Hello Shooters!

In this issue you will find:

• Information on the department's plans to assume operation of the Ben Avery Clay Target Center in September
  
• A recap of the strong showing by Arizona youths at the Scholastic Clay Target Program national skeet and sporting clays championships in Rochester, N.Y., July 15-16  

Game and Fish Department to assume operation of Ben Avery Clay Target Center in September

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has announced plans to assume operation of the Ben Avery Clay Target Center after the current lease arrangement with a private operator expires on Sept. 17.

The clay target center provides a recreational venue for skeet, trap and sporting clays shotgun shooters and is on the property of the 1,600-acre Ben Avery Shooting Facility, which is owned by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and administered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The department operates the other shooting ranges at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, located at the northwest corner of I-17 and Carefree Highway in Phoenix.

“We’re very excited to have this opportunity,” says Dana Yost, the department’s assistant director for information and education. “The clay target center has a significant role to play in recreational shooting and in development of our youth programs, such as the Scholastic Clay Target Program. Our goal is to one day turn it into the finest trap, skeet and sporting clays facility in the country.”

The department received direction at the monthly public meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission in June to move forward with plans to take over operation of the clay target center at the end of the current vendor’s lease agreement.

“The commission ultimately decided that the interests of the local shooting community would be best served by having the department run the clay target center,” says Yost. “The center will remain open during the transition to new management, and we don’t plan on any interruption in service.”

The Arizona Game and Fish Department supports shooting sports programs, firearms safety, hunter safety and shooting range development, in addition to its wildlife management and conservation responsibilities.

Arizona teams take national title and other awards at skeet and sporting clays youth championships

The Ben Avery Clay Crushers (Brett Hoeppner, Wesley Borie, Lane Shank) won the junior novice skeet title

Arizona teams captured one national title, two second-place finishes and a third-place at the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) skeet and sporting clays national championships July 15-16 at the Rochester Brooks International Trap and Skeet Club in Rochester, N.Y.

A record 18 states were represented, producing the highest participation in the event's history. Nearly 220 youths competed in skeet and 170 in sporting clays.

Kyle Wandelear of the Red Mountain Target Terminators senior experienced squad takes aim as teammate Danny Bush observes (photo courtesy of NSSF)

Arizona teams, in only their second year of national competition against other state champions, had an excellent showing. The Ben Avery Clay Crushers, with squad members Wesley Borie, 13, and Lane Shank, 14, of Phoenix, and Brett Hoeppner, 14, of Cave Creek, won the junior novice division (grades 6-8) in the skeet championships. They also finished second in the sporting clays championships.

The Red Mountain Target Terminators (Hayden Edgmon, 15, Queen Creek; Kyle Wandelear, 15, Queen Creek; Justin Williams, 15, Gilbert) took second place in the senior novice division (grades 9-12) in skeet, while the Huachuca Hot Shots (Brielle Eaton, 16, Sierra Vista; Brisden Eaton, 18, Sierra Vista; Scott Usry, 16, Hereford) finished third in the senior novice division in sporting clays.

The top three teams in each division received college scholarship awards in the form of savings bonds, with first-place teams receiving $1,000.

“We’re very proud of the way our kids performed,” says Anthony Chavez, shooting sports coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Some of these youngsters have made real strides in competitive shooting. They had a lot of fun and turned in a great showing.”

The skeet and sporting clays squads won the right to represent the state at the nationals based on their performances at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Commissioners’ Cup state competition in March and April.

Arizona’s trap champions will represent the state at the SCTP national trap championships Aug. 8-9 in Sparta, Ill.

Arizona's SCTP is sponsored by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and administered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The national SCTP is sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation in collaboration with the Amateur Trapshooting Association, the National Skeet Shooting Association and the National Sporting Clays Association.

More than 800 youths—double last year’s number—participated in Arizona’s SCTP program this year. Nationally, more than 8,000 youths from 41 states participated.

Overall, Arizona’s teams finished as follows:

Skeet championships

Senior Experienced Division (Ninth through 12th grades)

• Fifth place – Huachuca Hot Shots – Brielle Eaton, Sierra Vista; Brisden Eaton, Sierra Vista; Scott Usry, Hereford.
• 12th place – Red Mountain Target Terminators – Danny Bush, Chandler; Mark Clary, Jr., Mesa; Patrick Wood, Scottsdale.

Senior Novice Division (Ninth through 12th grades)

• Second place – Red Mountain Target Terminators – Hayden Edgmon, Queen Creek; Kyle Wandelear, Queen Creek; Justin Williams, Gilbert.
• Fourth place – Ben Avery Clay Crushers – Bradley Barber, Glendale; Beau Bonner, Cave Creek; Kimberly Peters, Peoria.
• Seventh place – Red Mountain Target Terminators – Donnie Knight, Queen Creek; Cameron Westmoreland, Queen Creek; Hunter Williams, Gilbert.

Junior Novice Division (Sixth through eighth grades)

• First place – Ben Avery Clay Crushers – Wesley Borie, Phoenix; Brett Hoeppner, Cave Creek; Lane Shank, Phoenix.
• Fifth place – Tucson Trap and Skeet Youth Club – Diego Garcia, Tucson; Gregory Moffett, Oro Valley; Jeremy Spencer, Tucson.

Sporting clays championships

Senior Experienced Division (Ninth through 12th grades)

• Fifth place – Red Mountain Target Terminators – Danny Bush, Chandler; Kyle Wandelear, Queen Creek; Patrick Wood, Scottsdale.

Senior Novice Division (Ninth through 12th grades)

• Third place – Huachuca Hot Shots – Brielle Eaton, Sierra Vista; Brisden Eaton, Sierra Vista; Scott Usry, Hereford.
• 10th place – Red Mountain Target Terminators – Hayden Edgmon, Queen Creek; Donnie Knight, Queen Creek; Justin Williams, Gilbert.
• 11th place – Ben Avery Clay Crushers - Bradley Barber, Glendale; Beau Bonner, Cave Creek; Kimberly Peters, Peoria.
• 12th place – Red Mountain Target Terminators – Mark Clary, Jr., Mesa; Cameron Westmoreland, Queen Creek; Hunter Williams, Gilbert. 

Junior Novice Division (Sixth through eighth grades)

• Second place – Ben Avery Clay Crushers – Wesley Borie, Phoenix; Brett Hoeppner, Cave Creek; Lane Shank, Phoenix.
• Fourth place – Tucson Trap and Skeet Youth Club – Diego Garcia, Tucson; Gregory Moffett, Oro Valley; Jeremy Spencer, Tucson.

For a complete list of results, visit rochesterbrooks.org.