Banner Day foor U.S. Skeet at Junior World Cup 2019

Posted By on July 22, 2019

 

Six medals, three titles and a U.S. sweep was quite the haul for America’s Shooting Team as they enjoyed an absolutely banner day in Skeet at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup from Suhl, Germany. 

(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – July 18, 2019)

USA Shooting’s campaign rallying cry through 2020 is #RaiseTheFlag and nowhere has that been more prominent since it launched April 24 than on the Suhl skeet range Thursday.  The U.S. flag was raised early and often for USA’s junior shotgun program throughout the Junior World Cup, nine times in all in fact, including three of the four individual gold medals. Add to that impressiveness the six Junior World Championship medals earned in Italy recently, including two gold.

Austen Smith and Conner Prince led today’s festivities, turning Lonestar talk to Dualstar triumph as the Texas natives earned gold medals in both Women’s and Men’s Skeet. But that wasn’t all there was to talk about as Smith helped ushered in a U.S. medal sweep and a team title while Prince helped bring home a team silver medal as well.

Today began with Smith (Keller, Texas) tying the Open Women’s World Record with a qualifying score of 123/125. Equally game, like always, were her shooting mates of Sam Simonton (Gainesville, Georgia) and Katie Jacob (Rochester, Michigan), who qualified for the Final as well following scores of 114 and 119, respectively. Smith’s record score tied that of her teammate Simonton, which she set earlier this season in a World Cup event in Acapulco, Mexico.

How dominant were they in Qualification? Let’s just say these three U.S. women won the team title by a massive 20 points over their Chinese foes, and their combined score of 356 also equaled the Open World Record that Simonton was a part of during the recent World Championships that also featured 2017 World Champion Dania Vizzi and six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode.  It was also one point higher than the last skeet medal sweep for Team USA, that featured Rhode, Caitlin Connor and Amber English.

Once in the Final, the inevitable happened for three of skeet’s rising stars, a three-way battle for Suhl skeet supremacy.  Thru the first 20 targets, Smith and Simonton had two misses each with Jacob at three. Over the next 20 shots, Smith would miss five times while Simonton and Jacob just missed once each, so Simonton was on top at this point with 37/40, while Jacob was 36/40 and Smith was 33/40. Jacob missed three of the next four targets, which ultimately forced her elimination as the bronze medalist in the tight contest, tying with Smith after 50 shots with a 43 while Simonton was still in front with a 45. Ties are broken by bib order (top qualification score) until the final two-spots in the ISSF Final and since Smith had the top Qualification score, she would advance.

Down two going into the final 10 shots, Smith focused in and hit nine targets to Simonton’s seven targets which set up a dramatic shoot-off duel between the two rising forces. Both would connect on their first pair before Simonton missed a target on the next pair to decide the epic match with Smith winning World Cup gold and Simonton taking the silver.  Despite the final ranking, it proved to be a match in which all three Americans were deserving of the top spot at some point during the Final.

This isn’t the first time the three of them shared the podium, and it won’t likely be the last.  They combined forces like this at the 2017 World Championships, with Jacob earning the world title, Smith grabbing the silver medal, and Simonton walking away with the bronze medal.

The 17-year-old Smith wraps up a hot couple of weeks in which she also won her first national open title, won a Junior World Championship Mixed Team title with Alex Ahlin, earned a Junior World Championship Team bronze medal with Jacob and Jasmine Otis, and finished eighth at the Junior World Championships individually.

The 19-year-old Simonton continues her impressive year competing in the both Open and Junior divisions after setting the World Record, earning both National Junior Titles, winning World Championships Team gold, and finishing 13th individually at World Championships.

Jacob has been a steady force in the junior ranks and she left her mark in her final year before moving to the Open ranks. She just finished runner-up at the Junior World Championships and she won this event twice in back-to-back years in 2016 and 2017.  Last month, she was the bronze medalist in the Open division of USA Shooting’s National Championships and finished second to Simonton at the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships.

PRINCE CHARMING IN SKEET

Charming for us but certainly not for the opponents facing him today was Conner Prince (Burleson, Texas).  A face so fresh onto the skeet scene the ISSF didn’t even have his picture on their website.  They’ll have plenty now as he ascended to the top step of the podium in Men’s Skeet with a dominating Finals performance. Missing just four targets out of 60 left his Finals foes in the dust as he claimed the old medal by nine shots over China’s Liangliang Wu.  His 56 in the Final was two away from the Junior World Record.  After a third miss on the 14th pair, Prince would faulter just one other time over his final 16 pairs.

The 19-year-old Prince tied two others for top score in Qualification with a score of 120/125 and would settle for bib No. 3 after a shoot-off, which could have been significant had Prince not blown everyone away in the Final.  Among the Finalists was Junior World Championship bronze medalist David McNeil from Great Britain who would wind up fourth, with his countrymen George Harrison earning the bronze medal.

Prince is coached by former skeet standout Dustin Perry, the 2015 Pan American Games silver medalist who finished fourth for 2012 Olympic Team consideration as a junior. Asked what his proudest moment to date was, today’s result from his pupil or his competition days, he had this to say, “Definitely seeing Conner succeed, but he is not done. He is a great kid with a bright future and his accomplishments will only become greater. He is the hardest working young man I know.”

Perry went on to discuss Prince’s mental approach to the game that Thursday seemed flawless.

“Conner has always had the ability, which is why I urged him to start shooting international skeet. His biggest drawback had always been his mental game. And in the last year, he has become more confident and now seems to thrive in competition as opposed to before when he seemed be a slight bit fearful of it. Vincent [Hancock] also has helped Conner out as well. I believe Conner has taken coaching from both of us and formed his own way of shooting.”

