Shoot Reports

Lopata Classic at Clinton-Irwin Rod and Gun Club

December 23, 2024 By Cara Woodard

Clinton-Irwin Rod and Gun Club near Grove City, Penn., held their Lopata Classic on August 2-4. Jerry Lopata was a longtime past president, and he and his family have been major benefactors of this club for years.

Left to right – Joe Gans V, Joe Gans III, Jack Petrosky, John Welch, Sr.

Twenty-nine shooters participated in one or more events in this five-gun shoot. Chris Kline’s 393 made him HOA Champion. Bryson Fox (387) was HOA runner-up, and Jack Harshbarger was HOA thirdafter he winning a shoot-off of 383’s with Matt Bartosch.

Nineteen competitors shot doubles on Friday afternoon under overcast skies in humid conditions. Kline’s 96 made him outright gun champ; Bryson Fox and Don Steinert, respectively, were runner-up and third after shooting off their 94’s. Class firsts went to Rich Vensel (A), Evan Martin (B), Joe Gans 5 (C) and Joe Gans III (D).

Saturday was foggy in the morning and raining, heavy at times, most of the day. The rain did pause in time for shoot-offs, but then restarted and continued through much of the night. The 12-gauge event was first, and 26 shooters participated. Kline ran them and was Champion. There were three 99’s. After shoot-offs Jack Harshbarger was runner-up, Bryson Fox was third, and Matt Bartosch was AA1. Other class firsts included Tom Shields (A), Scott Hazlett (B), Paul Augustin (C), John Welch (D) (after a shoot-off of 93’s with Joe Gans 5), and Jack Petrosky €.

The 20-gauge was shot by 26 competitors on Saturday afternoon. Kline was gun champion, but not until he won a shoot-off of 99’s with Scott Hazlett, runner-up. Matt Bartosch was third after winning a shoot-off of 98’s with Evan Martin (A1). Other class firsts included Bryson Fox (AA), Paul Augustin (B), Brian Fox (C) and Robert Dezort (D).

Sunday morning dawned foggy, but soon turned mostly sunny and warm, for 28 shooters in the 28-gauge. Bryson Fox took the champion title with a 99; Adam Vollmer was runner-up and Brian Steinert third. Class firsts went to Bartosch (A), Mark Eckert (B), Joe Gans 5 (C) and Joe Gans III (D).

Twenty-eight participants shot the .410 on Sunday afternoon. Kline took the championship with a nice 97, while Vollmer’s 95 was good for runner-up; Bryson Fox was third. Class first places, respectively, went to Brian Steinert (A), Brian Fox (B), Scott Hazlett (C), and Jason Callahan (D).

Registration, score compilation and posting, and payouts were handled by Dee Leake, Casey Vensel and Wayne Haines. Referee duties were handled by Matt Ohler, Terry Leake, Greg Lopata, Dave Smerkar and Rich Vensel. Lenny Vensel, Rich Gaw, Dick Bunch and Bob Sharkey handled field duties including keeping watercoolers and traps filled.

A nice lunch was provided by the club on Saturday and Sunday (meatball sandwiches, ham BBQ, hotdogs, potato and macaroni salad and yummy zucchini bread). Thanks to Darlene Burns and Dee Leake for all their efforts preparing and serving the food.

Sub-Junior shooter Jack Petrosky from Ford City, PA, shot his first ever 25-straight in the 12-gauge event, shooting on the same squad as his grandfather, John Welch.

There was $3,200 in added prize money, including $200 donated by the club. Shoot sponsors included the Lopata family (Jerry, Greg and JJ); Herman Holdings, LLC; Dick Bunch; Jim McCormick; and Dave Smerkar.

