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Alabama State Sporting Clays Championship

December 8, 2022 By Cara Woodard

Edward Guice, C Class Champion

The fall colors and cool, comfortable weather rolled in perfectly to support the 2022 Alabama State Championship at Bright Star Sporting Clays, October 6-9. Bright Star Sporting Clays is a family-owned operation that started as a few practice machines for owner Jason Jackson and his son. It has grown from its humble beginnings to a full course that throws more registered sporting birds than any other range in Alabama.

Jason brought in Corey Howell, of Howell Traps, and Dean Blanchard to set the courses and provide additional machines for the Sub-Gauge, AFS, FITASC, True Pair and Super Sporting courses. Shooters from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida and one from Ohio attended to test their skills and enjoy the welcoming atmosphere.

The Prelim and Main Event were set in the wooded area of the property, while all other events were set on the rolling pasture land of the property. Jason wanted courses where everyone would have fun and still be challenged.

Corey and Dean delivered perfectly with courses that tested all but allowed everyone to break their fair share. The shadows and filtered sunlight on the leaves of the Prelim and Main courses presented added challenges of their own, beyond the wide variety of birds set.

The Friday Prelim finished up with a four-way tie at a score of 98. The shoot-off for all the ties were conducted on the Super Sporting course, but with 20 to 30 yards added to the shooting distance and throwing true pairs. It was  literally like a true pair long-bird competition and a lot of fun. The Prelim was won by Jeff Cramblit, with Brad Collins taking runner-up and Chuck Cranford winning the 12-gauge event.

The Saturday Main Event course ended with several Masters in the mid- to high-90s, but the leaders were Alex Ryan Clark of Georgia and two-time Alabama State Champion Chuck Cranford tied at 98. Chuck was having a tremendous weekend competing in 9 of the 10 events offered at the tournament. He ended up with four HOAs, one runner-up and a Master first.

For most, Sunday’s Main course proved more challenging, but not for Junior shooter Hunter Stover of Mobile, Alabama. Hunter succeeded in shooting an amazing score of 99, a full three birds ahead of the nearest competitor and enough to win him his first Alabama State High Overall title. Chuck Cranford’s scores were good enough to hold on to the runner-up position, and Alex Ryan Clark was third, also taking the Non-Resident High Overall.

Alabama shooters didn’t win everything; one of Mississippi’s top shooters, Steven Tzotzolas, stepped in and won the True Pair event. High Lady was won by Alabama Junior shooter and match photographer, Katie Skinner. For full results, visit ScoreChaser.com.

The Alabama State was very much a family-oriented tournament with many father/son, husband/wife pairs shooting together. For Hunter Stover and his father Benny Stover, it was a very rewarding crown to years of competition.

For Bruce Park, it was his first major tournament and also the first he had shot with his son Sumter, who won D class in both the Main Event and Super Sporting, while dad earned punches in a tie for C1 in Super Sporting.

All three of the Alabama NSCA delegates were in attendance, and all three took home awards. Rocky McCluskey was runner-up in AFS, Perry Johnson took A1 honors in both AFS and FITASC, and Steve Dickinson was M3 in the Prelim event.

It seemed as though everyone won something. Reviewing the payouts on ScoreChaser, over 80 of the shooters won a part of the very generous $18,000+ payout. The tournament sponsors were Albertville PowerQuip Kubota, Atlas Traps, Howell Traps, Comp-N-Choke, Sand Mountain Toyota, White Flyer, and Lake Guntersville Tourism Board.

Everyone seemed very happy with the tournament, thought it ran smoothly and was having a good time. The Saturday evening dinner was catered by the local SCTP group and was delicious. Thanks to all the SCTP shooters and family who took on the duties as trappers for the event.

Bright Star and the Jacksons wanted to put on a match where everyone had fun, promoted fellowship and camaraderie, and felt like they were a part of something, and it seemed the crowd agreed they succeeded. Many were already looking forward to and planning for next year’s event.

