Seven athletes from the S-41 team traveled with five adult sponsors to the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) National Championships from July 11-17, in Marengo, OH.
More than 4,000 participating athletes attended the 10-day event.
The S-41 Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) team was formed just after the youth Cornhusker Trap Shoot May 2-4.
Members of the team include Ingalise Andersen, Elsa Andersen, Grethe Andersen, Nolan Engel, Porter Ferrell, Cody Funk, Davin Higby, Aniston Jasnoch, Brexten Kobza, Ryker Kobza, Laurel Moore, Travis Moore, Cord Pope, and Gavin VanderLey; Josh and Leif Andersen are the coaches.
Prior to the national championships, the S-41 team practiced and competed locally for eight weeks, during which athletes shot a total of 18,000 clay targets—about 225 targets per week, per athlete.
At nationals, each of the S-41 athletes was able to shoot 200 targets a day for four consecutive days, and competed in the following events: 200 targets, Trap Singles; 200 targets, Trap Doubles, 3) 200 targets, Sporting Clays, 4) 200 targets, American Skeet.
NOTABLE INDIVIDUAL SCORES INCLUDE: • Aniston Jasnoch—Trap Doubles (lady intermediate entry division), broke 163 of 200 to place third out of eight shooters, earning the team’s only medal.
• Davin Higby—Trap Singles (men intermediate entry division), broke 179 of 200 to place 50th out of 237 athletes.
• Cord Pope—Trap Singles (men intermediate entry division), broke 185 of 200 to place 26th out of 237 athletes.
• Ingelise Andersen—Trap Singles (lady senior junior varsity division), broke 180 of 200 to place 38th out of 142 athletes.
• Elsa Andersen—Trap Doubles (lady senior junior varsity division), broke 162 of 200 to place ninth out of 38 athletes.
• Grethe Andersen—Sporting Clays (lady intermediate entry division), broke 117 of 200 to place 13th out of 28 athletes.
• Gavin VanderLey—Trap Doubles (men senior junior varsity division), broke 161 of 200 to place 45th out of 97 athletes.
• Coach Leif Andersen broke 200 of 200 in American Skeet, to earn the men collegiate champion title.
TEAM RESULTS: 200 TARGET SPORTING CLAYS
The Intermediate Team of Grethe Andersen, Aniston Jasnoch, and Cord Pope place 51 out of 141 teams, breaking 366 of 600 targets, while the Senior Team consisting of Elsa Andersen, Ingelise Andersen, and Gavin VanderLey broke 345 of 600 targets, placing them 133rd out of 210 teams.
200 TARGET AMERICAN SKEET
The Intermediate Team of Davin Higby, Aniston Jasnoch, and Cord Pope broke 407 of 600 targets, placing 46th out of 138 teams, while the Senior Team of Elsa Andersen, Ingelise Andersen, and VanderLey broke 427 of 600 targets to place 121st out of 204 teams.
200 TARGET DOUBLES TRAP
The Squad of Elsa Andersen, Ingelise Andersen, Jasnoch, Pope, and VanderLey broke 801 of 1,000 targets, placing them 12th out of 58 teams.
200 TARGET SINGLES TRAP
The Squad of Elsa Andersen, Ingelise Andersen, Higby, Pope, and VanderLey broke 896 of 1,000 targets to place 34th out of 196 teams.
EARNING PLACES ON THE NEBRASKA SCTP ALL-STATE TEAM
• Elsa Andersen, Ingelise Andersen, Davin Higby, Cord Pope, Gavin VanderLey.
“We would like to thank the following gun clubs for the use of their facilities and their support— Crooked Creek Gun Club and Four Rivers Sportsmen Club,” Coach Josh Andersen said. “Thank you to Quality Healthcare for their donation to team shirts. We would also like to thank all of the adult volunteers whose support was not only appreciated, but crucial.”
SCTP provides additional opportunities for youth through college age to learn and perfect shotgun shooting skills in various disciplines (Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays, International Trap, and International Skeet).
In addition to getting an opportunity to practice a variety of shotgun sports, the athletes are exposed to the same disciplines collegiate shotgun teams shoot competitively.
There are an increasing amount of colleges offering shotgun shooting scholarships for both men and women. Local in-state examples include Central Community College, Hastings College, Midland, and Concordia.