Alex Ahlin (Bamburg, South Carolina) came up one target short of a possible Finals spot, shooting a 116.  Ben Keller (Johnstown, Colorado) shot a 113 to place 24th. Their combined efforts netted them a silver-medal finish in the team results, one target off the pace of Team Finland.

RIFLE/PISTOL ACTION

In other action Thursday, Morgan Kreb (Colorado Springs, Colorado) was high finisher in Women’s Three-Position Rifle featuring 99 competitors, putting forth a 25th-place finish after a score of 1160.  With identical scores of 1146, Katie Zaun (Buffalo, North Dakota) and Sarah Osborn (Hampton, Virginia) finished 58th and 59th.

Men’s Air Pistol was also contested with Paul Kang (Los Angeles, California) recording the highest finish, placing 54th with a score of 560.  With identical scores of 557, Kyler Swisher (Palmyra, Pennsylvania) and Sam Gens (Andover, Massachusetts) finished 65th and 66th.

The Junior World Cup concludes Friday with matches in Men’s Three-Position Rifle and Air Pistol Mixed Team.

WATCH IT NOW OR AGAIN: PRINCE CROWNEDSKEET SWEEP

JR WORLD CUP RESULTS: http://bit.ly/2JONe4e

Ruger Precision .22 Long Rifle

Posted By on July 15, 2019

By Andy Fink, Brian Hamilton, Andy Fink V, Kaden Barney (15)

We do a lot of long-range shooting and actually have a long-range team that competes, shooting out to 1,600 yards. We were very excited when the Ruger Precision Rimfire was announced and very anxious to get one. Currently, only offered in .22LR, it has an adjustable comb and length (12”-15.5”) stock, and a Magpul M-LOK free-floating handguard. Its weight is 6.8 pounds which is 3 pounds less than its big brother, the Ruger Precision Rifle which we have written about previously.
Shooting this rifle is just plain fun! The practice you can achieve at a fraction of the cost of its big brother is significant. Shorten the distance you normally shoot, make the targets equally smaller, and off you go. Here is what some of the people who shot it thought:

Brian (coach)

The Ruger Precision .22 LR is Ruger’s gift to long-range shooting in a small package. The great look and feel of the large-caliber precision rifle in just a .22 Long Rifle caliber. This rifle is good for all ages and for both new and experienced shooters, whatever your experience level may be. Ruger uses 4140 Chromoly steel machined receivers with a picatinny rail. The cold-forged barrel is threaded for muzzle brakes and suppressors. It has a one-piece, glass-filled nylon chassis with an adjustable shoulder stock assembly. The fully adjustable stock makes it the perfect setup for .22 LR precision shooting practice for your long-range shooting or just having a great time.

Andy Fink V

The overall experience shooting the Ruger precision .22 Long Rifle was enjoyable and something I would love to do again. Major highlights about the gun include: 1) The stock and how it felt during each shot, and the time in between shots; 2) The scope that was on the gun, how well I was able to see, and how accurate I was while using it; 3) The trigger pull while shooting; 4) How the recoil affected the accuracy and ability to control the gun mid shot.

The stock of the gun felt comfortable in the shoulder pocket, enough to aid in lessening the recoil while firing. The scope was a Redfield Battlezone TAC.22, TAC-MOA 3-7x, and it was a good match to the rifle. The crosshair was clear and was not a distraction during shooting. The trigger pull of the Ruger precision .22 LR allowed for controlled shots. It was very light and smooth. Finally, the recoil was minimal-to-none which is perfect for any new shooters, or people returning to the sport after periods of time away from the sport.

I like this Ruger rifle and would love to shoot it again. Ruger, in general, is a favorite brand of mine. Anyone looking to practice long-range precision shooting should look at this .22 LR rifle to practice with from 100-300 yards. Shooting at a fraction of the price with low recoil makes this another great product from Sturm Ruger & Company. You should give this one a shot! 😉

Kaden

The Ruger Precision Rifle was a .22 LR caliber and shot well at 100 yards. I hit the small popper 13/15 times. The scope on the Ruger Precision Rifle was a Battlezone TAC.22 MOA. It was a really light gun and had no recoil. This rifle had a safety by the trigger and the trigger was smooth and easy to pull. I would love to have one. It would make a great prairie dog or whistle pig gun.

SASP Athletes Train & Compete at the Olympic Training Center

Posted By on June 30, 2019


Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) athletes had the opportunity to train and compete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.  From May 24-26, 2019 12 Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) athletes learned to shoot the International disciplines of 10 Meter Air Pistol, Sport Pistol and Rapid-Fire Pistol.  Athletes stayed at the Olympic Training Center and were trained by USA Shooting Coach Brent McPherson and former USA National Team Member and USA Shooting Board Member Jim Henderson.   This was SASP’s first Junior Olympic Development Camp (JODC) in 5 years.

For action shooters the athletes picked up the Olympic disciplines quickly.  Before they left the Olympic Training Center 8 of 12 athletes shot 10M Air Pistol scores that would have qualified them last year to be invited to the Junior Olympic Trials for a chance to make the United States Junior Olympic Team.  Coach Jim Henderson stated, “In all my years of coaching I have never seen a group of athletes pick this up so quickly, and then perform at this high of a level.” 

Congratulation to the following SASP athletes who applied and were selected to attend the SASP 2019 JODC.