– Contributed by Jeff Cramblit

Photos by Katie Skinner

Filed Under: Clay Target Nation - ARTICLES, NSCA News, Sporting Clays Tagged With: Alabama State Sporting Clays Championship, clay target shooting, NSCA, sporting clays

2022 National Championship Photo Gallery

November 4, 2022 By Cara Woodard

The NSSA-NSCA’s official photographer, Lefty Ray Chapa, was on hand at the 2022 National Sporting Clays Championship to capture all the action. Enjoy this selection of photos, and feel free to send us your own photos at CTN@nssa-nsca.com.
Click on an image to enlarge photo.

 

Member Grant Bergmann has also shared his photos from the 2022 National Sporting Clays Championship. Our thanks to Grant for these great photos!

 

Filed Under: Clay Target Nation - ARTICLES, Clay Target Nation Photo Galleries, Sporting Clays Photos Tagged With: clay target shooting, National Sporting Clays Association, National Sporting Clays Championship, NSCA, sporting clays

Herman Cordray Youth Benefit Shoot

December 26, 2018 By Sherry Kerr

The annual Herman Cordray Youth Benefit Shoot took place at Stockton (CA) Trap and Skeet on June 23, 2018. This is an NSCA registered event that is held in memory of Herman Cordray, a sporting clays shooter who passed away in 2011. Organizers of this event include family members, friends and fellow sporting clays shooters.

This event is a fundraiser for the youth shooting clubs in the area. The young shooters come early and help set up for the shoot; they keep score, run errands, clean up and some participate in the event at a discounted price. Herman Cordray was an organ donor, and shooters who are donors enter the event at a discounted price as well. Lunch is included in the registration fee, and the club offers a fun raffle during lunch time. This year the raffle consisted of donated products of the agricultural San Joaquin Valley, including wine from various wineries located in Lodi-Stockton, California area, honey, pickled peppers, olive oil, homemade fruit pies and almonds. Proceeds of the raffle go to the youth clubs who help with the event.

On average, 30 to 40 shooters attend this annual event, and more are always welcome. This year, through generous sponsorships and donations, the shoot provided $3,800 to two youth clubs who helped with the shoot, NorCal Longshots and Coon Creek Youth Sporting Foundation. Under the direction of their coaches, the event was a success. The aim of the event is to keep the foundation of sporting clays solid to ensure the future of this sport, and to date, it has donated close to $36,000.

First-place winners Masters through E class and High Over All first and second-place winners are awarded. Awards are presented in handmade camouflage bags perfect for holding shell casings and other items. First-place winners have their names engraved on a handmade oak award board that is housed at the shooting club.

You can learn more about the shoot and make your plans to attend in 2019 at www.hermancordrayshoot.com.

– Contributed by Tam Cordray

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Filed Under: Clay Target Nation - ARTICLES, Sporting Clays, Sporting Clays Events, Sporting Clays Photos Tagged With: Coon Creek Youth Sporting Foundation, Herman Cordray Youth Benefit Shoot, NorCal Longshots, NSCA, sporting clays

Photo Gallery: NSCA North Central Regional Championship

August 29, 2018 By Sherry Kerr

The North Central Regional Sporting Clays Championship, held at Northbrook Sports Club in Hainesville, Illinois on August 15-19, showcased a beautiful venue for nearly 600 competitors. See our complete event coverage in the October issue of Clay Target Nation. Enjoy these photos of the Northbrook facility and the competition:

Photos by Thaddius Bedford, Liquid Images
Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Filed Under: Clay Target Nation - ARTICLES, Sporting Clays, Sporting Clays Events, Sporting Clays Photos Tagged With: National Sporting Clays Association, North Central Regional, NSCA, sporting clays

Bob Lepor Is First to Shoot 250,000 Registered Targets

June 14, 2018 By Sherry Kerr

In 2011, NSCA Hall of Famer and former Executive Council chairman Bob Lepor made sporting clays history when he shot his 200,000th registered target. That record has now been broken. On Sunday, September 24 at high noon, Bob shot his 250,000th registered NSCA target during the main sporting event at the Delaware River Classic in his home state of New Jersey.

“Bob’s accomplishment and dedication to the sport is remarkable,” said Anthony Matarese, whose club, M&M Hunting and Sporting Clays, hosted the event.

