The 101st WV State Trapshooting Championships were held at Winchester Gun Club July 6th-10th. Two hundred thirty four shooters from ten states shot for 206 trophies and 5400.00 in Added Money during the five day shoot held July 6th through the 10th. Attendance was down 11 entries thru Friday. The weather forecast for Saturday kept forty percent of the competitors that attended last year away, while a sunny forecast for Sunday ninety percent returned to compete. With the cost of fuel and cost and availability of shells and reloading components we were pleased with the attendance.
During Sunday’s Premier event, the WV Handicap Championship, Collin Hopkins and Scott Ross both posted 93’s. After the shoot off, Collin Hopkins was the WV Handicap Champion with Ross claiming the Vet category. The 92’s and 91’s filled runner up thru 6th. Runnerup Gary Gaither 92; Robert Harden third 92; Zachary Pethtel fourth 92; Donald Lafollette fifth 91 and Jeremy Keplinger sixth 91. Category winners were: Jr Gold, Megan Snyder 84; LDI, Shelly Slusher 85; Lady II’s Tammy Jackson and Sandra Spencer shot off both breaking 86 with Jackson getting the nod; Sub Vet, Todd Jones 89; Sub Jr, Ronald Keplinger 90; Sr Vet, Douglas Damron 90.
In Non-Resident action, Michael Kemp outpace the field by three targets to win the Non Resident Handicap Championship from the back fence with a blistering 99. Porter Hunt shot the next highest score with a 96 to secure the Jr. category. A shoot off for runnerup thru 6th ensued and the results were: Ryan Michaels, runnerup 94; Ronald Smith, third 94. Six shooters tied at 92 after the shoot off, Daniel Vanbeek, fourth 92; Charles Templeton fifth 92; Lee Wight sixth 92. Category shooters: Jr Gold, Dakota Walls 94; LDI, Beverly Scott 87; LDII, Sharon Martin 88; SubVet, Mark Thomas Krantz 94; SubJr, Jackson Palmisano 93; SrVet, Dennis Kochanowski 94 and Vet, Richard Unruh 94; Hall of Fame Contributor Award Michael Kemp.
Saturday’s Championship Singles saw three WV resident shooters emerge with the top score of 197. David Hunter of Harpers Ferry, 2010 Singles Champion and two time All American Mark Isner and 2021 Singles Champion Robert Harden. Hunter missed one early and again later on, Harden let one by on the fourth post, Isner let his concentration lapse on the last post letting one slip by. Back out for the second shootoff round squadmates, Isner and Harden set in for the round Harden misses on his second post and Isner is able to hold his concentration till the end, winning his second WV Singles Championship. Hunter took Runnerup and Harden Veteran Champion. Sam Sellaro won Class AA (Sam donated half of his Calcutta winnings from the WV HOF shoot to the Jim Schad Memorial Fund for youth shooting, Thanks Sam); Ronald Moreland won Class A honors; Class B laurels went to Donald Lafollette; Gary Gaither, Class C victor and Class D was won by Thomas Miller. Category winners were: LDI, Lacy Hockman; LDII, Sandy Spencer; Sub Vet, Todd Sauble; Jr Gold, Megan Snyder; Sr Vet, Gary Holmes; Sub Jr’s Ethan Ferris and Marshall Supanik knotted at 192 with Supanik winning the shoot off. Resident Parent Child Champions Michael & Megan Snyder; Resident Husband & Wife Champions Chuck & Tammy Jackson. Stephen N Harden Memorial Trophy on the 400 singles targets Robert N Harden.
Fred and Mary Ellen Dague owners of Dague’s Farm Raised Beef and Eggs once again covered Target fees for the first 20 Resident Junior or Sub Junior Shooters signing up for Saturday’s 200 bird WV Singles Championship and next year will extend it to the first 20 Juniors or Sub Juniors. We thank Fred and Mary Ellen for their support of youth shooting. Speaking of sponsors to thank in addition to Fred and Mary Ellen, Dodd’s Sporting Goods of Ellenboro, WV provided the trophies for Wednesday’s events, we’re happy to have their support. Cameron Bailey of Precision Steel supplied trophies for Thursday’s event for the third year. Long time WVATA HOF and State Team Supporter Russell Lillard owner of Superior Industrial Laundries has supplied trophies and awards for the WV State Team for many years. Whitetails Unlimited for the second year in a row has donated one thousand dollars to the James A Schad Memorial Fund. The fund is used for the WV AIM Championship Awards and youth shooting in general. Their generous contributions have enhanced our ability to further support WV Youth Trapshooting.
Non-Resident Singles Winners: Champion, John Spicer 199 over Clay Floyd runnerup, 25-24; Class AA decided by coin flip between Steve Stedman 198 winner and Joe Charnigo; Class A, Bryan Davis 198; Class B, Daniel Vanbeek 193; Class C, Lee Wight 189; Darlene Raiford and Benjamin Stahl tied at 186 the ensuing shoot off Stahl broke 24 to Raiford’s 23 to win Class D. Categories winners were: Jr, Caleb Delp 194; Jr Gold, Nick Hughes 196; LDI, Bethany Breighner 195; LDII, Cassie Hammond 191; Sub Vet, Gerald Conway 197; Sub Jr, Jackson Palmisano 191; Sr Vet, Charles Templeton 196; Vet, James Jones 190. Non-Resident Parent Child Champions Todd & Alec Sauble; Non-Resident Husband & Wife Champions Darlene & Randy Raiford.
