Three Sutton S-41 athletes earned multiple awards at the Nebraska State NSCA Sporting Clays Championship, held July 31 through Aug. 2 at Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard.
The championship featured competitors from across Nebraska in one of the shotgun sports disciplines. Sporting clays is designed to simulate a variety of hunting situations, with clay targets launched at different angles, speeds and distances. Unlike traditional trap or skeet, no two target presentations are exactly alike, requiring competitors to adapt to each station.
While opportunities to practice and compete in sporting clays are limited for youth athletes west of Lincoln, members of the Sutton S-41 Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) team found opportunities to practice throughout the summer.
The state championship included a 200-target sporting clays main event, a 100-target super sporting event, a 50-target FITASC (un-mounted gun) competition, a 50-target 5-stand event and several sub-gauge competitions.
Gavin Vander Ley earned four podium finishes in D Class. He placed third in the main event with a score of 157 out of 200, third in the super sporting event with 88 out of 100, first in FITASC with 43 out of 50 and second in 5-stand with 40 out of 50.
Grethe Andersen won the D Class super sporting event with a score of 91 out of 100.
Leif Andersen competed in AA Class and earned four podium finishes. He placed third in the main event with 176 out of 200, first in the super sporting event with 95 out of 100, second in FITASC with 45 out of 50 and third in 5-stand with 42 out of 50.
Competition continued on Sunday, Aug. 2, at Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, where the Wyatt Gildersleeve Memorial Trapshoot was held.
The 100-target competition consisted of 50 singles targets from the 16-yard line and 50 handicap targets. Sutton S-41 athlete Cord Pope won the D Class championship after breaking 47 of 50 singles targets and 46 of 50 handicap targets from the 24-yard line for a combined score of 93, earning the D Class champion belt buckle.
The Sutton S-41 team will return to competition this weekend at the Zone 5 Skeet Championship, scheduled for Aug. 7 through 9 at Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island.
Those interested in learning more about the Scholastic Clay Target Program or joining the Sutton S-41 team may contact coach Josh Andersen at [email protected].