Bob’s journey into the history books of sporting clays began in 1994 when he shot his first registered NSCA target at the U.S. Open held at Hopkins Game Farm in Maryland. He posted 1,000 registered clays that first year alone, but really ramped things up the following year after recovering from an illness. Bob used shooting as a means to rehabilitate himself in an effort to increase his strength and stamina. By the year 2000, he’d shot 100,000 registered targets.

“Bob’s most prolific year was in 1999, when he shot 31,650 registered targets,” reported Diane Sorantino, a close friend and frequent squadmate of Bob’s. “Between 1994 and 2017, Bob averaged over 10,000 registered targets per year, and during one three-year period, he averaged 20,000 per year.”

After reaching 200,000 in 2011, Bob was noncommittal about hitting the quarter-million mark. “I don’t know about 250,000,” he said at the time. “I’ll let that run its own course. We’ll see.”

Six years later, Bob had this to say about his most recent milestone, “I was the first to reach 100,000 and first to reach 200,000. Now, being the first to reach 250,000, I must admit it feels like I have accomplished a real personal goal.”

He didn’t make this journey alone, though. “Bob has tremendous family support in pursuing his shooting goals,” said Sorantino. “Bob’s wife, Marilyn, has traveled to many shooting events and frequently accompanies him at Nationals in San Antonio. Over the years, Bob’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Carbone, has also shot many tournaments with him.” Both Marilyn and Elizabeth were on hand to see Bob shoot his 250,000th target.

Spending time with his granddaughter has been particularly gratifying to Bob. “She was there for 100,000 and 200,000 as well,” he noted. “Having Elizabeth along with me on this journey, either shooting or just supporting me, has meant everything to me!”

Spending time with grandpa has meant a lot to Elizabeth, too. “Looking back on my adolescence, shooting with my grandfather for nearly seven years provided me with some of my most cherished moments of our relationship,” she reflected. “Not only was I able to compete side by side with him, but we also got to travel the country together, doing something we both loved.

“Through his patience, guidance, and knowledge, I was able to become a successful shooter for my age group,” Elizabeth said. “I am so proud of his incredible accomplishment and even prouder that I got to experience firsthand a very large amount of his 250,000 targets.”

It isn’t all about the numbers, though. Bob has also taken time to give back to this sport he so dearly loves. Sorantino points out that Bob was awarded the Hal du Pont Service Award, which is given to an NSCA member who has given back to the NSCA and had a positive influence on the game and its members.

“This award describes Bob completely,” she continued. “He has served as a State Delegate, Advisory Council Member, and Executive Council Member. As chairman of the Executive Council, he spearheaded and managed many positive changes that benefited the NSCA and its members. Bob worked tirelessly at all these positions, and we often joked that it was a full-time job without the paycheck.”

Although he’s approached sporting clays in a workmanlike fashion — one has to in order to rack up such an astounding number of targets — it’s mainly been about family, friends and fun. “The sport does give you the opportunity to meet many people and make some great lifelong friends,” Bob acknowledged.

Sorantino counts herself among those friends. “I’ve personally shot many targets alongside Bob,” she said. “We actually live in the same hometown, approximately one mile away from each other. It was shooting that brought about our friendship. To this day, we continue to shoot tournaments together. We know each other and our shooting styles, and it works well for us both. Most of all, we always enjoy a good laugh — and a good meal — together!

“It is my honor to know Bob, and I treasure our special friendship,” Sorantino added. “I look forward to seeing him shoot many more NSCA registered targets. I’m proud to be a part of his recording-setting goal, and very proud to say Bob Lepor is my friend.”

“I’ve known Bob for over 20 years and am honored to call him a friend,” echoed Matarese.

In the end, the shooting sports are all about the friendships we make, not the number of clays we break. That said, don’t be surprised if the tally approaches 300,000 in a few years. If there’s one thing you can always count on Bob Lepor to do, it’s shoot a lot of targets. The last 23 years have proven that time and time again — a quarter of a million times, in fact.

Photos by Photos by Derek Moore & Devin Kearney
Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Filed Under: Clay Target Nation - ARTICLES, Sporting Clays, Sporting Clays Events, Sporting Clays Photos Tagged With: 250000 targets, Bob Lepor, NSCA, sporting clays

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