SPP Blog Archives - Page 8 of 54 - Scholastic Action Shooting Program

New and returning champions crowned at SASP Action College Nationals

Written on April 11, 2022.

2022 was a year for redemption and reaching for new heights at the SASP Action College Nationals. Held on a three-day schedule, the match was hosted at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park on March 11-13th. This year saw an increase in participation as colleges and universities began to better navigate travel and safety considerations since the disruption in 2020. The prestigious National Championship event saw both the return of previously absent teams and newly established shooting programs.

In a sport of walking the edge of blazing speed with acceptable accuracy, collegiate athletes negotiated the courses of fire, working as a team to achieve the fastest times in team aggregate scoring. The vast majority of shooting sports measure athletes as individuals, whereas the Scholastic Action Shooting Program not only focuses on youth development, but also utilizes a team aspect seen in typical ball sports.

Youth shooting sports also provides a level playing field. The sport does not favor the strongest or tallest athlete, or even gender. In fact, females claimed the overall National Champion title in two shooting disciplines.

*Bethel University Team Captain and 2022 Ladies Rimfire Pistol National Champion, Annie Unsell*

Just over one hundred athletes competed at the match, part of sixteen different teams from ten different states. Ready to give their best performances and fastest times, teams were eager to bring home the Tammy L. Mowry Rifle Cup and Daniel C. Hodne Pistol Cup traveling trophies. 2021’s championship saw a huge upset with Liberty University claiming both titles. Still feeling the sting from last year’s defeat, Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit was keen on reclaiming the pistol cup, to confirm their dedication to the centerfire pistol discipline.

Participating athletes more than doubled from last year’s match, signifying a rebound in both popularity of shooting sports and an easement of travel restrictions. Part of this rebound is the recently formed team from Arizona State University, the Sun Slingers. This and other new teams are joining long-established programs in providing opportunities for young adults to experience and excel at shooting sports. Some of these teams are simply club organizations, whereas others are fully-fledged shooting programs with scholarship opportunities.

As part of SASP’s mission of youth development through shooting sports is the expansion to Olympic-style disciplines. Just days following the Action National Championships, the SASP put on the 2022 Intercollegiate Pistol Nationals at multiple CMP venues. In support of both collegiate competitions were members of USA Shooting, introducing athletes of all disciplines to the sport of Olympic 25 Meter Rapid Fire Pistol.

*Buddy DuVall, Chief Marketing Officer of USA Shooting, walks the Hillsdale College team through the Olympic Rapid Fire discipline*

*As the official youth-feeder program for USA Shooting, the SASP provides opportunities for athletes to achieve their olympic dreams.*

Over the three-days, well over 44,000 rounds were safely fired at the 2022 SASP Action College Nationals. Following Sunday morning’s flight of scheduled competition, scores were calculated, verified, and posted. During the afternoon’s award ceremony, squad awards and high overall honors for individuals were given. After numerous medals were received for various rifle and pistol disciplines, the Tammy L. Mowry Rifle Cup and Daniel C. Hodne Pistol Cup remained on the table.

First up was the Rifle Cup, awarded to the team with the fastest rifle squad time for any of the three rifle disciplines in SASP (iron sight rimfire, optic sights, and Pistol Caliber Carbine). Bringing the cup home to Wisconsin was Concordia University, edging out Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State University in the Optics Rifle discipline. Helping bring home the cup was Concordia’s Nathan Fingeroos, adding the High Overall National Champion to the list of accomplishments for the Falcons.

*Concordia University are the National Champions and brought home the traveling Tammy L. Mowry Rifle Cup*

Long seen as the mainstay of College Nationals is the Centerfire Pistol discipline, which has been a focus for the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit. In fact, for five consecutive years, the Aggies have defended their title, each year bringing back the Daniel C. Hodne Pistol Cup home to College Station, TX. 2021’s championship saw the Aggies unseated, with Liberty University decidedly winning the title and taking physical possession of the trophy. This year, the Marksmanship Unit’s performance was enough to reclaim the familiar championship title. Breaking their reserved, regimented demeanor, if only for a second, the team walked up and happily received the honors of fastest team in the nation in centerfire pistol.

