Clay Target Nation

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

South River Open

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Harris County Shotgun Team participants & coaches.

South River Gun Club in Covington, Georgia, hosted the South River Open on April 14-15, 2018. Saturday was sunny, yet a bit breezy – pleasant enough weather for the 12-gauge event, with 55 youth and 25 adults, for a total of 80 shooters participating.

High score posted was 99 by Noah Adair (Triple-Sub/Collegiate), Joe Dickson (Senior/Retired Military) and Thomas Miles (Sub-Junior). Miles missed on station 4, first lap, earning third honors (Sub-Junior champion), while Adair pushed Dickson until he missed his second target on station 4 on the third pass, so Dickson was runner-up (Senior and Retired Military champion), and Adair won 12-gauge event champion (Triple-Sub and Collegiate champion). Kadie Anderson took Sub-Junior runner-up (93), and Ashton Curry won Sub-Junior third (88). Alison Boyette took Junior champion over Graham Hasty in a quick shoot-off of 98s. 97s shot off for third and 1-1 points, with Avery Lawski over William Whitten. Lady honors were clean as Boyette (98), Anderson (93), and Addison Samson (82) stood on the winners’ podium. Anderson also snagged Lady Sub-Junior champion, while Boyette cinched Lady Junior Champion.

As a fun aside, the youth created 3-man teams in Sub-Junior and Junior. Sub-Junior winning teams were: champion – Harlan Brooks, Colton Patterson and Evan Page with 268/300; runner-up – Clay Weaver, Garrett Wood and Ashton Curry with 264/300; third – Maddox Diehl, Brandon Beaudoin and Elizabeth Whitten with 220/300.

Junior winning teams were: champion – Avery Lawski, Alison Boyette and Daniel Ingram, 280/300; runner-up – Graham Hasty, Izaih Holland and Logan Hunsinger, 273/300; third – Parker Diehl, Will Whitten and Blake Everson with 272/300. The youth all enjoyed getting to stand on South River’s new podium, designed and built by South River’s maintenance crew, steered by Josh Henderson. Alli Grey Everson won a Beretta Tervis Cup in a random drawing. Anderson broke her first 25 in the 12-gauge event.

The 20-gauge event was sandwiched in between the morning and afternoon 12-gauge shooters, with 37 participating. Two perfect scores were posted, Avery Lawski (Junior) and Cannon Petitjean (Triple-Sub), with his first perfect 20-gauge score. During their shoot-off, each missed on station 3, then got serious for 2 ½ trips around the pads before Petitjean let a low 4 slip by, grabbing 20-gauge runner-up (Triple-Sub champion), and Lawski taking 20-gauge champion. Third was up for grabs with Adair (Triple-Sub/Collegiate), Dickson (Senior/Retired Military) and Boyette (Junior/Lady) headed onto the field. Boyette dropped one on the first lap across the field, while Adair and Dickson pushed each other around the stations four times before Adair dropped a high 4, giving Dickson the small gap he needed to grab 20-gauge third (Senior/Retired Military champion. Sub-Junior champion honors went to Miles (98), Anderson (95) and Clay Weaver (78). Daniel Ingram took Junior third (93) over Luke Weaver in a quick shoot-off. Peyton Strickland took Lady third honors. Kadie Anderson broke her first 50 in the 20-gauge event. The field was full as friends and squad mates shot her hat that evening to celebrate her day’s milestones.

Sunday’s weather was downright miserable; however, the wind was no longer much of an issue. Raingear was put to the test – some failed miserably and got tossed in the trash bin. The temperatures were cooler and with the steady rain, it was a challenge to stay warm. Twenty-two hearty souls were tough and stood in the rain, posting quite a few strong scores despite the weather. In the 28-gauge event, Lawski and Jay Tompkins posted straights, so they headed to the field for braggin’ rights. Lawski let a high 5 slip by on the first go-around, and Tompkins took advantage, smacking his pair to claim 28-gauge champion, and Lawski took runner-up and Junior champ. Adair and Boyette took to the field to shoot off their 99s for third honors. Adair hit everything, securing third (Collegiate and Triple-Sub champion). Boyette took class honors (Junior runner-up and Lady champion) again. Miles and Anderson (Lady runner-up) took Sub-Junior titles; Ingram took Junior third; Strickland took Lady third.

In typical fashion, final results in HOA depended on .410. One lone 99 was posted by Petitjean to snare .410 Bore Champion (Triple-Sub champion) unchallenged, while celebrating another personal best. Adair (Collegiate/Triple-Sub) and Matthew Long (Triple-Sub) both posted 97s, so they were in contention for runner-up and third. Matthew’s 97 was also a personal best; he missed early and Adair closed the door to take runner-up, and Long took third in the event (Triple-Sub runner-up). Sub-Junior went to Miles and Anderson; Junior went to Lawski (93), Boyette (92) and Ingram. Lady winners were Boyette, Anderson and Strickland.

HOA Champion was well deserved for Petitjean, with a 395, one final personal best for the weekend. Runner-up (Triple-Sub runner-up, Collegiate champion) went to Adair with a 394. Adair is quickly coming to the end of his collegiate career, with graduation ceremony usurping this year’s Krieghoff Masters, as he claimed champion honors in all collegiate events. Third was up for grabs at 390 for Dickson, squad mate and mentor of Lawski, who broke half, thus establishing third for Dickson (Retired Military champion and Senior champion). Podium opened for the youth again for Sub-Junior Miles and Anderson; Junior Lawski, Boyette and Ingram; and Lady Boyette, Anderson and Strickland.