Jordan Walton WI, Annie Unsell AL, Bailey Lueders MO, Julia Kassa AZ, Sydnie Gray MI, Natalie Unsell AL, Jacob Pruitt OH, Ethan Jardines VA, Robert Little TX, Sawyer Phipps TN, Zachary Winton TX, and Maccoy Gilkison VA.

SASP coaches and staff also participated in an international discipline coach’s clinic on May 22 and 23 before helping coach the SASP athletes upon their arrival.  Russell Gilkison VA, Samantha Engle MI were the coaches that participated in the coach program.

SASP is excited to watch as these athletes continue to participate in the International disciplines with hopes of one day seeing one of them standing on the podium and the American Flag is raised as they represent our county in international competition.

We look forward to again holding a JODC in 2020.

SASP would like to thank USA Shooting, especially Brent McPherson and Jim Henderson for their coaching and working with us to provide this great opportunity for our athletes.  We would also like to thank the US Olympic Training Center for their hospitality.

About the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is 501(c)(3) public charity responsible for all aspects of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) across the United States. SCTP and SASP are youth development programs in which adult coaches and other volunteers use shooting sports to teach and to demonstrate sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, teamwork, and other positive life skills.

For more information about SSSF, visit www.sssfonline.org

Media Contact
Gary Weisbaum
gweisbaum@sssfonline.com
847-528-4300

National Air Rifle Athletes Travel to Camp Perry to Compete in June

Posted By on June 25, 2019

By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer

 CAMP PERRY, Ohio – The 2019 CMP National Three-Position Air Rifle Championships will be held June 27-29 and July 13-15 at the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center in Ohio. After months of intense competition, over 350 hopeful junior marksmen, families and friends will gather to witness who will reach the podium on the National stage in both sporter (June) and precision (July) classification matches.

The event is free and open to the public, meaning anyone is welcome to visit and encounter some of the most talented junior marksmen in the country. Guests will also be able to personally see CMP’s electronic air gun targets, which are scored optically by internal LED lights. The range also features monitors at each firing point and large overhead monitors for spectators to keep track of scores.

The National Air Rifle Championship is a 3×20 match where competitors fire 20 record shots from three positions: prone, standing and kneeling. Junior JROTC, 4-H and club team precision and sporter marksmen involved in the competition began their journey with the CMP Postal Competition in November, with the top athletes moving on to the Regional Championships in March and April. Overall high individuals and teams of Regionals then qualified for the National Championship.

To reward the hard work of dedicated junior athletes and coaches, the CMP administers thousands of dollars in monetary funds towards teams who qualify for the Regional events, with additional funds presented to qualifiers reaching the CMP National Championship. A scholarship check for $1,000 is also available for the top three highest-scoring senior athletes in both the sporter and precision classes at the National competition as a symbol of CMP’s continued support of junior marksmanship for the current generation and into the future.

Junior marksmen participating in the CMP National Championship will automatically be entered in the USA Shooting National 3P Junior Olympics – fired at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center. Sporter competitors will compete on June 28, while precision competitors will follow on July 14.

For more information on the CMP National Three-Position Air Rifle Championship, visit http://thecmp.org/national-three-position-air-rifle-championships/. Junior Olympic info can be found at: http://thecmp.org/national-three-position-air-rifle-championships/junior-olympic-three-position-air-rifle-state-championships/.

About the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center:

The Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center features authentic Olympic and other memorabilia from the career of celebrated American marksman, Gary Anderson. Marksmanship Nights, held year-round at the range for the public, allow visitors of virtually any age and experience levels to try their hands at air rifle or air pistol shooting. Large LED screens placed throughout the range space display each competitor’s target, making the match spectator-friendly. CMP staff members are also on hand to answer questions for those wanting to learn more about the safe, fun and growing sport. For more about the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center, visit http://thecmp.org/air/cmp-competition-centers/.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.

Garrison Golden Again & Brosseau Shines at Junior Olympic Trap Championships

Posted By on June 15, 2019

By: Kevin Neuendorf

(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – June 12, 2019) – A marathon start to this shotgun summer concluded Wednesday at International Shooting Park in Colorado Springs for 186 talented junior participants that fired at as many as 475 competition targets over a two-week stretch.

Competing at the two-day National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC) after a five-day National Championship left competitors physically and mentally fatigued. Athletes like Carey Garrison, Heather Broski, Jade Krolikowski and Grayson Davey pushed through to earn medals at both events while Jack Brosseau made sure people were talking about him at the conclusion of the festivities.

Tennessee natives Garrison and Broski might hail from the Volunteer State but neither of them was voluntarily stepping back from anything in the quest for top junior supremacy in Women’s Trap.  Saturday it was Broski (Spring Hill) winning the Junior National title by two targets. Wednesday it was Garrison’s (Crossville) turn, claiming a second-straight NJOSC title by three targets over Broski. Claiming third each time behind the Tennessee duo was Krolikowski (Dannebrog, Nebraska), who had a true breakout performance in Colorado to earn a spot on USA Shooting’s Junior Olympic Squad.  Garrison topped all qualifiers with a 118/125, four targets better than Broski.

Garrison is on quite a run after also earning the title of Mixed Team champion with Roe Reynolds (Quitman, Arkansas) Saturday. Garrison has been so successful in the event the past couple years, you sometimes forget that she’s still just 14. She was Junior National Champion at age 12 and was the youngest USA Shooting athlete ever to make a World Championship team when she competed in Changwon, South Korea in 2018.  She began the year finishing second among juniors at the Spring Selection Match.