*The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit reclaims the pistol cup*

With another Collegiate National Championship in the books, the SASP thanks its sponsors for their incredible support, including Founding Partner Sponsors, GLOCK and RUGER, along with Sustaining Partner Sponsor, Walker’s Hearing Protection.

Currently, thousands of junior-aged SASP athletes are training for state and regional level events, leading up to the Junior National Championship this summer. Each July, tens of thousands of junior athletes, coaches, parents, program sponsors, and more converge on the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, OH. Included in this massive event is the SASP’s sister program, the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), where youth athletes compete in team-based clay target sports. Deemed as the largest competition in Cardinal Center history and the largest action shooting match in the world, Nationals is poised to break more records this July.

Event Video Blog on Youtube:

2022 Intercollegiate Pistol Nationals

Written on March 31, 2022.

In March, the 2022 SASP Intercollegiate Pistol Nationals were held at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park and South Airgun Range. The youth development program held back to back collegiate championships, with the international pistol events beginning after new champions were crowned at the SASP Action College Nationals.

Collegiate shooting teams went head to head in international pistol events, with both familiar individual scoring and SASP’s team aggregate scoring. On the first day of competition, athletes gathered at the CMP’s South Airgun Range in Anniston, AL to begin the 10 Meter Air Pistol events. After two relays, Ohio State University soundly retained their title as team champions, followed by West Point and MIT. As individual athletes, Ohio’s Katelyn Abeln went into the final in first place, shooting a 570 – 16x for her 60-shot score.

U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Ryan Yi came away the winner of the coed air pistol finals. In the last series, Ryan’s final shot was a 10.5 (distance from the center X), scoring enough to beat Ohio’s Jack Leverett, whose final shot was 10.7. The separation between first and second place came down to just eight-tenths of a point at 234 and 234.8, respectively. In third place, Katelyn Abeln returned to the podium, shooting a total aggregate score of 212.4.

On day On day two of the 2022 SASP Intercollegiate Pistol Nationals, the event shifted locations to the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park for the Sport Pistol events. Ohio State University athletes Henry Leverett and Katelyn Abeln swept the gold and silver individual finishes, as well male and female high overall, shooting a 586 – 59 and 577 – 44, respectively. Joining them were teammates Jack Leverett and Cade Haiby to secure the Sport Pistol Team Championship for the Buckeyes.

On the final day of competition, SASP athletes returned to the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park for Standard Pistol events. Olympian brothers and SASP athletes, Henry and Jack Leverett claimed gold and silver, with West Point’s Luke Braun grabbing a bronze podium finish. Four out of the top six athletes in Standard Pistol were Ohio State University athletes, claiming another Team National Champion title for the Buckeyes.

As the official youth feeding program for USA Shooting, a large number of SASP athletes and coaches at this match are current and former Olympians, National Team Members, and Junior National Team Members.

Past and current US Olympians at SASP Intercollegiate Pistol Nationals

Past and current National Team Members at SASP Intercollegiate Pistol Nationals

Past and current Junior National Team Members at SASP Intercollegiate Pistol Nationals

View event photos on SASP’s Facebook page

Results

2022 Scholarships Now Open

Written on February 23, 2022.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), offers a scholarship program to reward deserving, graduating seniors in the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) with needed college assistance. The main objective is to award as many scholarships as possible to qualifying SCTP / SASP graduating seniors.

Key points to consider before submitting:

The April 17th application deadline is firm with no extensions.
It is crucial to provide a reliable email address for scholarship notification and next steps
All materials must be submitted as ONE pdf file.
PLEASE read ALL of the application, incomplete applications will not be considered. No blank spaces!
Applicants must be a registered and paid athlete in our program. Scholarships are open to SCTP and SASP athletes only.

Click below to see full procedure details and application document with the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation

https://sssfonline.org/scholarships/

TEAM GLOCK’S Shane COley PRO SHOOTING SIGNATURE AUCTION

Written on February 8, 2022.

In collaboration with Founding Partner Sponsor, GLOCK, and Silver Sponsor, Baron Engraving, the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) is proud to auction the Shane Coley Pro Shooting Signature Glock 34. Industry-supported since its inception, the SASP provides youth development opportunities through team-based shooting sports and its National Championship has grown to be the largest action shooting event in the world.

