The Scholastic Pistol Program’s (SPP) second regional tournament of the year saw nine teams converge on the World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC) in Sparta, IL. The match, held April 5, featured teams from seven states competing for titles in both Junior and Senior Divisions.
The Heartland was well represented with squads from Kentucky (University of Kentucky, Bluegrass Sportsman’s League Steel Cats), Illinois (Southern Illinois Lead Slingers), Indiana (Hoosier Daddys), Michigan (Straight Shooters), Missouri (Arnold Junior Shooters), Tennessee (McKenzie Shooting Sports), and Wisconsin (Ozaukee, Wilmot).
In the Senior Centerfire division, the Arnold Red Squad placed 1st with the Southern Illinois Lead Slingers coming in 2nd. The Ozaukee Squad 1 took 3rd. The Straight Shooters took 1st in the Senior Rimfire division, and the McKenzie Squad 3 finished 2nd.
The Ozaukee Squad 2 took Gold in the Junior Centerfire Division, with Ozaukee Squad 3 and Wilmot Squad 3 taking 2nd and 3rd, respectively. In Junior Rimfire, Arnold White Squad won 1st place honors, with Arnold Blue Squad earning 2nd and McKenzie Squad 1 taking 3rd.
In the College Division, the University of Kentucky won championships in both Centerfire and Rimfire Divisions.
Two University of Kentucky shooters also took Individual High Overall (HOV) honors. Grant Heward won the Rimfire Division, and Ryan Bradley earned top honors in Centerfire. High Lady shooters were Sarah Webster (Arnold) in Centerfire and fellow Arnold shooter, Katie Lioda, in Rimfire.
“While the Midwest had a rough winter and many of the SPP athletes haven’t had much of a chance to shoot, they came ready to ping some steel. We saw some great scores,” said Scott Moore, SPP National Program Director. “I can’t wait to see what they will do at Nationals this year!”
The match staff was led by WSRC Customer Service Supervisors – Pistol/Rifle Berms, Jeff and Kelly Alexander, and local Safety Officers, Russ Braunseis, David Bianchini, Ralph Litherland, Richard Cavalier, Ward Brown, John LaBussier, and Scott Wilson. GLOCK SPP liaison and Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) Board of Trustees member, Ed Fitzgerald, assisted SPP staffers Scott Moore and Tammy Mowry at the match as well.
About Scholastic Pistol Program
SPP is supported, in part, by founding partners GLOCK, Smith & Wesson, Action Target, and Larry and Brenda Potterfield of Midway USA. Additional partners include Atlanta Arms & Ammunition, Brownells, Browning, GT Targets, NextLevel Training, PACT Timers, Pro Ears, Remington Arms, Rudy Project, Ruger, SIG SAUER Academy, Tactical Solutions, and Winchester Ammunition, among others.
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is responsible for all aspects of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) across the United States. SCTP and SPP are youth development programs, originally developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), where adult coaches and volunteers use shooting sports to teach and to demonstrate sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, teamwork, and other positive life skills.
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