Clay Target Nation

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

Generations Awards President’s Cup to George Gleich

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As an ambassador to skeet, one name that stands out among all is George Gleich. George has supported and promoted the game of skeet all across the country. He has shot over 250,000 NSSA lifetime registered targets at sanctioned events at gun clubs in 16 states. But more importantly, George has supported his club, Generations Skeet Club, and the Generations family. From attending league nights, rain or shine, to shooting all the club’s registered shoots and doing write-ups and photos of all those registered shoots for Clay Target Nation (and previously Skeet Shooting Review) for many years, to running the club on Sundays, George has been an amazing member of the Generations skeet family. He is helpful to all and will lend a shotgun or ammo to anyone in need or to help get a new shooter started.

George Gleich

George is a Level 1 NSSA Certified Instructor and has been a registered referee for years. He volunteers to referee the SCTP State Championship held there each year.

You won’t find a more honest or gracious man in the game than George.  He is a constant gentleman on and off the field. For these and many other reasons, Generations has awarded the first Generations Skeet President’s Cup to George Gleich.

– Contributed by Roy Holtz

Oregon Celebrates 30th Championship and Hall of Fame Inductees

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Oregon celebrated its 30th anniversary State NSCA Sporting Clays Championship on June 23-26. Host club Mid Valley Clays and owners Dave and Vandy Fiedler put on a great event enjoyed by 193 competitors from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, Hawaii, Montana, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. At the traditional Saturday night awards banquet, the Sustain Oregon NSCA Fund raffled 40 boxes of shotgun shells as a large group of enthusiastic shooters and guests enjoyed a great BBQ dinner.

Dave Abel, Ellen Deleganes, Jerry Martin

A highlight of the annual awards banquet is the Hall of Fame (HOF) induction ceremony. A Nomination/Selection Committee looks back over the years and identifies those individuals who have achieved significant shooting accomplishments and/or made significant contributions in advancing the development and success of our sport. Congratulations to the following Oregon NSCA HOF inductees for 2022:

Shooting Achievement Award: Jerry Martin, Sr.

Service Award: David Abel and Ellen Deleganes

Each recipient received a crystal award, had their names added to the Oregon Hall of Fame Perpetual Plaque and their photo and career highlights displayed on the state association’s website, which you can see at www.ornsca.org/hof.html.

– Contributed by Tom Jones

David Abel
Ellen Deleganes
Jerry Martin

ORSA Youth Skeet Camp

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Oak Ridge Sportsman Association, along with NSSA, put on its 11th Annual Youth Skeet Camp in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on June 7-8. Fifteen youth athletes aged 8 to 17 years old attended the camp. Lead instructor, NSSA Level III Benji Turner, along with four additional certified instructors, taught the camp.

Turner reported, “The ORSA Skeet Camp was awesome, campers were motivated, and some learned a lot. Some of the advanced campers picked up a few more techniques to add to their skills. We had a couple campers hit 5 and 7 targets on the first round and ended with 20 and 19. We also had some campers shoot their personal high. We were blessed with good weather and a little rain, but the campers still eagerly went outside and shot. Great staff made this camp run smoothly. Food was great, and all seemed to learn a lot and had a great time.”

“Safety is the number one goal,” said Rick Andrews, Youth Camp Director. Safety briefings were held each day before the camp began, along with the instructors stressing safety on the fields.

The camp offered instruction for beginners to advanced shooters. Gun fitting, eye dominance, proper stance and advanced techniques were taught. The ORSA skeet facility threw more than 4,000 White Flyer targets through its new Lincoln skeet machines during the clinic.

Thanks to our many ORSA members who helped with the camp, providing food and water and filling up the machines. Without these volunteers, we could not put on our camp.

The 2023 ORSA-NSSA Skeet Camp is slated for next June. Dates and entry forms will be available this winter.

– Contributed by Cletus Mitchell

   

NSSA-NSCA Response to CA AB #2571

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In observance of the recently passed California Assembly Bill #2571, NSSA-NSCA must cease all advertising and marketing activities directed at individuals 17 years and younger in California. This includes ceasing to distribute Clay Target Nation magazine, Target Talk/Target Talk Lessons newsletters, CTN Extra newsletter, event promotions, and other association communications to affected members. We have purged all mailing and email lists of affected members for magazines, newsletters, and other communications. Processes are now in place to maintain compliance as affected member numbers change.