– George Gleich

20 GA – Chris Kline – CH, Scott Hazlett – RU

Chris Kline – HOA CH, DBLS CH, 12 GA CH, 20 GA CH, .410 CH

Minnesota State Skeet Championships

December 23, 2024 By Cara Woodard

The 2024 Minnesota State Skeet Championships (August 23-25) were hosted by the Metro Gun Club in Blaine, Minn. Great shooting conditions prevailed throughout the tournament. Tate Peterson of Ham Lake, Minn., is well known at Metro, having been an employee there for many seasons. He led a field of 40 shooters with HOA honors.

Tate Paterson also worked with Dan Kampa to register shooters and record scores using new NSSA online software. This automation provides access to the national NSSA database, eliminating many tasks in the registration process and avoiding the misspelling of competitor names and their associated information (classifications, concurrents, etc.). Mike Quigley did a great job handling the shoot-offs.

The Friday Doubles event drew 27 competitors. Jared Miller’s 99 won the Doubles championship for the second consecutive year, with Jarret Hayes taking the runner-up spot.

Good weather helped pave the way for Jarret Hayes on Saturday, who posted two lone 100-straights, claiming gun championships in both 12-Gauge and 20-Gauge events. Bruce Pearson’s 99 earned the 12-gauge runner-up title, while third place went to Tate Peterson. Class winners in 12-gauge were Jake Boerboon, Jared Miller, Brodie Schaefer, Bart Ott, Zack Kurtti, and Chase Beckius in classes AA through E.

Brian Hendrickson took the 20-gauge runner-up title, with Justin Staebell coming in third. Matt Robinson won class AA, followed by Roger Plooster, Bob Rick, Bart Ott, and Chase Beckius in classes A through D.

Randy Vaske won Sunday’s 28-gauge event by posting an uncontested 100, his first-ever perfect score in the 28-gauge! Jared Miller’s 99 earned the runner-up spot following a shoot-off with Tate Peterson, who claimed third place. AA first went to Bob Rick. Mark VanderBloomer, Brian Hendrickson, Sam Radford, and Art Peterson won classes A through D.

Bob Rick posted the lone 99 in the .410-Bore event to win the gun championship outright. Tate Peterson posted a 97 to win the runner-up spot following a five-way shoot-off, Third place was won by Bruce Pearson. Class winners were Jarret Hayes (AA), Matt Robinson (A), Chad Herrmann (B), Mark Cameron (C), and Chase Beckius (D).

Tate Peterson’s 390 won the High Over All Championship over runner-up Jarret Hayes, who posted a 389. Bruce Pearson’s 388 won third place after a shoot-off with Chad Herrmann. High Over All class winners were Chad Hermann (A), Brodie Schaefer (B), Bart Ott (C), Dave Seidel (D), and Chase Beckius (E).

Jared Miller won the High All Around Championship with a 487. High All Around runner-up was Jared Miller (486), followed by Tate Peterson’s third place 484.

The MSSA thanks Mark Cameron and his staff at the Minneapolis Gun Club for hosting another excellent state championship.

– Ronald Chandler

10th Annual Couples Shoot at Generations Skeet Club

December 23, 2024 By Cara Woodard

Generations Skeet Club near Patton in beautiful central Pennsylvania hosted their 10th annual Couples Skeet Shoot on September 1. Over the years, 14 to 38 couples have participated in this shoot; 17 couples participated on Labor Day weekend this year. The weather was beautiful, just a lovely late-summer day. There was a bit of wind, but without that it wouldn’t be Generations.

Left to right: Kevin and Cheryl Smith – RU, Paige McMullen and Brian Waldo – CH, Camden Sikmanski and Lynn Holtz – 3RD

Young and old shooters, some who had never tried to break a clay pigeon, enjoyed the day; some had never fired a shotgun before. Shotguns, shells, ear plugs, etc. were provided as needed. All four of Generations’ skeet fields were used. Squads of four or six shooters were formed, and each couple shot 50 birds, shoulder-to-shoulder. The atmosphere was informal, but safety was stressed. Pulling and scoring was handled by experienced referees, and qualified coaches were present to help as needed.