Passionately supporting the SASP, Baron Engraving has created a highly collectible firearm with polished slide and 24kt details, including signature supplied by Shane Coley. All the proceeds from this firearm go to support the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) with a portion of the proceeds going into the SASP Scholarship Endowment to provide future college scholarships to athletes in the program. These scholarships are awarded to graduating high school senior action shooting athletes as they continue their education in college.

Together, with the support of GLOCK, pro shooter Shane Coley, and Baron Engraving the Scholastic Action Shooting Program is auctioning this work of art to benefit the future of youth shooting sports across the country.

The GLOCK Pro Shooting Signature auction is now live on GunBroker.com: https://bit.ly/ProAuction

2022 Action College Nationals + Talladega Regional

Written on January 26, 2022.

The Talladega Regional will be returning to the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park March 11-13th, alongside the 2022 SASP College Nationals (Action Shooting)! Junior athletes will be able to interact and network with college teams. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! Registration opens Monday, January 31st at 12:00PM CST.

To help the match run smoothly, we are seeking volunteers as safety officers and scorekeepers. SASP coaches or other team support are welcome to donate time to work part of the match, if your team’s schedule allows. To thank our volunteers, we will be having a volunteer raffle which includes several guns! For more info and volunteer schedule: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0b45abab2ba0fb6-2022

College Nationals Flyer

Talladega Regional Flyer

Volunteer Info Flyer

Team Ruger’s Doug Koenig Pro Shooting Signature Auction

Written on January 16, 2022.

In collaboration with Founding Partner Sponsor, Ruger, and Silver Sponsor, Baron Engraving, the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) is proud to auction the Doug Koenig Pro Shooting Signature SR1911. Industry-supported since its inception, the SASP provides youth development opportunities through team-based shooting sports and its National Championship has grown to be the largest action shooting event in the world.

Passionately supporting the SASP, Baron Engraving has created a highly collectible firearm with etched and selectively 24kt gold plated details, including signature supplied by Doug Koenig. Truly one of a kind, this individual gun is the ONLY SR1911 Competition to leave the Ruger factory without a KOENIG logo laser engraved on the left side of the slide.

All the proceeds from this firearm go to support the Scholastic Action Shooting Program, with a portion of the proceeds going into the SASP Scholarship Endowment to provide future college scholarships to athletes in the program. These scholarships are awarded to graduating high school senior action shooting athletes as they continue their education in college.

Together, with the support of Ruger, pro shooter Doug Koenig, and Baron Engraving, the Scholastic Action Shooting Program is auctioning this work of art to benefit the future of youth shooting sports across the country.

The Ruger Doug Koenig Pro Shooting Signature auction is now live on GunBroker.com: https://bit.ly/ProAuction

2021 Ruger Auctions Raise Over $31,000 For SASP

Written on January 12, 2022.

In an incredible act of supporting youth shooting sports, Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) Founding Partner Sponsor, Ruger has again auctioned off rare, hard to find models, with all proceeds benefiting the SASP.

The first auction for the year kicked off in early September, with new items introduced each week through January 12th, 2022. These auctions renew youth shooting sports in the new year, increasing funds raised through last year’s Ruger auctions by nearly $5,000.

In benefit of the SASP, a Hawkeye Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor used by Ruger CEO

One of the larger fundraising items was a very special firearm from Ruger: a Hawkeye Predator used by Ruger CEO Mike Fifer.Mr. Fifer took this rifle out on a hunt for Musk Ox and the entire hunt was documented in an included photo book. Incredible gestures like this from the industry signals the strength of the program and youth shooting sports as a whole.

Team GLOCK’s Michelle Viscusi Pro Shooting Signature Auction

Written on January 9, 2022.

In collaboration with Founding Partner Sponsor, GLOCK, and Silver Sponsor, Baron Engraving, the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) is proud to auction the Michelle Viscusi Pro Shooting Signature Glock 34. Industry-supported since its inception, the SASP provides youth development opportunities through team-based shooting sports and its National Championship has grown to be the largest action shooting event in the world.