Nicole Manhave (Longview) finished fourth as well in both events. Ryann Phillips (Gail, Texas) was fifth followed by Madeleine Taylor (Eagle River, Alaska) and Sydney Krieger (Prior Lake, Minnesota). Taylor, Phillips and Krieger would finish in the top-three spots for the J2 (ages 15-17) podium while Sophie Nostrom (Maple Valley, Washington) and Lexi Henning (Muscatine, Iowa) went 1-2 in the J3 (14 and younger) classification.

Brosseau saved his best for last and a perfect final 10 targets was enough to earn him his first international trap title. The win highlights a cooperative program between the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and USA Shooting that is helping infuse international bunker with top shotgun talent.  Brosseau is a product of the SCTP system and showed Wednesday that he has the moxie to compete at the highest levels of shotgun. Taylor and Broski were also part of the SCTP/USA Shooting National Team.

A score of 48 in the Finals is a World Record and on Wednesday, in variable light and wind conditions and little Finals experience, there Brosseau was breaking 46, which is nothing but world-class. National Champion Alex Rennert and the Junior National Champion Reynolds both shot 47 earlier this week to win their Finals at Nationals. Two of Brosseau’s misses came on targets 38 and 39, and then he’d never miss again.

Trying to match that was Grayson Davey (Anchorage, Alaska), but he’d finish three short with a strong 43. Davey was the only men’s competitor to earn two podium spots, cashing in bronze for silver on Wednesday. One of the two leading Qualifiers with a 118, 15-year-old Emilio Carvalho (Tranquility, California) would place third to earn himself a spot on the Junior Olympic Squad.

Matthew Wells (Beaver Dam, Wisconsin) finished fourth after a runner-up finish at Nationals followed by Ethan Bazyn (Broken Bow, Nebraska) and Cameron Kumbier (Oshkosh, Wisconsin). Kumbier tied Carvalho in Qualification with 118 targets.  

Dylan Ziegler (Reno, Nevada) would earn the gold medal in the J2 division with Breydon Paxson (Indianola, Iowa) taking the silver and Corbin Cooper (Mount Ida, Arkansas) claiming bronze. Tony Meola (St. Petersburg, Florida) would be the top J3 competitor with AJ Anderson (Franklin, Tennessee) taking the sliver and Dyson Remling (Crossville, Tennessee) claiming bronze.

Up next at International Shooting Park, is the Nationals debut of Paralympic Trap competition featuring six participants. These athletes will shoot 75 targets Friday and another 50 Saturday followed by an event Final.  USA Shooting’s National Championships for Men’s and Women’s Skeet gets underway Sunday.

2019 NJOSC Trap Results: http://bit.ly/2XIYk0o

PODIUM & AWARD PHOTOS

Scholarships for the Shooting Sports

Posted By on June 11, 2019

By Andy Fink
From editorial Summer 2019 of Junior Shooters magazine

Summer is here, and those of you who are seniors this fall are thinking about college. Even juniors should start thinking about college. Did you know that shooting sport scholarships are available from a variety of colleges and organizations for you to participate in?

There are nearly 300 colleges and universities that offer shooting programs in the United States. Many of them have shooting scholarships. For example, 31 schools sponsored varsity rifle teams during 2017-2018. Even more had shotgun shooting discipline programs.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has a wealth of information on this. Check out:

https://competitions.nra.org/competitions/nra-national-matches/collegiate-championships/

and look at the NRA for their Collegiate Shooting Sports Directory:

 https://competitions.nra.org/competitions/nra-national-matches/collegiate-championships/collegiate-shooting-sports-directory/

which allows you to filter by discipline and by state. If the college you want to go to isn’t listed, then call the school and ask them if they have a shooting sport program. Another NRA resource link is:

https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2017/7/31/how-to-get-a-shooting-scholarship/ which provides information on “How to Get a Shooting Scholarship.”

I mentioned scholarships in the paragraph above. Quite a few colleges have shooting scholarships, but they aren’t the only ones. Many shooting organizations and clubs have shooting scholarships, including the NRA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP), Daisy 4-H Shooting Sports Scholarship, the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), Cowboy Fast Draw Association (CFDA), the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA), the American Legion, and many more.

Don’t give up on a sport you love just because you are going to college. Participate while in college and try for a scholarship!

2019 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships

Posted By on April 21, 2019

Sanchez Wins Air Rifle Gold at National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships

Colorado Springs, April 11, 2019

 Matthew Sanchez picked up his second medal this week at the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC), but this time he was atop the podium today, winning gold in Men’s Air Rifle at the Olympic Shooting Center in Colorado Springs.

Matthew Sanchez, Air Rifle National Junior Olympic Champion 2019

The high school junior from Tampa, Florida entered the Final with the highest two-day Qualification score of 1245.8 Though he finished in seventh place in today’s Final (Additional points – four for first, 3.5 for second, three for third and so on –  were awarded based on finish in the Final), Sanchez was able to keep the gold from Finals winner and eventual silver medalist Jared Eddy (Midland, Georgia), who shot an impressive Finals score of 247.2.

The West Virginia freshman’s Finals win also featured three, 10.9 shots – two of them occurring in a row. A 10.9 is a perfect shot in international rifle or pistol. As this was a selection match for the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in Germany this summer, all athletes shot two Qualification matches and were selected for the Final based on cumulative points. Medals were awarded on the total points from Qualification and Finals finish.

“I had a little trouble with air right before the match, but I managed to sort things out,” Sanchez said. “Once the first day hit, I had my stuff together and was able to put up a really good score.” Sanchez, 16, departs for Beijing, China in one week where he will compete in the ISSF World Cup.

