Shelby Township, MI - This past
weekend, March 16, the Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) held its
inaugural Collegiate National Championships at FT Benning, GA. This
event was hosted by the United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) and
saw eleven squads vying for titles in both the Varsity (centerfire) and
Junior Varsity (rimfire) divisions.
Newcomer,
University of Kentucky, took first place honors in the Varsity Division
outshooting powerhouse Vermont by a score of 205.48 to 229.57. Texas
A&M Corps of Cadets Squad 1 (234.83) outpaced Florida State (289.88)
to take 3rd place. In the Junior Varsity Division, Vermont Squad 2 shot their way to 1st place with a score of 236.74, followed by Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Squad 2 (292.53) in 2nd and the Florida Gators (323.23) in 3rd
place. "After a long drive down from Lexington we looked a little rusty
during our practice session. I was nervous going into today's match,"
said Brandon Ironmonger, UK coach, "but we came out strong and shaved
nearly 20 seconds off of our last match time. I am extremely proud of
how they handled the pressure of shooting against some of the best
college teams in the country."
In addition to 1st, 2nd, 3rd
place medals the winners also will receive special certificates signed
by LTC Don A. King, Jr., Commander, USAMU. "The USAMU has always been a
destination for the best shooters in our country. In keeping with this
rich tradition we were pleased to host the SPP Collegiate National
Championships," said LTC. King. "It was our honor to host these athletes
and I look forward to having them return to the Home of Champions."
Working
the stages for the match were Safety Officers from International
Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) and staffers from the GLOCK Sport
Shooting Foundation (GSSF) representing SPP's growing relationships with
the action shooting community. Overseeing the USAMU Krilling Range and
hosting the teams were soldiers from the USAMU Action Shooting Team,
including SFC William Pace, SGT Lee Dimaculangan and SGT Josh Turner.
"The
USAMU Action shooting team was proud to host the Scholastic Pistol
Program. There is no better place in my opinion to host this event and
it allows us to connect with America's youth and its programs," said SFC
William T. Pace, Action Shooting Team, USAMU.
SPP
is supported, in part, by founding partners GLOCK, Smith & Wesson
and Action Target. Additional partners include Atlanta Arms &
Ammunition, PACT Timers, Tactical Solutions and Winchester Ammunition
among others.
SPP
is organized based on age, Junior Division (ages 12-16), Senior
Division (ages 17-20) and Collegiate Division (no age limit, must be
full time student). SPP is based on production centerfire and rimfire
handguns firing at steel plate targets and offers an introduction to a
lifetime sport that family members can enjoy together.
For additional information on the new SPP program or to register your team, contact Director Scott Moore via e-mail at jsmoore357@yahoo.com.
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, including participant
registration, coaches, state coordinators, state and national
championships, promotion, communications, websites, public relations and
growth strategies The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation exists to
raise funding and other resources for Youth Development Programs in the
shooting sports industry.
SCTP
and SPP are youth development programs, originally developed by the
National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), where adult coaches and
volunteers model sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics,
integrity, and teamwork while using shooting sports programs to teach
these and other positive life skills to the athletes.
To learn more about SCTP or SPP call (586) 739-SCTP (7287) or visit their website at www.shootsctp.org.
