Clay Target Nation

The official magazine of the National Skeet Shooting Association and the National Sporting Clays Association

Phil Femiani Open at Conservation Park

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The inaugural Phil Femiani Open was held at Conservation Park in Charles City, Virginia, August 19-21. Thirty shooters came out to remember Phil, who was always known to carry a wrench in his pocket to help when an adjustment was needed on the field. There was never a shoot held at Conservation Park when you didn’t see Phil and his wife Flo sitting on the patio, catching up with friends.

The weather was perfect, as were the targets. Park manager Kevin Key had the grounds looking beautiful. Friends of Phil and Flo came out to support the shoot and to visit.

Congratulations to Keythe Hancock, HOA with a fine 390; David Warren, runner-up with a 387; and third place Garrett Jordan with a 385. Congratulations to Savannah Morrow who shot her first 100 straight in the 20-gauge event and a 381 to win Junior Champ, David Whipp III with a 366 for Junior runner-up, and Shelby Austin with a 359 for Junior third.

See more coverage and photos at claytargetnation.com.

– Contributed by Laura Key

North Carolina Junior State Skeet Championships

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The 14th Annual North Carolina Junior State Skeet Championships was held Saturday July 23 at Rowan County Wildlife Club in Salisbury, and the competition really showed up. Despite the heat, the youth shooters put some great scores on the board, with their eyes on the North Carolina Junior State bowls.

To many of the shooters, this 12-gauge, 100-target main event shoot was a whole new experience as their first registered targets.  The heat and humidity were definitely an obstacle to overcome. The youth shooters not only demonstrated firearm safety, exemplary sportsmanship, and shooting and field etiquette, but they also proved they can bust up some clays!

Many of the youth shooters shot their personal best high scores. There was a total of 42 shooters: 11 Sub-Juniors, 19 Juniors and 12 Collegiate shooters.

Two participants, Collegiate shooters Corrie Cloninger and Ben Brandon, shot perfect 100 scores that required a shoot-off. Corrie took the Collegiate Champion title, with Ben as runner-up and Marshall Tomchik winning Collegiate third with a 98. Josie Cloninger won Junior Champion with a 99, MaryBeth Parris was Junior runner-up with a 98 and Vaughn Klosowski took Junior third with a 96.

Isaiah Johnson won Sub-Junior Champion with a 91, Carter Mitchell took Sub-Junior runner-up with a 90 and Ridge Pearson took Sub-Junior third with an 87.

Josie Cloninger won Ladies Champion with a 99, MaryBeth Parris took Ladies runner-up with a 98 and Addison Wallace won Ladies third with a 95.

Overall, it was a great shoot put on by the North Carolina Skeet Association. A special thanks to all of the individuals who donated time, funds and shells to make the shoot happen for the youth.

– Contributed by Riley Wallace

 

Minnesota State Skeet Championships

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The 2022 Minnesota State Skeet Championships were held at the Metro Gun Club in Blaine, Minnesota, on August 19-21. The weather was close to perfect throughout all events, with slight periods of overcast and minimal wind. Jerry Ryan of Prior Lake, Minnesota, led a field of 40 shooters, winning High Overall, High All Around, 20-Gauge, and Doubles championships.

Champion, Jerry Ryan

David Baker, Dan Kampa, and Justin Staebell did a great job managing the tournament, with the help of automation provided by the MySkeet software. Shooters were able to see their scores on a large monitor as they were entered. The new software also provided reports that were accessible online throughout the tournament. It communicates with the NSSA database, eliminating many tasks in the registration process, and avoiding the misspelling of competitor names and their associated information such as classifications and concurrents.

Twenty-eight shooters took to the fields for the doubles event on Friday. Jerry Ryan’s 98 won the event outright. He was followed by 16-year-old Jared Miller, who posted the lone 97 to claim the runner-up place. Class winners were Bob Rick (AA), Justin Staebell (A), Bruce Pearson (B), Mike Quigley (C), and Art Peterson (D).

MSSA President Randal Baker hosted the annual year-end meeting that reviewed various administration topics and elected officers for next year.

Saturday’s 12-gauge event featured two 100-straight scores posted by Jared Miller and Bruce Pearson (his first-ever registered 100). The ensuing shootoff resulted in a victory for Bruce, with Jared taking his second runner-up spot for the tournament. Class winners were Jared Miller, Dan Kampa, Mark VanderBloomer, Jeffrey Schneider, Roger Carlson, and Art Peterson in classes AAA through E.

The 20-gauge event was another 2022 milestone for Al Savage. He was honored when his photo appeared on a recent cover of Clay Target Nation [although we got his name wrong in the print issue]. His second milestone came when posting his 100,000th registered target in the 20-gauge event.