In addition to ceasing all advertising, marketing, and other communications with affected members, we have taken the following actions to ensure compliance with AB #2571 and mitigate risk to our association, our clubs, partners and affiliates:

  • Requesting that member clubs immediately cease promotions to affected NSSA-NSCA members, as well as evaluating their communications and event/product promotions to ensure they are in compliance
  • Notifying our advertisers, sponsors, and industry partners of NSSA-NSCA’s actions being taken in response to AB #2571
  • Notifying MySkeet, Score Chaser, Winscore, other third-party registration and scoring platforms, and other vendors who communicate with NSSA-NSCA members, that they must refrain from marketing events to affected NSSA and NSCA members
  • Adding exclusionary language to digital and print publications, newsletter sign-up forms, and media kits
  • Instructing staff on maintaining compliance with this law
  • Notifying NSSA-NSCA Chief Instructors of AB #2571 and requesting that they refrain from contacting and marketing to affected members.
  • Notifying NSSA-NSCA governing bodies of the law and the actions being taken

You can learn more about California AB #2571 at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2571.

Any questions relative to NSSA-NSCA’s actions in response to AB #2571 should be directed to NSSA-NSCA Executive Director Michael Hampton, mhampton@nssa-nsca.com.
 

63rd Kentucky Lake Open

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Mark Travis of Bartlett, Tennessee, returned to Chief Paduke Gun Club after a long hiatus and walked off with the HOA championship. This year’s version was also held mid-May, a welcome respite from the sweltering temperatures of the traditional July date. A good time was had by all, with many promises of “see you next year” upon the contestants’ Sunday afternoon departures. All competitors and their respective entourages were treated to a complimentary Saturday night fish fry by Earl Yarbrough and crew, and it was enjoyed by everyone.

Calvert City All-American Ken Ford, MD, posted the only 98 to take opening doubles honors without a shoot-off. Fellow Calvert City Gun Club member Jody Stevenson, showing he had lost little in an almost 10-year layoff, won AA with a 97. Larry Blount, visiting again from the Grand Canyon state, topped A class with a 96. Christian Wagner, an outstanding Junior shooter from Tennessee, was B1 with his 93. Mark Hammond, Elizabethtown, KY, led C with a nice 95. Mike Burrell, Blodgett, MO, was tops in D with 91.

Jody Stevenson cashed in for the second time in a row in the All-Gauge contest, popping the only 100. Scores of 99 were plentiful, though, as that tally from Barry Stevenson topped AA. It was Ford in A, and Jamie Hathcock, (visiting from Springfield, MO) in B. Hunter Burgess, Cordova, TN was best in C, beating Mike Jenkins in a shoot-off of 96s. Burrell won D again, this time with a score of 94. In what was probably the most eagerly watched shoot-off of the event, the Ballentine brothers of Milan, TN, locked horns in the Sub-Junior concurrent, with Owen prevailing over Ethan.

Two shooters had 100s with the yellow shells – Travis and last year’s runaway HOA winner, Josh Beard. Josh prevailed in the miss-and-out doubles decider, relegating Mark to AA1. Club president Keith Spivey, inarguably the top gun in Elizabethtown, IL, proved that you can oversee a shoot, repair traps as needed, pull a five-man squad, and still shoot well. He came out the winner in a shoot-off of 99s for the A-class crown over Wagner and Barry Stevenson. Hathcock reserved another spot in the payout line, leading B with his 97. Kevin Brogdon, out of Humboldt, TN, led C with a nice 96, while fellow Volunteer Stater Jack Huckabee, won D with the same score.

After Sunday morning’s small-gauge affair, only one red dot appeared on the scoreboard, posted by Keith Brummite, Benton, KY. Travis again showed up on the payout sheet, with his AA class best of 99. Gavin Stevenson, also of Calvert, gave further credence to the fact that the Stevenson men can take a lengthy break from the sport and return at the near-top of their game, taking A class with the lone 99. Perennial KLO participant and CPGC member Rob Gyngard, Florissant, MO, broke 96 for the top spot in B. Burrell triumphed again, this time in the C division, with a 96. Huckabee cashed in for the second time in D with 88.

In the baby bore, Travis prevailed in a three-way tie-breaker of 98s over Ford (A) and B class Spivey. Bartlett, TN, shooter and regular KLO participant Alan Newton led C with a 93, while Huckabee marked again, this time with a 94 that easily outclassed his competition in D class.

Travis’ 395 led the HOA chase by a healthy margin of four over Ford (AA1) and Blount (B1) by five. Don Beard, Jackson, MO, topped A with 386. Burgess prevailed in the C division with his 373, with Huckabee leading D at 367.

The KLO continues to run smoothly each year, due mainly to the pitch-in-and-help attitude displayed by many club members. Chief Paduke Gun Club would also like to thank all those that supported and participated. Plan now on signing up early for the 2023 version.

– Contributed by Bob Toy

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