Passionately supporting the SASP, Baron Engraving has created a highly collectible firearm with polished slide and 24kt details, including signature supplied by Michelle Viscusi. All the proceeds from this firearm go to support the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) with a portion of the proceeds going into the SASP Scholarship Endowmentto provide future college scholarships to athletes in the program. These scholarships are awarded to graduating high school senior action shooting athletes as they continue their education in college.

Together, with the support of GLOCK, pro shooter Michelle Viscusi, and Baron Engraving the Scholastic Action Shooting Program is auctioning this work of art to benefit the future of youth shooting sports across the country.

The first GLOCK Pro Shooting Signature auction is now live on GunBroker.com: https://bit.ly/ProAuction

SASP RARE RUGER AUCTION: 6.5 Creedmoor Hawkeye Hunter

Written on November 24, 2021.

The SASP’s Founding Partner Sponsor, Ruger has been dedicated in their support of our program for over five years and has graciously included the SASP as a beneficiary of Ruger Auctions. Each week from September through December will feature a new Ruger Auctions, with all proceeds being donated in benefit of the SASP!

This week’s auction item is a 6.5 Creedmoor caliber Ruger® Hawkeye® Hunter rifle. Ruger’s records reflect this rifle was roll marked June 27, 2019. The rifle was never sold and has never been fired beyond normal factory test firing. This rifle was one of Ruger’s Sales & Marketing photography samples. The rifle features a 22-inch free-floated, cold hammer-forged stainless steel barrel with a 20 MOA Picatinny rail secured overtop the traditional integral scope mounts that are machined directly on the solid-steel receiver. The barrel is equipped with a factory-installed thread protector. Other features include: the LC6™ trigger; a one-piece stainless steel bolt; a non-rotating, Mauser-type controlled round feed extractor; and three-position safety. It has a satin stainless finish with an American walnut stock featuring wrap-around cut checkering on the forearm and pistol grip and studs for mounting sling swivels. The stock also features a red rubber buttpad with the Ruger Eagle logo embossed in the center of it. It has a hinged solid-steel floorplate that features an engraved Ruger logo and a box magazine that holds four cartridges. The rifle will ship in its original rifle box along with the original instruction manual, marketing materials, and locking device.

Place your winning bid on GunBroker

How To Join a Youth Action Shooting Sports Team

Written on November 23, 2021.

Junior shooters (competitors under the age of eighteen) are the future, but what can we do to introduce more of them to shooting sports? Enter the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) whose youth shooting sports teams are growing throughout the nation in record numbers year after year. In fact, since 2019, the SASP’s National Championship holds the record as the largest action shooting event in the world, a title previously held by the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF).

Action shooting matches such as USPSA, Steel Challenge, 3-Gun, GSSF, and IDPA are an individual’s sport where a competitor sees how they measure up against everyone else at the end of the day. Although each of these sports in the world of shooting recognizes top junior shooters with category awards, the SASP is where youth are truly measured and recognized as junior athletes.

Introducing the mechanics of team sports gives shooting athletes life skills, values, and friendships that contribute to becoming productive young adults. The SASP is proud to provide a youth program in which athletes from grade school through college can compete and grow in a sport where there is no such thing as being “benched”. Nearly all shooting sports offer a level playing field where success can be achieved without respect to gender or athletic ability that often drives traditional “ball sports”.

The action shooting matches of the SASP operate much like Steel Challenge in which competitors try to connect with five steel plates of various sizes and distances, with a designated “stop plate” that signifies their last shot fired for the total string time. Five strings are attempted per stage, with the slowest being dropped from the competitor’s score. This sounds familiar but an individual athlete is part of a squad of four, who’s times are totaled together for a total time on each stage. Behind each shooter both figuratively and literally, you will see a supportive group of coaches, teammates, and families cheering them on. Like other youth sports, adult volunteers typically serve as head coach or other supporting roles.

As both a means of introduction to shooting sports and a safety component, SASP athletes begin from the low ready position in all disciplines. Youth athletes may participate in the SASP using rimfire rifles, rimfire handguns, pistol caliber carbines (PCC), and/or centerfire handguns.