Ralph Holtz Memorial Shoot

Generations Skeet Club near Patton, Pennsylvania, hosted the 19th annual Holtz Memorial Shoot, a 5-gun affair, on June 3-5. This shoot is held in memory of Ralph Holtz, his wife Mary Louise, and their grandson Kyle Holtz. Ralph died in 2003, Kyle in 2004, and Mary Louise in 2018.

The weather for the entire weekend was, in a word, beautiful! Fifty-four shooters shot at least one gun. Five Maryland shooters joined the festivities. Top HOA finishers were Nick Boerboon (champion, 395), Joe Vescovi (runner-up, 393) and Alyssa Gormish (Lady, 381).

Thirty-one participants shot doubles on Friday afternoon. Chris Kline’s 98 made him outright champion. Mike Wollard was runner-up after winning a shoot-off of 97s with Denny Lehman and Rich Vensel. Class firsts went to Lehman (A), Tyler Mroczka (B), after winning a shoot-off of 91s with Bill Calvert, Ethan Cree (C), and Joe Gans III (D).

The 28-gauge shooting took place on Saturday morning with 50 shooters participating. Jack Harshbarger was outright champion with his 100-straight. Class firsts were Joe Vescovi (AA) after winning a shoot-off of 99s with Roy Holtz, Gary Nace (A), Missy Vescovi (B) after winning a shoot-off of 95s with Cree, Scott Grossett (C) and Emily Harshbarger (D).

Shooting continued on Saturday afternoon with the 12-gauge event which involved 51 shooters. Boerboon, Gormish and Joe Vescovi were perfect. Nick won the shoot-off and was champion; Alyssa was runner-up. Adam Vollmer, Joe Vescovi, Vensel, Joe Gans V, Mike Norris and Emily Harshbarger, respectively, were AA, A, B, C, D and E class winners.

On Saturday evening, delicious grilled venison was prepared by Joe Vescovi and served, with his secret sauce, as hors d’oeuvres. A bountiful meal was served including chicken, pork, sliders and meatballs (chicken grilled by Ryan Holtz). The large variety of desserts was especially decadent! The Three-Man Blind event (to be based on Sunday’s .410 scores) was set up with lively auction bidding for the computer-picked teams after dinner. A total of more than $2,000 was pledged.

The .410 bore was shot (50 shooters) on Sunday morning with very little wind. Lehman emerged as champion with a sizzling 100 straight. Boerboon’s 98 was good for runner-up and AA1. Other class firsts went to Ryan Holtz (A), Jack Harshbarger (B), Paul Hunt (C) and Norris (D).

The 20-gauge event was last and took place on Sunday afternoon with 51 shooters participating. Frank Smithmyer shot the lone 100 straight and was champion. Wollard took runner-up and AA1 after winning a shoot-off of 99s with Vollmer. Other class firsts were Joe Vescovi (A) after winning a shoot-off of 98s with Ryan Holtz, Mark Strickland (B) after winning a shoot-off of 98s with Calvert, Zak Sutton (C) after winning a shoot-off of 96s with Michael Moats and Emily Harshbarger (D). Some fine shooting there, folks!

Ryan Holtz handled registration and score keeping and Michael Vescovi was chief referee. Non-shooting referees included Paige and Andrea McMullen, Courtney Burgoon, Renee Calvert and Braden Holtz; all did a great job, thank you! Scott Grossett prepared delicious pheasant chili which was gobbled up on Saturday. As usual, Pat Leyo provided yummy doughnuts on Saturday and Sunday mornings, much to everyone’s delight.

The 3-man blind winners were Denny Lehman, Bryson Fox and Paul Hunt, and each shooter received $60. Bryson, Paul and Rich Vensel bought the winning team at auction and took home $1,000 to share. Payouts went to the four highest-scoring teams’ shooters and buyers.

Notable events included: Joe Gans V, from Hazleton, PA, shooting his first registered 50 straight in the 12-gauge event and his hat being appropriately demolished; Jack Harshbarger shooting his first 100-straight in the 28 gauge and sneaking away with his hat intact (boo, hiss!); and the longest shoot-off in memory at Generations Skeet Club with Wollard, Vollmer and Boerboon going well into the second box shooting off their 99s before Wollard took AA1 and Vollmer took AA2 in the 20-gauge.

– Contributed by George Gleich

Generations Skeet Club (formerly the 7-H Skeet Club) hosted the 15th annual Ralph Holtz Memorial Shoot at their beautiful fields near Patton, Pennsylvania on June 1-3.

Even though the weather people had been calling for rain for this weekend, Friday and Saturday were nice, partly cloudy with light breezes and a bit muggy. Sunday, on the other hand, fulfilled the prognosticator’s predictions by raining all day!

Forty-eight shooters shot at least one gun. Chris Kline’s 392 was good for HOA champion; Mike Wollard was HOA runner-up with a 391. Missy Vescovi was Ladies HOA champ.

Twenty-two shooters shot Doubles on Friday afternoon. Kline’s 98 made him champion. Class firsts went to Wollard (A), Scott Grossett (B), Brad Botteicher (C) and George Gleich (D).

The 28-gauge shooting began on Saturday morning with 34 shooters participating. Dan Felton was champion with a nice 99 after a shoot-off with Joe Vescovi. Class firsts were Joe Vescovi (AA), Roy Holtz (A), Ed Call (B) after shooting off 96s with Kevin Spessard, John Davies (C) and Tracey Snyder (D).

Shooting continued on Saturday afternoon with 38 shooters in the 12-gauge event. Frank Smithmeyer had the lone 100 straight and was champion. Clay Gormish won a shoot-off of 99s with Joe Vescovi and took AA1. Wollard, Josh Crofutt, Grossett, Davies and Brian Long, respectively, were A, B, C, D and E class winners. Allison Shaffer from St. Marys, PA had her first registered 25 straight.

The food was abundant and delicious on Saturday evening. The meal was a combination affair serving as the banquet for the winter skeet league held at Generations and the Holtz Memorial Shoot repast.

The .410 bore was shot on Sunday morning. After all the little bullets were fired, Wollard’s 98 was good for champion, after a shoot-off with Kline. Class firsts went to Kline (AA), Gormish (A), Adam Vollmer (B), Gary Trilli (C) and Doug Long (D). The Three-Man Blind event, based on .410 bore scores, is always fun with secret ballot bidding for the eight computer-picked teams after the meal on Saturday night. The winners were Joe Vescovi, Kline and Doug Long after they won a shoot-off with Leyo, Gormish and Trilli. Wollard bought the winning team.

The 20-gauge event was last and took place on Sunday afternoon with 34 shooters. Ryan Holtz, Leyo and Joe Vescovi shot 99s; Ryan won the shoot-off to take the championship. Leyo, Vescovi, Tim Holtz, Davies and Shaffer, respectively, took firsts in AA, A, B, C and D classes. Terry Smith, from New Germany, PA, shot his first registered 25 straight.

A hat shoot was conducted at the end of the day. Allison Shaffer’s and Terry Smith’s hats were well perforated to commemorate their 25 straights this weekend.

The shoot management team included Tori Holtz, registration and scorekeeping, and Michael Vescovi, chief referee. Young, non-shooting referees included Kelsey Krug, Mikayla Lansbury, Paige McMullen and Jake Beebe, who did a great job.

– Contributed by George Gleich