Jerry Ryan won the 20-gauge championship with an uncontested 100. Tate Peterson took runner-up after a shoot-off of 99s with Dan Kampa, who claimed AA1. Brian Hendrickson won class A, followed by Mark VanderBloomer, Gabriel Anderson, and Joseph Ambrose in classes B through D.

Dan Kampa won Sunday’s 28-gauge event with an uncontested 100. A lone 99 posted by Bob Rick earned the runner-up spot. AA1 went to Jerry Ryan after a shoot-off of 98s with Gabriel Anderson and David Baker. David Baker claimed A1, followed by Gabriel Anderson (B1), Justin Baker (C1), and David Seidel (D1).

MSSA Past President Brian Hendrickson won the .410 title with the top score of 97. Justin Baker was runner-up with 96 after a shoot-off with Jerry Ryan, who claimed AA1. Bob Rick, Robert Muehlenkamp, Jeffrey Schneider, and Gabriel Anderson followed in classes A through D.

Jerry Ryan emerged as High Over All Champion with a score of 391×400. The HOA runner-up score was 388, posted by Gabriel Anderson. HOA class champions were Jared Miller (AA), Dan Kampa (A), Mark VanderBloomer (B), Jeffrey Schneider (C), Roger Carlson (D), and Art Peterson (E).

The MSSA thanks Rick Wilder and his staff for hosting an excellent state championship. Rick owns the Metro Gun Club and is bravely dealing with a neighborhood of ever- expanding commercial industry.

– Contributed by Ronald Chandler

 

Federal Canadian Skeet Championships

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The 67th Canadian Skeet Championships were held in Hamilton, Ontario, during the Canada Day long weekend of June 30 – July 3. Host site, the Hamilton Gun Club, has been undergoing a resurgence in recent years, with a huge amount of growth in membership due to the leadership and enthusiasm of their new Board of Directors led by skeet shooters Dave Troiani, Johnny Sibani and Peter Manojlovic, plus a cadre of volunteers, along with the always cheerful Sabina Lawson, who runs the day-to-day operations. Ninety-one shooters participated, making it by far the largest skeet event in Canada for over 20 years. The increased participation was due in part to the new skeet field installed since last year, with the financial aid of an NSSA Field Grant. Seven of 10 Canadian provinces were represented, along with the state of Ohio, as the son of renowned referee Terry Winders, Andrew Winders, was able to attend, making this a diverse group of shooters. Many of the attendees were making their first appearance at our championship, and the friendly atmosphere of the Hamilton Gun Club made this an event to remember.

Left to right: RU – Bob LaRue, HOA – Dean Herzberg, 3RD – Dave Troiani

The doubles event, sponsored by Pilla Canada, commenced on Thursday afternoon and finished up Friday morning. One of the top shooters in Canada, Charlie Peacock, posted a stellar 100 straight to win outright, followed closely by Dave Troiani’s 99 and Steve Loveday’s 98. Dan Morris, Jim Malcolm and Rob Ludwig posted 97s to win AA, A and B Classes. C Class was captured by Lorne Goodwin, and D was dominated by new shooter Michael Chang with a very solid 92.

The Browning 12-Gauge Championship was also completed on Friday. Andrew Winders pulled out the victory after a good shoot-off of 100’s with Steve Loveday. A slew of 99’s shot off for third and class places, which established Dave Troiani as third, Dan Morris AA1, Daniel Lourenco as A1 and notably, Dave MacKinnon as C1. Dustin Jewell captured B1, Terry LeBlanc went home with D1 and new shooter Zelko Blazic shot a hard 94 to win E class. Zelko won’t be there for very long!

One of the more recent traditions we have at the Canadian Championships is to honour the memory of one of our departed shooters by naming the 20-gauge event after them. While the event is sponsored by Patrick Groenewegen, this year’s event was named for Joe Kooger. Joe was a fine shooter in his time but was more importantly a wonderful person and a great member of our shooting community in Canada. We were lucky enough to have his family represented by his son Kevin and grandson Andrew. Many of our attendees knew Kevin and Andrew, and many old stories were traded. In the event itself, three shooters got them all; Dan Tansley, champion, pulled off the win over runner-up Dean Herzberg and third-place Peter Manojlovic. It was Peter’s first 100 straight, and he picked a fine time to do it. Class winners were Les Turner, Jim Malcolm, John Kapron, Basem Malek and Glenn Forsyth. Saskatchewan’s own Jim Webster shot an 83 in the event – pretty remarkable at the age of 96!

Sunday saw the completion of the Briley 28-Gauge event, as well as the White Flyer .410 Championship. Andrew Winders (who may not be invited back …) shot the lone 100 to capture the Briley 28-Gauge title. Brad McRae crawled out from behind the computer to score a 99 and grab runner-up over Dave MacKinnon (third) and Charlie Peacock (AA1). Brian Lewis (A), Mike Maddin (B), John Kapron (C) and Glenn Forsyth (D) were class winners.

