Clay Target Nation

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

3F Summer Classic at 3F Club

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The 3F Club in Lewiston, New York, hosted the 3F Summer Classic on July 15-17. The 3F continues to host one of the top money shoots in New York, with over $2500 added money. The weather for the weekend was great with sunny blue skies and light winds. Mother Nature was kind this year compared to last year’s monsoon rains.

Friday’s doubles event resulted in two 98s posted by Brian Milanese and Dave Cooley, setting up a battle of the southpaws. Milanese took the championship, and class winners were Mat Kelley (AA), Matt Lenehan (A), John Boone (B) and Doug Goodman (C).

Saturday’s bright morning sun for the 12-gauge brought out the dark shooting glasses. Dave Cooley posted the lone 100 for the championship, and four 99s shot off for runner-up – Kody Hoth, Steve Wood, Jeff Ventry and Colin Smingler. After a lengthy shoot-off, Hoth claimed the runner-up title. Class winners were Steve Wood (AA), Jeff Ventry (A), Jon Zywiczynski (B), Dan Holdsworth (C), Owen Cooley (D) and Victor Stirpe (E).

After the lunch break sponsored by Ventry’s Pizza, shooters took to the fields to start the 28-gauge event. Two 99s were posted by Dr. Michael Ferchaw and Jon Zywiczynski; Ferchaw won the championship and Zywiczyski runner-up. Class winners were Steve Wood (AA), Bernie Lenehan (A), Brian Milanese (B), Cindy Johnson (C) and Owen Cooley (D).

Saturday night shooters and guests were treated to pulled pork, Natural Link locally made Italian, Polish and jalapeno sausage, shrimp, fruit trays and a dessert table. Thanks to our key sponsors this year, we were able to keep our traditional added money pay-outs in these uncertain times: Manth Manufacturing (our keynote sponsor for many years), Dawson Enterprises (ammo and reloading supplies from Massillon, Ohio) and Cambria Game Farms. Jimmy Johnson had the luck of his Swedish heritage, winning both 50/50 raffles, that paid for his weekend instead of his shooting.

Sunday had ideal weather conditions for the day. The lone 100 in the 20-gauge was posted by Kody Hoath, taking the championship. This was also Kody’s first 100 in the 20-gauge. Dave Cooley captured the runner-up title with the lone 99. Class winners Steve Wood (AA), Matt Lenehan (A), Christopher Dole (B), Doug Goodman (C) and Victor Stirpe (D).

In everyone’s favorite event, the .410, 97s were posted by Victoria Ferchaw and Aaron Burnett, with Aaron outlasting Victoria in the shoot-off to win the championship. Class winners Mat Kelley (AA), Jon Zywiczynski (A), Matt Lenehan (B), Victor Stirpe (C) and Owen Cooley (D).

The HOA crown came down to a pair of 389s posted by Mike Ferchaw and Steve Wood, squaring off on the shoot-off field. Ferchaw outlasted Wood for the win. Class winners were Mat Kelley (AA), Victoria Ferchaw (A), Christopher Dole (B), Doug Goodman (C) and Owen Cooley (D), as well as Junior Champion.

Thank you to all of our dedicated sponsors – without them, the shoot would not happen. Thanks also to our referees who did an excellent job and had the stamina to hang in there, and to all our volunteers who made this shoot possible – Mike Clarke, Fredo Vanoni, Dave Sobiegray, Jeff Ventry Rich Falcone and Tim Baldwin. Our thanks to Jackie Ventry and Lisa Kelly for running the shoot and dinner table and to all the shooters for making our event a growing success. Please join us again next year and bring along your new shooting friends. Hopefully things will get back to normal by then.

– Contributed by Dave Sobiegray

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

   

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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