Paul A. Smith
Jordan Hintz of Burlington and Jack Meixelsperger of Dousman both recorded perfect 200s in trapshooting to win their respective divisions and Teagan Richman of Hartland took four individual blue ribbons to highlight a robust showing for Wisconsin competitors at the 2018 National Championships of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP).
The championships, held July 14 to 21 at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, featured 2,692 participants from 26 states.
Events included trap, doubles trap, handicap trap, skeet, doubles skeet, sporting clays, bunker trap, action pistol and action rifle.
Both the SCTP and SASP are part of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, which provides programs for students from elementary school through college that emphasize secure firearm handling, discipline and teamwork.
Meixelberger, 18 years venerable and a 2018 graduate of Kettle Moraine High School, won the blue ribbon in men’s senior varsity trapshooting, arguably the marquee event at the championships.
He had perfect rounds of 100 on July 20 and July 21 to end the regular session in a tie with three other competitors.
Meixelberger, who has an average of 97/100, had never shot 200/200, a scarce feat for any trapshooter. And it came on the biggest stage in SCTP.
“I started out pretty calm but my heart started pumping toward the end,” Meixelberger said.
Since other competitors had already finished their rounds the previous day, Meixelberger knew he needed to hit all 200 just to get in a shoot-off.
He did, and then outlasted the others before packed grandstands on the evening of July 21 to take the national championship in the most heavily-contested division. Six-hundred fifty-one trapshooters were entered in the men’s senior/varsity.
It was the first national championship for a Wisconsinite in the division, said Tom Wondrash, SCTP national director.
Meixelberger is a member of the Kettle Moraine Lasers Sporting Clays and Trap Team. He will enroll at UW-Stevens Point this fall and plans to join the university’s trap team.
Hintz, representing the Burlington High School Demons Shooting Team, also achieved perfection while competing in the men’s collegiate division (50 competitors).
He edged Maxwell Asala of West Allis, a member of the Marquette Hilltoppers Trap Team, 199, who took third; and Cameron Asala, also of West Allis and the Marquette Hilltoppers Trap Team, 197, fourth.
The blue ribbon for Hintz, who graduated in June from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich., completed a run of four consecutive SCTP titles in the men’s collegiate trapshooting division, including a 200 in 2015, 199s in 2016 and 2017.
Other top performances by Wisconsin competitors included third and fourth places, respectively, by Alison Hauser of Jefferson Sportsmen’s Club Youth Trap (196 out of 200, 105 straight) and Aimee Spiering of Union Grove Broncos Shooting Club (196, 46 straight) in ladies senior varsity trapshooting (148 competitors).
In addition, Ricky Fabry of Muskego Warriors Trap Club took first place with a 196 and Alan Hauser of Jefferson Sportsmen’s Club Youth Trap took second with a 195 in men’s intermediate/entry level trapshooting (187 competitors).
And in ladies intermediate/entry level trapshooting, Mia Moriarty of Milwaukee Lutheran Red Knights took first (189, 24 straight) and Angie Wolfert, Waterford Wolverine Shooting Team took second (189, 18 straight). The division had 39 competitors.
In the Last Competitor Standing trapshooting event, Evan Walechka of Jefferson Sportsman Club took first.
On the SASP side, Teagan Richman of Lake Country Action Shooters was the dominant female competitor, taking blue ribbons in the ladies senior varsity divisions of iron rifle (28 competitors), pistol caliber carbine (11 competitors), 1911 model (10 competitors) and centerfire pistol (8 competitors). Richman also took second in optics rifle.
Among the men, Talo Marston of Ozaukee Scholastic Shooting Sports Pistol Team took first and Alex Matson of Lake County Action Shooters took second in the senior/varsity pistol caliber carbine division (34 compeititors).
Matson and James Van Gilder, also with Lake Country Action Shooters, took second and third, respectively in the senior varsity division of centerfire pistol competition (57 competitors).
As a squad, Lake Country Action Shooters took first in three events: centerfire pistol, iron rifle and pistol caliber carbine. It was the fifth consecutive national championship in centerfire pistol for the club. The squad members were Richman, Matson, Van Gilder and Jack Gerstmeier.
The competitions drew more than 10,000 spectators to the Cardinal Shooting Center, according to organizers, and brought an estimated $16 million economic impact to central Ohio.
Most participants were from Ohio (453), followed by Wisconsin (393), Tennessee (389), Pennsylvania (206), Michigan (170) and Illinois (159).
Participation at the nationals was robust for both SCTP and SASF.
Compared to five years ago, the number of SCTP competitors this year (2,256) was up 20%, while SASP (504 competitors), building off a smaller base, was up 268%.
For complete results from the SCTP and SASP 2018 national championships, visit sssfonline.org.
Shooting Sports Month: August is designated as National Shooting Sports Month by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The trade association has developed the website LetsGoShooting.org with information about National Shooting Sports Month, shooting sports in general as well as ranges and retailers.
The site also includes instructional videos on firearm safety and storage.
NRB meeting: The Natural Resources Board will meet Wednesday in Green Bay. The seven-member board is expected to vote on an emergency rule to enhance deer farm fencing and tighten deer carcass transport restrictions. Both are intended to support reduce the spread of chronic wasting disease The board will also consider a scope statement on a proposed rule to shorten the ruffed grouse hunting season.