The White Flyer .410 medal was won outright by Bob LaRue of British Columbia. Doug Steed and Dave Troiani shot off for runner-up and third and finished in that order. Steve Loveday (AA), Lorne Goodwin (A), Jim Malcolm (B), Gary Marson (C) and Terry LeBlanc (D) captured class medals.

The Kolar Arms HOA race came down to a shoot-off between Dean Herzberg and Bob LaRue for top spot. Dean came out on top of this one, with Bob runner-up. Dave Troiani placed third, with Charlie Peacock AA1, Daniel Lourenco A1, Jim Malcolm B1, Dave MacKinnon C1, Glenn Forsyth D1 and Zelko Blazic E1. Congratulations to Lawrence Weaver as our Sub-Junior Champion, as well as Elizabeth Hoeppner of British Columbia for capturing the Ladies HOA title in a tight race over Kristina Zlatkovic.

By all accounts, the shoot was a great success and over $16,000 in payouts were made. This is by far the biggest and most lucrative shoot in Canada, and we hope to continue to build on the momentum of the last few years in the future.

On behalf of the Canadian Skeet Committee, which consists of Mike Maddin, Brad McRae and Steve Malcolm, many thanks go to our referee crew, the volunteers at the Hamilton Gun Club, our sponsors and all of the shooters.

– Contributed by Steve Malcolm

 

Photo credits – Spencer Warlow

Buckeye Classic

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HOA Champion – Jack Grehan

Skeet shooting is back in full swing at Wright-Patterson Rod & Gun Club. The club, located in Dayton, Ohio, overlooks the Huffman Prairie Flying Field where the Wright Brothers perfected their controlled, powered flight ability. Just beyond the open field is Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. While shooting, you may get a flyover from a C-17 Globemaster and other aircraft. With nothing but blue skies, this gun club has one of the best backgrounds you can find. The fields are lined with trees just beyond station 4 on all five fields, providing ample shade on stations 3,4, and 5 during the hot summer days. This contributes to an enjoyable experience while shooting great targets thrown by Promatic machines.

The Buckeye Challenge, dating back to the 90s, is one of the club’s annual shooting events scheduled in the summer, adding to its appeal. While participation has dwindled in the past few years, the Wright Flyers Skeet Association is enthusiastic to bring back its shine! At this year’s event on July 29-31, the shoot boasted 27 12-gauge shooters and a total of 19 4-gun shooters. Shooters joined the club from multiple states including Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and New York.

Friday began with a comfortable breeze, clear skies, and an impressive group of shooters competing in the doubles event. Andrew Winders was crowned Doubles Champion, posting a 98. Class Champions were Bruce Christian (AA), Peter Bogdon (A), Connard Bailey (B), Andrew Smith (C), and Connor Picard (D).

For the next 2 days, shooters enjoyed impeccable weather, allowing for some impressive shooting. The 12-gauge event was won by Jack Grehan with a 100. Class winners were Bruce Christian (AA), Ryan Melcher (A), Peter Bodgdon (B), Andrew Smith (C), Mickey Moore (D), and Bill Bush (E). The 20-gauge was also won by Jack Grehan with a solid 100, posting his first 200×200. Pat McCartney also shot his first 100 in 20-gauge but, more importantly, his first 100 registered ever! He was able to walk away with the A-class title. Additional winners were Kevin McDonald (AA), Robert Palmer (B), Mickey Moore (C), and Bella Earley (D).

On Sunday, Jack Grehan continued his streak of 100s, posting yet another milestone with his first 300×300 and taking the 28-gauge title. Class winners were Bruce Christian (AA), Peter Bogdon (A), Pat McCartney (B), Mike Picard (C), and Bella Earley (D). Finally, the .410 bore event came along and Jack Grehan posted a 99. He was so close, and you could hear the squad lose their breath as a low 6 continued to fly unbroken. But he finished strong and posted an impressive weekend. However, his title reign was put to an end by Tom Davis from Kentucky who also posted a 99 in the .410 event and won the shoot-off against Jack Grehan who took A-class. Class winners included Bruce Christian (AA), Greg Volz (B), Pat McCartney (C), and Connor Picard (D). HOA Champion Jack Grehan had a successful weekend and earned his impressive score of 399×400. HOA Class champs were Kevin McDonald (AA), Tom Davis (A), Peter Bogdon (B), Mike Picard (C), Conor Picard (D), and Bella Earley (E).

We would like to thank Outdoors Environments, Inc, Briley Mfg., and SGS Performance Eyewear for their sponsorship of the shoot. We look forward to upcoming years and are eager to welcome registered shooters from all over the world! Be sure to visit the NSSA website for updates on next year’s Buckeye Challenge.

– Contributed by Andrew Winders

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