSF

Written on October 17, 2014.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation offers three important tips for shotgunners that can help you shoot better, hit more targets, and enjoy your day on the course more.

NSSF Video

Dan Rex Is Krieghoff K-80 Winner

Written on July 22, 2014.

Congratulations to Dan Rex of Audubon, Penn., drawn as winner of the Krieghoff Vintage Scroll K-80 shotgun worth more than $20,000. The drawing was held last Saturday night during the National Championships.

Raffle tickets for the gun drawing were sold for $50 each to raise money for the SSSF Scholarship Fund. SCTP and SPP teams also had the opportunity to sell the tickets to earn endowment funds.

Our congratulations to Mr. Rex!

SSSF Krieghoff K-80 Scroll Shotgun Raffle: Your Opportunity to Earn Endowment Funds!

Written on May 31, 2014.

Here’s an opportunity for everyone to win! Someone will be drawn as the winner of a Krieghoff K-80 shotgun worth more than $20,000 in an SSSF raffle at our National Championships this July, and the SSSF Scholarship Program will benefit from the ticket sales. Plus, your team can earn endowment money in the process! Here’s how that will work:

Tickets will sell for $50 each, and only 600 will be sold. Teams registered with active MidwayUSA Foundation, Inc. endowment accounts may request up to 20 tickets at a time to sell in their local area. Buy one yourself, or sell them to friends at the gun club, parents, or anyone who would like a 1-in-600 chance of winning a dream shotgun.

100% of the money raised, along with completed ticket stubs, will be sent to SSSF. We will then return $25 per ticket to the team’s MidwayUSA Foundation, Inc. endowment account, where it will be matched 2:1.

That means for every 20 tickets your team sells, your endowment account gains a total of $1500! The remaining proceeds from the raffle will go toward the SSSF Scholarship Program.

Remember, only 600 tickets will be sold, so jump on this fast!

Tag: shotgun