South River Gun Club used a new-to-skeet online squadding program, PreSquad (presquad.com). It’s been used successfully in the trap world for several years now. The benefits are instant confirmation of rotation and ability to choose squad mates. Beta testing went well and will be used for the remainder of the shoots at South River Gun Club this season and the upcoming Georgia State Skeet Championship. Be sure and check out the presquadding program; perhaps it will be something your own club could use.

Thanks to our ever-faithful referees: John Hancock, Myrl Miller, David DePreta, Deborah Rentz and Norma Rickmond, who never fail to go above and beyond the call of duty at every tournament. The next tournament offered at South River Gun Club will be the Georgia State Skeet Championships, June 22-24, 2018. It is an open shoot, so if you are in the area, make plans to join us for warm temperatures, quality targets, delicious food, great prizes for residents and quite a few of those highly coveted All American points.

– Contributed by Tami Daniel-Means

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Ken Barnes Open

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HOA Winner Dan Lewis gets the big beer bottle. RU – Dan Jones, 3rd – Nick Ballentine

There was another great ending to a shoot that was first started back in the early 1980s at the Kern County Gun Club in Bakersfield, California. Perfect targets and a perfect background always make for good scores, and this year was no different. A near-perfect 99 won the .410 bore, and 100s were needed in all the other guns.

The highlight of the shoot was 14-year-old Cooper Gerecke breaking his first 100 straight in 12 gauge and going on to win the gun championship. Talk about excited! All-American shooters Dan Lewis and Dan Jones took the HOA championship and runner-up. 

Over $20,000 was paid out this year, with some gunners getting over $2,000. This is due to the fact that there is big money given for gun and HOA champs, plus guaranteed money given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places for every class in every gun, over and above the regular class money entry fee payback. It really works and makes this event one of the top money shoots across the nation. 

We were visited by NSSA president John Haugh, who participated and donated some of his winnings to the 2019 Ken Barnes Open. Our thanks to John.  

We would love to see more of you next year, so put this event on your bucket list.

– Contributed by Ken Barnes

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Durosko and Holman Take Honors at Snow Memorial

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Mike Durosko – 20GA and HOA Champ with Kathleen, Dale and Keith Snow (Click photo to enlarge it.)

The 9th annual Clayton Snow Memorial was held at Meadville Sportsman’s Club in Meadville, Penn., on May 20. Clayton Snow was a long-time member and supporter of Meadville Sportsman’s and was especially interested in encouraging young people to learn to shoot. The Snow family sponsored this shoot and awarded money and locally produced maple syrup to the gun and overall champs.

The weather was variable. Cool, rainy and windy in the morning, partly sunny and breezy in the afternoon and heavy rain for shoot-offs. Twenty shooters participated in this 200-bird, 20- and 28-gauge shoot. The high total score of the day (195) was turned in by Mike Durosko, who had a 99 in the 20 and a 96 in the 28; Dale Snow was HOA runner-up with his 193.

The shoot began with the 20-gauge event in the morning in the rain. Durosko shot a 99 and was gun champ. Class champions included Ernie Avolio (AA); Mike Zavasky (A), after a shoot-off of 98s with Dale Snow; Josh Crofutt (B), after a shoot-off of 98s with Mark Johnson; Mike Wojtecki (C); and Greg Schweitzer (D).

Scott Holman – 28GA Champ with Kathleen, Dale and Keith Snow (Click photo to enlarge it.)

Samuel Marks handled registration and score posting. Samuel, his dad Sam, Milt Lang and Keith Snow pulled and scored. The Cooking Caterers provided the delicious lunch. 

Extra special thanks go to the Snow family for sponsoring and participating in this shoot. Clayton’s widow, Kathleen, and two of his sons (Dale and his wife Janet, and Keith) attended the shoot. Calvin Doctor, the Snows’ grandson, made the maple syrup.

– Contributed by George Gleich

 

 

 

Leyo and Grossett Winners at Blackbird Open

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Scott Grossett wins 12GA Champ and earns his first 100 Straight

The Blackbird Open was held at Generations Skeet Club near Patton, Penn., on May 6. Seventeen shooters participated in the 20-gauge event in the morning, and 15 shot the 12-gauge in the afternoon. Pat Leyo posted a 198, the high total score for the day. It was cool, overcast and rainy all day long, but not windy. (Some folks think it is always windy at Generations – not true!)

Leyo won the 20-gauge event with a nice 99. Class winners included Tim Vescovi (AA-97), Tom Shields (A-97), George Gleich (B-96), Bryan Long (C-91) and Joe McGarvey (D-86).

Scott Grossett ran them in the 12 gauge and was a bit damp, but outright champion. Class firsts went to Tim Vescovi (98), Leyo (99, with a shoot-off with Joe Vescovi), Mark Postlewait (95, with a nice 5-station shoot-off with Shields), McGarvey (95) and Long (92), AA, A, B, C and E, respectively.

It was a day of firsts: Scott Grossett shot his first ever registered 100 straight, Tim Vescovi ran his first registered 25 and 50 straights and was AA-1 in both guns in his first registered shoot, and Vance McLaughlin booked his first registered 25 straight. Scott’s and Vance’s hats were vented, but Tim left early, so his hat will be addressed later.

Thanks to Katie Eberhart for running the desk and Michael Vescovi for serving as chief referee. Young, non-shooting referees included Adam Bobak and Jake Beebe – good job! Thanks also to Pat Leyo for bringing many delicious doughnuts and Scott Grossett for a steaming pot of homemade pheasant chili; perhaps the way to win the shoot is to bring food?

– Contributed by George Gleich

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Photo Gallery: NSSA Krieghoff Masters

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The NSSA Krieghoff Masters, held at Forest City Gun Club in historic Savannah, Georgia on May 3 – 6, had a great turn out with fantastic weather in this beautiful city. Enjoy this collection of photos showing many of the event’s participants.

Photos by Thaddius Bedford, Liquid Image
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