Held at the historic National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, the ACUI/SCTP College Nationals saw nearly 75 teams from 29 states register some 770 athletes. With strong growth from established and newly registered varsity teams to ACUI/SCTP, the inaugural championship saw nearly 4,000 registrations. The popularity of this event is significant when compared to the SCTP National Junior Championships which saw 8,000 entries in last year’s 12-day event, known as the world’s largest junior shooting sporting event.
“I want to congratulate all of the students who came out to compete with us in San Antonio for our 2023 ACUI and SCTP Collegiate Shooting Championships,” exclaimed Taylor Blechschmid, ACUI Educational Program Manager. “We saw some top-tier shooting from numerous teams and we are very excited to be able to bring together so many groups of athletes from across the country. Their dedication to the sport inspires us to keep aiming high and doing our best for this community.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way our first national partner event turned out. We had lofty goals this year, and our team did everything possible to achieve them. From the improved ranking and scoring system, to the return to tiebreakers and awards day, we believe this was the smoothest event ever and we are already working to improve upon this foundation for years to come.”
“This association with ACUI began with a phone call from me last spring and culminated in a very good relationship over the past year,” said Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “This partnership ultimately enhances the experience at every level for college athletes and coaches. We had nothing but good things to hear from all the college athletes and coaches that attended, and the staff at the National Shooting Complex did an outstanding job hosting us. Overall, a very successful partnership turned into a very successful Collegiate National Championship!”
The SCTP will complete its season at the Cardinal Shooting Center this July for its junior National Championship, which has historically been the largest shooting ever conducted at the facility for three consecutive years. The ACUI and SCTP partnership will continue throughout the calendar year and into the next, beginning with the International National Championships (Bunker Trap and International Skeet), also held at the Cardinal Shooting Center in October.
About the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity responsible for all aspects of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) in the United States. The SCTP and SASP are youth development programs in which adult coaches and other volunteers use shooting sports to teach and demonstrate sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, teamwork, and other positive life skills.
Provide and enhance opportunities for personal growth and development for student-athlete members; become the leading authority on all things firearms related activities for youth; pass on to future generations the legacy of lifelong, safe and responsible enjoyment of shooting sports. This includes serving as the primary feed for organized and sanctioned shooting organizations and teams such as USA SHOOTING, TEAM USA, and the NGBs (NSSA, NSCA, ATA).