Matthew Sanchez, Air Rifle, National Junior Olympic Champion

“This was like my third or fourth time out here and I remember coming in first as a J3,” Sanchez said. “I was looking at all these people and seeing how good the competition was, then fast forward a couple years to now, I’m now one of the top-10 consistently and it’s been a long journey! It’s definitely been a good, long trip and I was feeling good for this one after the Spring Selection Match.”

Air Force Academy sophomore Nate Peterson (Sharpsburg, Georgia) finished second in the Final and took the bronze medal overall. The top-three overall finishers not only won medals, but appointments to the National Junior Team, along with their berths at the ISSF Junior World Cup.

Sanchez also won silver in the Men’s Three-Position Rifle event on Tuesday. He also won silver in Men’s Air Rifle at last year’s NJOSC.

Winning gold in the J2 (age 15-17) classification awards were Scott Rockett (Cary, North Carolina) for gold, Phillip Becker (Granbury, Texas) for silver and Gavin Barnick (Mora, Minnesota) for bronze.

In the J3 (ages 14 and younger) category, Braden Peiser (San Angelo, Texas) won gold, Logan Michael (Lincoln, California)won silver and Marcus Klemp (Missoula, Montana) won bronze.

The 172 athletes competing in Men’s Air Rifle won their chance to compete at NJOSC because of their finishes at the state-level Junior Olympic matches. Overall, 607 athletes from 48 states will compete in Rifle, Pistol and Paralympic events throughout the three-week NJOSC. The NJOSC features the top 34 percent of all competitors in 2019 and will feature invitees that either won their state championship or were selected based on a score they attained.  The competitors range in age from nine to 20 years old.

Complete results, start lists and more information about the NJOSC program: http://www.usashooting.org/7-events/njosc/njoscrifle

View and download images from the Men’s Air Rifle competition at NJOSC: https://flic.kr/s/aHskQpM4RB.

Fiori Repeats as National Junior Olympic Champion

Peter Fiori wins gold medal on the first day of the National Junior Olympic Championships

Colorado Springs, April 9th, 2019

The first medals of the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC) for Rifle and Pistol were awarded today in the Men’s Three-Position Rifle competition at the Olympic Shooting Center in Colorado Springs.

Winning the gold medal today was defending NJOSC champion and Air Force Academy freshman Peter Fiori, Jr. (Lebanon, New Jersey). As this is a selection match for the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in Germany this summer, all athletes shot two Qualification matches and were selected for the Final based on cumulative points. Additional points (eight for first, seven for second and so on) were awarded based on finish in the Final. By a dominating 14-point margin, Fiori had already locked down the gold, even before the Finals. During his second day of Qualification, Fiori shot a score of 1178 – a world-class score at the Open (adult) level and a new National Junior Record to give him the points for the win.

Peter Fiori wins gold the first day of the National Junior Olympic Championships

“My second day of Qualification was 23-points higher than the first!” said Fiori. “I have no idea what was working. I had a test at 6:30 in the morning that day and was really tired, and I just kind of showed up to the match and it just worked! I don’t know. It’s a personal best too, so maybe I need to take more tests at 6:30 in the morning?” Fiori joked.

Also sealing the silver medal before the Final was Matthew Sanchez (Tampa, Florida) with a two-day cumulative score of 2325. Sanchez will leave for China next week to compete in the ISSF World Cup in Beijing.

The bronze medal was determined by finish in today’s final and went to University of Alaska Fairbanks freshman Kellen McAferty (Little Rock, Washington), who won the Final. The top-three overall finishers not only won medals, but appointments to the National Junior Team, along with their berths at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Germany this summer.

Winning the J2 (age 15-17) classification awards were Scott Rockett (Cary, North Carolina) for gold, Kyle Kutz (Darien, Connecticut) for silver and Philip Becker (Granbury, Texas) for bronze.

In the J3 (ages 14 and younger) category, Braden Peiser (San Angelo, Texas) won gold, Griffin Lake (Emmaus, Pennsylvania) won silver and Nathan Engman (Albertville, Minnesota) won bronze.

The 61 athletes in Men’s Three-Position rifle won their chance to compete at NJOSC due to their finishes at the state-level Junior Olympic matches. Overall, 607 athletes from 48 states will compete in Rifle, Pistol and Paralympic events throughout the three-week NJOSC. The NJOSC features the top 34 percent of all competitors in 2019 and will feature invitees that either won their state championship or were selected based on a score they attained.  The competitors range in age from nine to 20 years old.

Complete results start lists and more information about the NJOSC program: http://www.usashooting.org/7-events/njosc/njoscrifle.

View and download images from the Men’s Three-Position Rifle competition from NJOSC: https://flic.kr/s/aHskQkuN3D.

Way Wins Air Rifle at National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships

Colorado Springs, April 15. 2019

That’s what local athlete Macey Way proclaimed today after winning gold in Women’s Air Rifle at the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC) at the Olympic Shooting Center in Colorado Springs.

Way, 17, won her first overall medal at NJOSC on her home range before the Final even began, posting two impressive Qualification scores of 623.9 and 623.7. With the two-day total of 1247.6, Way had already put the gold medal out of reach for anyone else, regardless of her finish in the Final. (Additional points – four for first, 3.5 for second, three for third and so on –  were awarded based on finish in the Final. )

Macey Way wins air rifle at 2019 National Junior Olympic Championships

As this was a selection match for the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in Germany this summer, all athletes shot two Qualification matches and were selected for the Final based on cumulative points. Medals, National Junior Team appointments and slots on the team going to Germany were awarded on the total points from Qualification and Finals finish.