After the 50 birds were shot at, a rather liberal handicapping system was applied, and all 17 teams (four or five teams per each of the skeet fields) participated in a 3-4-5 doubles shoot-off. The eight winners (two from each field) then shot off again to decide the shoot winners. Plenty of “encouragement” was provided by the onlookers, especially when a few of the newer shooters hit both targets at station 4. The whooping and hollering could be heard throughout the valley. The girls found it very encouraging to hear everyone cheering for them every time they hit a target. The winners were: Paige McMullen and Brian Walwro, champs; Cheryl and Kevin Smith, runners-up; and Lynn Holtz and her 11-year old grandson Camden Simanski, third.

After the shooting was finished, all retired to the Youth Center (one of the nicest barns you will ever see) onsite for a great picnic dinner. The main entrée, grilled chicken, was provided by Ryan Holtz; it was exceptionally tender and delicious this year. There were also tasty hors d’oeuvres and ribs. Many of the shooters brought delicious salads and desserts. One of the desserts that was a big hit was “puppy chow.” Some folks had not heard of this delicacy before, but all who sampled it gave it a big thumbs-up. There was also some of Roy Holtz’s homemade wine.

Kudos to all of the Generations folks and visitors who helped make this year’s Couples Shoot a wonderful time! There are not many skeet shoots where half the participants are female. And speaking of female shooters, the newest Generations’ family member Vivielle Vescovi, infant daughter of Michael and Kierstyn Vescovi, also attended the shoot. She is a member of the fourth generation of the Holtz/Vescovi shooting family. Camden Simanski is also a fourth generation member at age 11. He and his grandmother, Lynn (Lollie), placed third in the Couples Shoot.

– George Gleich

Newark Open

September 10, 2024 By Cara Woodard

The 4^th annual Newark Open was held on July 26-28 at the Newark Rod & Gun Club in Newark, N.Y.

We were blessed with good weather and great shooting conditions this year, leading to some excellent scores.

Friday’s doubles event saw Dess Ivanov capture the championship after a shoot-off of 99s with Craig Parsons, runner-up, and Canada’s Dan Morris, third.

Favorable conditions returned on Saturday, and after the smoke cleared, Craig Parsons emerged as 12-gauge champ, with Dess Ivanov as runner-up and Clay Tietjen at third.

More great scores came in the afternoon’s 20-gauge event, including Zach Jacot’s first 100 straight. Congratulations to Zach! On the 20-gauge podium were Steven (Woody) Wood, champion; Zach Jacot, runner-up; and Clay Tietjen, third. Also notable was Brooke Seidenberg’s first 25 straight celebrated by the traditional hat-destroying event, along with Zach’s.

Pat Breen’s 20-gauge handicap event went well with 5 shooters splitting the pot with perfect 100 straights.

Saturday evening’s dinner, delivered by Bad to the Bone Barbecue just as the shoot-offs were concluding, was a big hit again this year, as were the free lunches both Saturday and Sunday.

Once again, Sunday saw excellent conditions and more great scores highlighted by 28-gauge Champion, Clay Tietjen; runner-up Steven Wood; and third, John Boone. The .410 finished up right on time, with Steve Wood on top, Ed Smith runner-up, and Craig Parsons third.

Our new event, the Kolar HOA handicap bracket, was watched closely by everyone as it progressed. At the conclusion of the .410 event, one finalist was decided — Clay Tietjen — and a shoot-off was required to determine his opponent, with Dale (Bob) Patterson advancing. The two decided to forgo the shoot-off and split the pot.

Congratulations to Steve Wood, HOA Champion, with a fine 397X400, runner-up Clay Tietjen (396), and third-place Craig Parsons (394).