Mark Isner claimed his second WV Doubles Championship, his first one in 1999, with a score of 98. JW Dowler broke 96 for the runner up slot. Class AA Cameron Bailey 90; Class A Lillard Russell 90; Class B Sam Sellaro 92; Class C Collin Hopkins 89; Class D shooters Zachary Pethtel and Gary Holmes flipped a coin to decide their outcome after posting 85’s, with Holmes winning the toss. Category winners were: Jr Gold Megan Snyder 78; LDI Lacy Hockman 88; LDII Sandra Spencer 66; Sub Vet Todd Sauble 95; Sub Jr Ethan Ferris 88; Sr Vet Darrell Dowler 88, Dowler has won the WV Doubles Championship Sixteen times over four decades starting with his first in 1974. Vet Fred Dague 92.
Attorney Alec Sauble, formerly of WV, now residing in VA won the Non-Resident Championship with a perfect century one week after winning the VA Doubles Championship. Alec won the WV NR Champion last year with a 99 and was WV Doubles Champion in 2018 also won with a 100. Joe Charnigo broke 99 for the runner up slot. Class AA Clay Floyd 98; Class A Michael Fontello after Ron Smith didn’t answer the call for the shoot off 94; Class B Robert Warnick after Rance Boyd didn’t answer the call for shoot off 90; Class C Mark Granville-Smith 92; Class D Marcia Chocinsky 86; Category winners were: Jr Gold Ryan Bucher 93; LDI Bethany Breighner 96; LDII Kaylynn Hamilton 90; Sub Vet John Kirksey 97; Sub Jr Jackson Palmisano 90; Sr Vet Ted Carwile 91; Vet Marasca Raffaele 96.
Wednesday was the James A. Schad Memorial Fund Day with trophies sponsored by Dodd’s Sporting Goods of Ellenboro, WV. Wednesday’s events are named in honor of shooters that have passed away. Event I- James A Schad Singles, Event 2- Stephen Ripley Handicap and Event3- George Welch Doubles. Unfortunately we had more shooters pass than events to name, in addition to the three named above Gary Griffith, Dave Whittington, John Lewis and Gene Huffman also passed.
Event 1 Jim Schad Singles Results
Event 2 Stephen Ripley Handicap Results
Event 3 George Welch Doubles Results
Thursday, Champions Day, honored the 2021 State Champions. Cameron Bailey, owner of Precision Steel, designed the trophies exclusively West Virginian, for Robert Harden Singles, an original sculpture, for Russell Lillard Handicap, the New River Bridge and Cameron Bailey Doubles, another original sculpture. Laser engraved in Stainless plate and mounted on live edge cherry wood.
Event 4 Robert Harden Singles Results
Event 5 Russell Lillard Handicap Results
Event 6 Cameron Bailey Doubles Results
Friday, Class Championship Day over $1600.00 dollars in added money was provided by the WVATA. A total of 5460.00 in added money for the weekend.
Event 7 WV Singles Class Championship
Event 8 WV Preliminary Handicap Championship
Event 9 WV Doubles Class Championship
High All Round WV Resident was Mark Isner 379
High Over All WV Resident was Robert Harden 929
Non-Resident HAA and HOA was Joe Charnigo 388 and 966 respectively.
Full results on Shootscoreboard.com
In state news the annual officer election retained all current office holders:
President Russell Lillard
Vice President Matthew Hayes
Treasurer Steven Sprout
Secretary Brandy Hayes
ATA Delegate Robert Harden
Alt ATA Delegate Nicholas Harden
1st Alt ATA Delegate Darrell Dowler
State Team Certificates and Jackets were awarded to the WV State TeamMembers:
FIRST TEAM
Capt. Steven Sprout 0.9390
Fred Dague 0.90313
Michael Snyder 0.9031
Darrel Murray 0.9028
Russell Lillard 0.8976
SubJr. Marshall Supanik 0.800
Jr. Megan Snyder 0.8795
Lady I Lacy Hockman 0.8772
Lady II Sandra Spencer 0.8424
Sub Vet Mark Isner 0.9271
Veteran Robert Harden 0.9161
Sr. Vet Doug Damron 0.9111
SECOND TEAM
Capt. Jeremy Keplinger 0.8795
Bill King 0.8750
Collin Hopkins 0.8733
Donald LaFollette 0.8682
Rusty McHenry 0.8465
SubJr. Ethan Ferris 0.6855
Sub Vet Todd Sauble 0.9064
Veteran David Weddle 0.9050
Sr. Vet Gary Holmes 0.8821
ATA All American team members SubVet, Mark Isner, Vet, Fred Dague and SrVet Doug Damron were recognized for their accomplishments, all have been placed multiple times.