“I was so nervous, even going into Finals because it’s the most fun part of all the matches!” said Way. “I just really wanted to do well, but in the months before this I just trained, and I trained, and I tried to get coaching from everyone I could that was bigger than me or that I knew, and I just knew I was prepared, and I came in mentally prepared, physically prepared – knowing I was ready. This was the first time I’ve won something so big and I’m just so excited because I’ve got my team jacket! It’s been a goal since I was 13 just to get this medal so achieving it just feels so good!” Way, who will enter Nebraska this fall as a freshman, will also make her international competition debut at the Junior World Cup in Germany.

NCAA Air Rifle National Champion Kristen Hemphill (Lohn, Texas) won the silver medal, but the bronze medal was decided in a shootoff between the second-place finisher from the NCAA National Championships Angeline Henry (Fort Worth, Texas) and 15-year-old Katie Zaun (Buffalo, North Dakota). Zaun had won the Final so the additional four points she earned for that effort put her in a tied position of 1244.2 points with Henry. Zaun won the shootoff with Henry, 10.6 to 10.3 for the bronze.

Winning medals in the J2 (age 15-17) classification awards were Morgan Kreb (Colorado Springs, Colorado) for gold, Martina Gratz (Sigel, Illinois) for silver and Sarah Lough (Morgantown, West Virginia) for bronze.

In the J3 (ages 14 and younger) category, Shadya Maymes (San Diego, California) won gold, Nicolette Hoffman (Armour, South Dakota) won silver and Elizabeth Probst (Brady, Texas) won bronze.

Results from this match: https://bit.ly/2KDt1lG.

The Women’s Three-Position Rifle competition at NJOSC begins tomorrow with Finals Thursday at 3:30pm MT.

The 202 athletes competing in Women’s Air Rifle won their chance to compete at NJOSC because of their finishes at the state-level Junior Olympic matches. Overall, 607 athletes from 48 states will compete in Rifle, Pistol and Paralympic events throughout the three-week NJOSC. The NJOSC features the top 34 percent of all competitors in 2019 and will feature invitees that either won their state championship or were selected based on a score they attained.  The competitors range in age from nine to 20 years old.

Complete results, start lists and more information about the NJOSC program: http://www.usashooting.org/7-events/njosc/njoscrifle

View and download images from the Women’s Air Rifle competition at NJOSC: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmCTRHzq.

SAU to start collegiate trap shooting team

Posted By on April 18, 2019

MAGNOLIA – Southern Arkansas University (SAU) has begun recruiting students for a new trap shooting team in hopes to “Pull!” off another student engagement victory following the successful additions of eSports, bass fishing and disc golf teams.

The new trap shooting team will be open to any interested SAU student and will compete in the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Collegiate Clay Targeting Program. The sport has become increasingly popular among youth, and high school trap shooters in the region have already expressed an interest in choosing SAU to continue to compete at the next level.

SAU is also in the fundraising phase for a trap shooting range facility to be located on the University’s Governor Ben T. Laney Farm. It will be the first facility of its kind in the state on a university campus south of Little Rock. The facility will feature a clubhouse with restrooms and storage, and three shooting ranges each consisting of five concrete lanes with high and low skeet houses.

The facility will be home to both the University’s trap shooting team and trap shooting teams from area high schools. It will also host community, regional and state-wide shooting competitions and practices. Plans also include opening the facility to community memberships in the future.

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For those new to trap shooting, the Arkansas State High School Clay Target League outlines on their website some of the basics of the sport. In competition, a “squad of up to five athletes will occupy the stations on a trap field.” There are “two 25 target rounds, for a total of 50 targets from the 16-yard station.” Each squad member takes five shots before they move to a new station. 

SAU is confident student engagement and involvement will follow the model set by other similar SAU additions. SAU eSports officially “leveled up” from a popular student organization last fall and has been a smash among collegiate gamers on campus. They live, study and practice together in their eSports Living and Learning Community and travel together to competitions across the region. One of the SAU Smash Brothers teams recently won first place and a total of three top-five tournament awards, bringing home trophies for their game lab in Honors Hall. A major expansion to their dedicated space in the second floor of the Reynolds Center rotunda is underway and will house the latest in game technology suitable for hosting competitions and tournaments. Their first tournament, the Mulerider Classic, is scheduled for April 27-28 in Grand Hall. Contact esports@saumag.edu for more information.

Similarly, the SAU bass fishing team and men’s and women’s disc golf teams have earned accolades quickly since each has been established in recent years. In only the disc golf teams’ second year to compete in the National Collegiate Disc Golf Championship in Appling, Georgia, SAU’s women’s disc golfer Madi Chitwood brought home the individual women’s championship and also teamed up with Whitney Brown and Courtney Hunter to dominate and win the women’s team championship. The bass fishing team was established at SAU in 2012 and has also had their eyes set on national acclaim after reeling in high tournament finishes and working their way up the national collegiate fishing team rankings.

For more information about the SAU trap shooting team, contact Sheryl Edwards at sheryledwards@saumag.edu or (870) 235-5090. Donations to SAU Trap Shooting can be made to the SAU Foundation at www.SAUFoundation.org/make-a-gift or by calling (870) 235-4287.

Granbury High School Recaptures Precision Title at 2019 JROTC National Air Rifle Championship

Posted By on March 29, 2019

By Ashley Brugnone

Leading the sporter teams was Nation Ford High School, followed by Santa Fe and Zion Benton High School.

