Last year the California Skeet Shooting Association elected to move the annual state championship from May to July 5-7, a period when it was previously held. The 2019 championship was slated to be contested in Los Angeles, a gorgeous part of the country during the summer. Triple B Clays in South El Monte was the venue. It was a busy month for the club, having held the California State Sporting Clays Championship just two weeks prior, but we were welcomed by owner Billie Barsotti, her son Billy England, and range manager Jun Vergara.
A Southern California vibe was present the entire weekend. For those who have experienced the area during this season, you know what to expect. A marine layer will be present in the early hours, burning off late morning to midday. Little or no wind until about noon when the ocean breeze appears from the southwest. Mild conditions indeed. The weather left little doubt as to why SoCal is a legendary destination for vacationers.
The range was open on Independence Day for abbreviated hours. A fair number of shooters took advantage of the time to practice, tune up or register. Here’s a So Cal vibe: Lola Fitzgerald sponsored the PA system, putting her father to work early each morning. The result was background music being piped in until shooting began each morning. Most responded positively, especially the younger shooters. Melissa Taylor and Dylan Imperatrice asked if we could turn it up and leave it playing for the entire shoot! We’ll take that under advisement.
Registration continued early Friday morning while Rick Anderson, Rob McCormick and Jun Vergara set the targets in preparation for doubles. They must have done a good job because on the first flight out, a perfect hundie was broken by Daniel Bocks. Daniel is a fine shooter who has won a number of titles recently. However, this was his first perfect in doubles, so a hat would be shot later. Two 99s came in right behind, resulting in Layman Reid taking runner-up and Jack Bernardi third. Melissa Taylor broke a beautiful 98 for Lady Champion.
Friday also included the first two flights of 12-gauge, the final being shot Saturday morning. J.R. Fernandez broke his first 100 in the 12-gauge, and Joe Fry ran ‘em as well. A slew of woulda-shouldas came in right behind them. High scores abounded, and something else was becoming apparent. The young shooters were going to have to be contended with; they weren’t going away. After shoot-offs, young Joe Fry was champion, Fernandez runner-up and the skilled Caroline Church third and Lady Champion. 99s won class champion and runner-up all the way to B, with one exception.
Saturday also included the 20-gauge in its entirety, with five 100s, plenty of 99s and other great shooting. Junior shooter Jace Sulzmann broke his first perfecto in just the 13th tournament of his young career. We’re guessing more will follow. After the tie-breakers, Dan Lewis was the gun champ, Bocks runner-up, and Sulzmann third. This time, 100s and 99s took the class champion and runner-up positions through B. High HOA scores were setting up.
Each year the CSSA hosts a Hall of Fame banquet. State teams are announced and new inductees to the Hall of Fame are honored. Pacific Sporting Arms and the Fry and Fitzgerald families added sponsorships, resulting in a number of niceties for the already top-shelf event. Taking place at a local hotel, pressed shirts and dresses abounded. The banquet was very well attended by shooters and families, including a nice group of children from one inductee’s family. So who are the new Hall of Fame members? Glad you asked.
Joe Falabrino, inducted by Rick Anderson. In addition to many titles and years of great shooting, Joe has been a silent supporter of our sport, physically and financially.
Bill Williams, inducted posthumously by Bob Mills. Bill was a legendary SoCal shooter and instructor whose accomplishments go back decades.
Jim Wong, inducted by Billie Barsotti. In many ways, Jim is the backbone of SoCal shooting. He volunteers countless unpaid hours ensuring local tournaments go smoothly.
Congratulations to the latest inductees. A night a little later than preferred, everyone retired to their abodes. The tournament would conclude the next day.
Once again Vergara, McCormick and Anderson arrived early to set targets. A flight of 28-gauge needed to be shot, along with the entire .410 event. The weather hadn’t changed. One group of Central Californians remarked that they almost needed a sweater! Back home, temperatures were over 100. Speaking of 100, two more were registered in the 28, one each by Dan Lewis and Nick Ballentine. Several 99s followed. When the dust had settled, Lewis had the gun title, Ballentine runner-up and Bill Borrelli third. Joe Fry’s 98 took Junior Champion and Melissa Taylor Lady Champion.
After 300 main event targets, there was a logjam at the top. Ballentine was leading, down only two targets. Bocks and Lewis were right on his tail, having missed only three. Out-of-stater Larry Blount was sitting at 296, and four others were down five at 295. It seems like it always comes down to the .410, and this time was no exception. Lewis’s 96 in the noon flight opened a door a bit. Bocks broke a gorgeous 99, resulting in an HOA of 396. Blount’s 94 effectively took him out. At 1:30, a terrific squad of young shooters, including Ballentine and Fry, went out. Both were clean through three boxes when Nick dropped one. Joe Fry ran it for the .410 bore championship. After shoot-offs, Ballentine was the .410 runner-up and Bocks third.
After three days of shooting at 400 targets, Nick Ballentine won his third California State HOA title with a score of 397. Nick is a fantastic champion and has represented the Golden State well. The talented Daniel Bocks captured runner-up with a score of 396, followed by Joe Fry with 395. Melissa Taylor was the Lady Champion with 391. The youth abounded. It would appear the game is in good hands in the West. Congratulations to all the champions.
First 100 straights were shot by Daniel Bocks, J.R. Fernandez, John Heim and Jace Sulzmann. Although attendance was a bit lower than in past years, HOA scores were the highest in the past four years, owing to a combination of awesome talent, conditions and targets. The tournament stayed on schedule essentially the whole weekend – no doubt the result of the behind-the-scenes workers led by the CSSA Board of Directors. The tournament was also conducted safely.
Many have inquired about new ammunition restrictions in California. Gun ownership in the state is a moving target, but everyone got to the tournament with all the ammunition they needed. Make California a stop on your next shooting trip. There are great ranges located throughout the state. Bring sunglasses and shorts, you’ll fit right in. Come shoot with us!
– Contributed by Chris Baker
