Greetings Indiana Shooters!
Well the 2018-2019 ATA Target Year has come to an end. I’m sure you’ll agree it certainly went by fast like always. I hope each of you found success on the trap field this past year and were able to complete your shooting goals. I wish each and every Indiana shooter good luck for the next Target Year!
I want to take a moment to thank each and every person that helped make the 2019 Indiana State Shoot possible. No way could I list everyone individually here and never would want to run the risk of forgetting to mention someone. Without our countless volunteers this shoot would never exist. From the guys that show up there a week before the shoot to get everything ready, to the guys & gals still there late on the Monday evening after the shoot is over, putting everything away and cleaning up, please know everything you do is greatly appreciated!!
We had a great shoot this year, even though we had to deal with some weather like always. However, this year it wasn’t the rain, it was the SEVERE HEAT & HUMIDITY!! If you listened to the TV weatherperson you would have thought we would have caught on fire just walking outside. I’m happy to report no one did, no one completely melted into a pile of sweat on the last post, and we had some great scores shot. A major congrats to our 2019 Indiana Champions! These include Mr. Kenneth Heathcoate taking home the Singles Championship after shooting off 199’s with Devon Harris, and Ronnie Pitcock is our new Handicap Champion for this year. David Winn won the Doubles title after a shootoff with Brian Ingle & Scott Cochran, and Devon Harris took home the HAA crown. I know this is the first State titles for Ken & Ronnie, and much deserved. Looking through the Doubles champ history, David has doubles title wins now in 1999, 2003, 2007 & 2019. I didn’t make that connection during the shoot that he has put 20 years between championships, very cool to see that! Speaking of State titles, when it comes to HAA, this was Devon’s 5thHAA title. That puts him on the heels of Tank Lunsford’s 6 career Indiana titles…just wanted to mention that for a little friendly motivation for both of these gentlemen. Former Indiana resident and Indiana HOF member George Snellenberger has 6 HAA titles, and H.L. Creek has the record with 8 HAA titles in the 40’s & 50’s, at least as of the records I see starting in 1942. Speaking of George, it was good to see him at the shoot. He won his first Indiana championships (Singles & HAA) in 1959, so this year was the 60thanniversary of those feats!
Make sure you check out the Indiana trap website www.indianatrap.comfor a full listing of all of the Registered ATA shoots being held this fall at clubs all over Indiana. Please never forget without all of these Clubs this sport wouldn’t exist, get out and support them!!
Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything or would like to have anything included in this article for Indiana. My email is itajason@outlook.com.
Jason Barnett, ATA Delegate-Indiana