07-24-2007, 02:10 AM
Arizona teams turned in a strong performance at the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) Skeet and Sporting Clays National Championships in San Antonio on July 14-15, with eight squads finishing in the top three in the various age divisions-the best showing of any state.
Two Arizona teams won national titles. The Huachuca Hot Shots squad (Brisden Eaton of Sierra Vista, Brielle Eaton of Sierra Vista, Scott Usry of Hereford) took first place in the junior varsity division of the skeet championships, and the Ben Avery Clay Crushers squad (Paysen Unger of Phoenix, Dylan Karvanek of Anthem, Casey Coleman of Goodyear) topped the rookie division of the sporting clays championships.
Arizona squads also took three second-place and three third-place finishes in the various divisions.
California had the next-best showing, with three squads finishing in the top three.
"All of the Arizona squads performed exceptionally well," says Ashley Lynch, shooting sports coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "Not only did all of our athletes contribute to bringing home the iron, they proved themselves to be great ambas
ors for Arizona shooting sports. I could not be happier with the turnout from our volunteer coaches, parents and athletes."
The two-day competition, held at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, was the largest skeet and sporting clays championship in SCTP history. Nineteen states were represented among the nearly 400 shooters in varsity, junior varsity, intermediate and rookie divisions.
The championship featured some of America's best young talents. Some will be selected to attend an Olympic development camp next month in Colorado Springs; others will go on to compete at the collegiate level.
"Standout shooters are emerging all across the country. For example, in skeet, 15 competitors from seven different states shot championship rounds of 195 or better out of 200 targets. Remember, these are just high-school students, but some have already signed college letters of intent. We also had a national shotgun coach here this weekend to observe the event and the new, young talent," said Zach Snow of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which coordinates SCTP nationally.
SCTP, for youths in grades 12 and under, has been called "the Little League of shooting sports." Nearly 10,000 students in more than 40 states competed in 2007 in trap, skeet and sporting clays.
Arizona's SCTP program just completed its third year. It is administered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and conducted as a club-based program utilizing certified volunteer coaches. More than 600 youngsters from across the state competed in the 2006-2007 season.
SCTP is managed nationally in partnership with numerous sponsors, agencies and organizations, including the national governing bodies of shotgun sports: Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association.
Arizona squads will get another crack at national titles when they compete in the SCTP national trap championships on Aug. 5-7 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill.
Arizona team results from the SCTP skeet and sporting clays nationals are below. For a list of all results, visit nssf.org/sctp. For more information about Arizona's SCTP, visit azgfd.gov/shootingsports.
Two Arizona teams won national titles. The Huachuca Hot Shots squad (Brisden Eaton of Sierra Vista, Brielle Eaton of Sierra Vista, Scott Usry of Hereford) took first place in the junior varsity division of the skeet championships, and the Ben Avery Clay Crushers squad (Paysen Unger of Phoenix, Dylan Karvanek of Anthem, Casey Coleman of Goodyear) topped the rookie division of the sporting clays championships.
Arizona squads also took three second-place and three third-place finishes in the various divisions.
California had the next-best showing, with three squads finishing in the top three.
"All of the Arizona squads performed exceptionally well," says Ashley Lynch, shooting sports coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "Not only did all of our athletes contribute to bringing home the iron, they proved themselves to be great ambas

The two-day competition, held at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, was the largest skeet and sporting clays championship in SCTP history. Nineteen states were represented among the nearly 400 shooters in varsity, junior varsity, intermediate and rookie divisions.
The championship featured some of America's best young talents. Some will be selected to attend an Olympic development camp next month in Colorado Springs; others will go on to compete at the collegiate level.
"Standout shooters are emerging all across the country. For example, in skeet, 15 competitors from seven different states shot championship rounds of 195 or better out of 200 targets. Remember, these are just high-school students, but some have already signed college letters of intent. We also had a national shotgun coach here this weekend to observe the event and the new, young talent," said Zach Snow of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which coordinates SCTP nationally.
SCTP, for youths in grades 12 and under, has been called "the Little League of shooting sports." Nearly 10,000 students in more than 40 states competed in 2007 in trap, skeet and sporting clays.
Arizona's SCTP program just completed its third year. It is administered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and conducted as a club-based program utilizing certified volunteer coaches. More than 600 youngsters from across the state competed in the 2006-2007 season.
SCTP is managed nationally in partnership with numerous sponsors, agencies and organizations, including the national governing bodies of shotgun sports: Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association.
Arizona squads will get another crack at national titles when they compete in the SCTP national trap championships on Aug. 5-7 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill.
Arizona team results from the SCTP skeet and sporting clays nationals are below. For a list of all results, visit nssf.org/sctp. For more information about Arizona's SCTP, visit azgfd.gov/shootingsports.