ANNISTON, Ala. – Defending National Champions, the Granbury High School Marine Corps JROTC program athletes, arrived at the 2019 JROTC National Three-Position Championship, March 21-23, ready to reclaim their roles at the top of the podium. That’s exactly what they did, and more, as they brought home not only team awards, but also individual wins in the precision class.

The two-day scholastic competition, held at the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) South Competition Center in Alabama, hosts both precision and sporter class high school athletes in the three-position event. Each day consists of a qualifying match, followed by a finals event for the Top 8 highest scoring athletes of the day. Overall winners are determined from scores collected from both days.

Makenzie Sheffield earned first place overall in the precision competition.

Team member Makenzie Sheffield, 18, helped lead the Granbury, Texas, natives by earning first place in the overall precision individual competition, with a score of 1287.2. Sheffield led the precision class both days of the two-day competition after coming out on top of the eight-competitor final held at the conclusion of each day.

Only one-point shy of Sheffield’s overall score was teammate Philip Becker, 17, who accumulated a score of 1286.4 over the course of the weekend. Last year’s National Champion, Taylor Gibson, 18, of North Salem High School’s Army JROTC in Oregon, earned the third place with a score of 1282.7 in the precision match.

With half of its members earning podium spots and the other half (Clarissa Layland and Elizabeth Plecity) landing in the Top 15 overall, Granbury High School took home the overall team competition for the second consecutive year, with a score of 4704-324x.

Earning second was Joshua High School Navy JROTC, also of Texas, with a score of 4672-295x, followed by Granbury Team 2, which earned third with a score of 4635-276x.

Joshua High School members reached a new Navy National Record during their performances.

Joshua High School also set a Navy JROTC National Team record, with their score of 2335-151x. Member Grace Sharp, 17, who finished fifth overall, set a new Navy JROTC National Record for her finals performance on Day 1 of the precision match, with a score of 104.8.

 

Jaden-Ann Fraser claimed the overall spot in the sporter individual match.

 

In the sporter event, Jaden-Ann Fraser, 16, of Volunteer High School Navy JROTC in Tennessee, overtook the individual competition by just one point, with a score of 1222.4. Kayla Kalenza, 15, of Nation Ford High School Marine Corps JROTC in South Carolina, followed in second with a score of 1221.2, as Andrew Larson, 18, of Jack C. Hays Red Marine Corps JROTC in Texas, with a score of 1206.9.

Fraser clinched the competition after claiming the Day 1 final and finishing just behind Kalenza in second on Day 2.

Kayla Kalenza finished in second in the sporter match.

Kalenza’s Nation Ford High School team, along with members, Deonte Hayes, Nick Noto and Sarah Leininger, led as the overall sporter team with a score of 4437-155x. Santa Fe Navy JROTC landed in second, with a score of 4377-144x, with Zion Benton Navy JROTC of Illinois earning third.

Placing teams earned monetary awards from the CMP for their outstanding performances – $500 for fifth, $750 for fourth, $1,000 for third, $1,500 for second and $2,000 for first. The Top 5 individuals also earned money for placing in the competition: $100 for fifth, $200 for fourth, $300 for third, $400 for second and $500 for first.

The CMP was proud to exhibit the talent and efforts of each junior participating in the JROTC Air Rifle Championships. Congratulations to all, and we look forward to next year!

For a complete list of results, visit the Competition Tracker page at https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=edit&tab=results&match=18093. Photos from the event, available for free download and for purchase, can be viewed at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f546434324.

Defending champions, Granbury High School, reclaimed their title in 2019.

About the JROTC National Air Rifle Championship:

The road to the JROTC National Championship begins with the JROTC Postal Competition in October, with qualifying teams and individuals moving on to the Regional Service Championships in February at Camp Perry, Ohio; Anniston, Ala.; and a western location.

The National Championship is a two-day competition that follows the same format as the Postal and Regional matches, where competitors fire in three positions – prone, standing and kneeling. During Nationals only, the Top 8 competitors of the day from the precision class and the Top 8 from the sporter class then compete in a 10-shot final, vying for daily gold, silver and bronze medals.

Aggregate scores of each athlete from each day of competition (plus finals) are then combined to determine the overall best junior marksmen in the country amongst all four military branches.

For more information on the JROTC Championships, visit http://thecmp.org/air/jrotc-air-rifle-national-championship/.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.

Bulls, ropes, cattle, barrel racers, dust and… guns?

Posted By on March 13, 2019

By: Leo Veatch(13)

Though rodeo kids rope and ride, youth rodeo kids now have a chance to shoot competitively as well. Beginning in 2005, the National High School Rodeo Association and the Junior High Division began a shooting program in partnership with the NRA, consisting of small-bore and trap. Now, hundreds of qualifiers from around the nation compete in the junior high and the high school rodeos in small-bore and trap. The competition has grown locally as well. In the last year, the number of competitors in Colorado has nearly doubled. So far, a majority of the states have picked it up and it has taken off to become a major competitive event. Because shooting is such a large part of the cowboy lifestyle, the shoots are very popular.

In addition to roping, I participate in the junior high small-bore shoot. These shoots differ from most other small-bore competitions. No shooting jackets, pants or shoes are allowed. Most competitors shoot in their boots and button-up shirts at the matches. Yet another difference in these shoots is that scopes are allowed as long as they don’t exceed 10X. One of the great things about the shoots is that they allows kids to compete in two of the most American of sports, shooting and rodeo.

