COLUMBUS, Ohio – The top male and female athletes in Handicap Trap were recognized by the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) at the 2017 National Team Championships for their outstanding individual performances in each of its six competitive divisions.

Honored for their ability to break clay targets on the Handicap Trap field at the SCTP Nationals were women shooters Jaden Rydl (Boone, Iowa) of the Gilbert Clay Commanders in the Rookie Division with 142; Lacy Burns (Burlington, Wisc.) of the Burlington High School Demons Shooting Team in the Intermediate/Entry Level Division with 155; Erin Neppl (Ankeny, Iowa) of the Ankeny Centennial Jaguars Trap Team in the Intermediate/Advanced Division with 179; Ainsley Harrington (Barlett, Tenn.) of the St. Agnes Shooting Stars in the Junior Varsity Division with 183; Rebekah Schnitzler (California, Ky.) of the Northern Kentucky Scholastic Trap Club in the Varsity Division with 182; and Shelby Simmons (Brighton, Tenn.) of the University of Tennessee at Martin in the Collegiate Division with 183.

Among the men competing this year the top performances came from Jordan Landin (Fort Jennings, Ohio) of the Moulton Gun Club Youth Shooters in the Rookie Division with 175; Evan Walechka (Johnson Creek, WI) of the Jefferson Sportsmens Club Trap Team in the Intermediate/Entry Level Division with 174; Ryan Denes (Marengo, Ohio) of the Cardinal Youth Shooters in the Intermediate/Advanced Division who broke 196 and finished High Overall; Thomas Keeshan (Princeton, Iowa) of the North Scott Trap Team in the Junior Varsity Division with 188; Clinton Manning (Maquoketa, Iowa) of the Maquoketa Cardinals Varsity in the Varsity Division with 192; and Joseph Simmons (Brighton, Tenn.) of the University of Tennessee at Martin in the Collegiate Division with 189.

Held July 8-15 at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, more than 2,300 athletes representing 29 states faced over one million clay targets during eight days of competition in the shooting disciplines of Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays.

The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) is a youth development program in which adult coaches and other volunteers use the shooting sports of Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays, as well as the Olympic disciplines of Bunker Trap, Trap Doubles and International Skeet to teach and to demonstrate sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, teamwork, and other positive life skills. Nationally, there are nearly 14,800 students and more than 3,300 adult volunteers across 45 states participating in the Scholastic Clay Target Program.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. (SSSF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the National Governing Body for the Scholastic Clay Target Program. SCTP was started by the National Shooting Sports Foundation in 2001.

For more information about SCTP and SSSF, visit www.sssfonline.org. You can also follow SCTP on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShootSCTP or @ScholasticShootingSports on Instagram.