– Craig Parsons

Bull Run Open

September 10, 2024 By Cara Woodard

Fairfax Rod and Gun Club held its 73rd Bull Run Open on July 26-28, the final 5-gun shoot of the year at Fairfax. Coming off the Kolar U.S. Open in June, which was held at 16 clubs and hosted 653 shooters, this shoot was a fine end to the season for 58 members and guests at the beautiful club in Manassas. The shoot attracted 34 doubles shooters on Friday afternoon, with squads enjoying decent weather and a nice warm-up to the main events on Saturday and Sunday. Thomas Allen (FL) was champion, Bob Shelley (MD) was runner-up, and Jim Hickerson (VA) took third.

Saturday morning reflected the biggest number of shooters, with 53 12-gauge competitors battling it out. The shoot had attendees from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and even Oklahoma! When the dust settled after some good shoot-offs for the 99s, Sam Armstrong earned the Gun Champion title, Alessandro Vitale was runner-up, and Conor Stephens was third. Katie Fichtner was Lady Champ, with Hannah Goddard as runner-up, and Alyssa Gormisch in third. Class champs were Jim Hickerson (AA), James Reinhold (A), Ryan Steward (B), Kevin Baker (C), Chris Nevarr (D) and Jeff Bolster (E).

The 20-gauge event resulted in two 100s, with Conor Stephens and Alessandro Vitale lined up for a challenging shoot-off later in the day. Conor got the edge as Gun Champ after a clean station and Alessandro dropping a second target for a hard-fought runner-up. Katie Fichtner locked in third with the only 99 of the day in 20-gauge. Anthony Jones and Kevin Baker shot off personal best 98s in B class, with Anthony claiming B1 after two targets

Sunday got off to a nice start with 47 28-gauge shooters, all bested by John Snyder with a lights-out 100, which would prove to be the only one of the day. Three 99s came in by lunchtime, with competitors Sam Armstrong, Alyssa Gormish, and Derek Vacco nearing John’s perfection. A shoot-off locked in Sam as runner-up and Alyssa in third. Class champs were Mark Gay (AA), George Giammittorio (A), Derek Vacco (B), Clarence Jones (C) and Phil Jones (D).

The loved and hated .410 bore closed out the weekend on Sunday afternoon. Gil Traore and George Giammittorio posted the winning score of 98 and then fought it out in a shoot-off where Gil won after some tough targets. Sam Armstrong took third with the only 97 of the day. Class champs were Jim Hickerson (AA), John Wells (A), Robert Tinder (B), Anthony Jones (C), and Phil Jones (D). Lady champ was Katie Fichtner, First Responder was Jim Hart, and Retired Military was John Snyder.

HOA Champion was Sam Armstrong (392), runner-up was John Snyder (390) and third was Brown Cribbs (389). Thanks once again to the estate of Roy Winkler for providing high achievement awards to the winners. Of course, we couldn’t do these shoots without our wonderful referees, including Bud Hitchcock (chief), Lonny Evenson, Pepper Morgan and shooting referees: Katie Fichtner, Alyssa Gormish, Michael Johnson, Chris Nevarr, Lee Panella, James Reinhold, Bob Shelley, Conor Stephens, and Ryan and Ben Stewart.

For sure, a highlight of the weekend was seeing club member Brad Olson back at the club for his first 5-gun shoot since going through a serious health scare in 2022. Brad’s commitment to recovery has been nothing short of amazing, and an example for everyone. We’ll be seeing many more broken targets in Brad’s future!

The steak and chicken dinner was cooked to perfection by club president and pitmaster Jeff Bolster, with help from his assistant chefs Lee Panella, Mitch Ballweg, and T.W. Williams. Terri Bolster once again shot 100 straight, along with her banquet preparation, including shopping, chopping, and cooking fantastic sides. Special thanks to all who supported another great shoot at Fairfax. Becky Myers provided flawless shoot management with support from Joe Guadalupe. Jamie, Justin, and Michael kept the club running perfectly and the fields in ideal condition. Kudos to Andy Lawston for feeding a herd lunch in the canteen on Saturday and Sunday, and Bryan Cooper for keeping the Civilian Arms pro shop stocked and open for shooters needing to pick up supplies or ammunition.

– Kevin Baker