The small-bore is a 3×12 competition with an 18-minute time limit to complete each series of 12. There is also a five-minute time limit to shoot a five-shot “sighter” before the match to zero in your rifle. The three positions that competitors shoot in are standing, kneeling and prone. The targets are standard small-bore targets, A-23/5, with three shots in each bull. States hold competitions throughout the year. Each state sends the top four cowboys and cowgirls to the national rodeo finals in every event including bareback riding, barrel racing, cutting, breakaway roping, bull riding, goat tying, pole bending, reined cow horse, saddle bronc riding, swear wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, and now shooting events.

The shooting events at the National High School Rodeo Association and the Junior High Division have become popular. All of the athletes who shoot have a lot of fun in the event. It allows rodeo kids who love to hunt and shoot to compete with each other. In addition, it introduces kids to competitive shooting and allows those who don’t shoot very often to compete with others and improve their skills.

Arizona Junior Kade Jackovich and the CMP

Posted By on March 3, 2019

By Serena Juchnowski, CMP Feature Writer

Nineteen-year-old Kade Jackovich of Arizona has won multiple national awards and earned his Distinguished Rifleman’s Badge. Come the 2019 National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, Kade will be on a different team, representing the United States as the newest member of the Army Marksmanship Unit’s (AMU) service rifle team.
Kade was the Overall High Junior in 2018 in the P100, NTI, NTT aggregate (1269-40x) during the CMP National Matches at Camp Perry, Port Clinton, Ohio.

 Jackovich started shooting at a young age, finding a passion in it that he did not share for more traditional sports. “When I was 10 I was playing tackle football at the time and I wasn’t enjoying it. I decided that I didn’t want to play football anymore but my parents still wanted me to be involved in a sport. My mom found a small bore program at our local range and I fell in love [with it] as soon as I started.”

Discipline – that is what Jackovich asserts is the biggest thing he has learned from marksmanship, as well as attention to detail. He began to realize that even small factors had an influence on his shooting and when he understood this and learned how to minimize things that would cause a bad shot, he began to excel.

Kade Jackovich, Overall Match Winner, 2018 Washington Birthday Match, The 126th Annual Firing of our Nation’s oldest continuous service rifle match, Ben Avery Shooting Facility, Phoenix Arizona

Kade’s accomplishments have certainly attested to his development as a shooter. He earned his Distinguished Rifleman’s Badge in 2015 as well as made the President’s 100, went distinguished in air rifle, and set a National record in the Whistler Boy Match with his teammate Zac Clark. 2018 proved an incredible year for Jackovich. Firing an impressive 1269-40 x out of 1300 possible points between the President’s 100 Rifle Match, National Trophy Individual Match and National Trophy Junior Team Match, his aggregate score earned him one of the six spots on the National Junior Rifle Team and the Deneke Trophy. He was the 2018 high junior in the National Trophy Individual Rifle Match, earning him the Golden Eagle Trophy. He also made the 2018 President’s 100 and won the Junior Mountain Man Award for his performance at the 2018 Camp Perry National Matches.

 Kade describes his aspirations beyond the AMU, “My goals are to keep improving my marksmanship skills and help others improve their marksmanship skills.” As a member of the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club and Arizona Rifle and Pistol Association, and now member of the AMU, Kade serves as a role model to younger shooters. He advises new junior shooters “to always keep an open mind to new ideas.” He stresses that there are many different ways to set up gear and build positions. “Try new things and maybe something will work better for you.” Outside of shooting, Jackovich loves the outdoors, enjoying camping, hiking, hunting, and off-roading.
The Scorpions organization is proud to announce that team Captain Kade Jackovich has received and accepted an extremely rare opening to shoot for the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU). Kade is a Distinguished Rifleman and has provided great leadership and mentorship to our less experienced juniors.

 With such an impressive list of accomplishments at such a young age, Jackovich is one to watch, especially as he continues in his training with some of our nation’s best marksmen and women.

 The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.

Scooter’s Youth Hunting Camp 2018

Posted By on January 11, 2019

By: Ashley Rumble (16)

The first Saturday in May means one thing – Scooter’s Youth Hunting Camp. Scoot McGann and the crew work all year for this one day, and it pays off big for everyone involved.  

Scooter’s is the camp I’d been to once as a participant and volunteered for the last three years. I’m always happy to do my own small part to make this event memorable for all the kids that come to it.  

As in previous years, I was helping with archery. I enjoy the sport myself and enjoy teaching others how to do it also. Things were crazy as always, but when it comes time, all the kids pay attention and want to learn, so it’s worth it to me to be there.  

Lots of arrows are shot at the 3D targets set up and, for the most part, they get hit. For those that miss, we have a big net to catch them.  

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By midday, it’s lunch time, and as always nobody goes hungry thanks to even more volunteers that start preparations first thing in the morning. The food is all donated by various sponsors and is always delicious. 

In the late afternoon when everyone has been through all the stations of shotgun, .22, archery, black powder, survival, knife and gun care, and all the side lessons of game calling, it’s time for the raffle. 

One hobby that I’ve picked up and really enjoy is welding. At the raffle table I saw a nice Miller helmet and gloves that I really wanted, so all my tickets went into it and to my surprise I won it. I’ve been putting it to good use since. 

For the last few years, Scooter has put on another program called Hunting Dreams for kids who have had serious health issues. It’s a fully supported elk hunt done here in Idaho. Last year, one kid harvested a nice bull. Unbeknownst to him, one of the hunt’s sponsors had it mounted and it was given to him at the end of the day at Scooter’s. It’s fantastic that Scooter gives kids the chance to experience hunting when they may not have the chance to do it otherwise. He’s also taking a kid on a spring bear hunt. Scooter is always looking to give. There are great memories and treasures in Idaho for us all to go look for. Scooter and everyone involved are part of getting us all out there and making those memories.