Virginia Dominates National Championship

Collegiate teams from the Commonwealth recently competed in the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) Collegiate Nationals at the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s Talladega, Alabama facility. - The Liberty University Action Shooting Team and the Virginia Tech Corps Marksmanship Unit (CMU) competed against 10 collegiate teams who fielded a total of 46 competitive 4-person squads. SASP awards both squad and individual awards, and Virginia teams took the lion’s share of both across multiple categories.

In the Rimfire Pistol Iron Sights Division, Liberty University took the National Championship with the Virginia Tech CMU besting their archrivals the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit by nearly 20 seconds. At the individual level, Liberty’s Sam Verdoorn and Sam Stover took 2nd and 3rd place respectively among males. In the Rimfire Pistol Optic Division, Virginia Tech’s CMU took 3rd place and at the individual level CMU’s Cadet Adam Jardines took 2nd overall in the male category with Cadet Brianna Smiley taking 3rd in the female category.

In Rimfire Rifle Iron Sights, Liberty University’s “Blue” squad took the championship with its “Red” squad taking 3rd place. At the individual level, Christian Morgan took 2nd place in the male division. In Rimfire Rifle Optic Division, Liberty’s “Blue” squad took 1st place with Timothy “TJ” McFarland taking 2nd for males and Connelly Weems taking 2nd among the females.

In the Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) Division, Liberty again took the national championship, thus capturing the national title in all divisions the university entered. An incredible achievement by the students and their Head Coach, Bill Crawford. At the individual level, Sam Verdoorn took 2nd for males and Connelly Weems took 2nd for the ladies.

SASP State Advisor Dr. Eliot Jardines stated, “Our collegiate teams have achieved tremendous success in a very short period of time. This was only Liberty University’s second time at Collegiate Nationals and their dominance is unquestioned. The Virginia Tech Corps Marksmanship Unit was established just before winter break in mid-December and largely practiced with simulators. To have placed 3rd in a division is a testament to the hard work the cadets put in and to Head Coach Jones’ vision. We look forward to seeing both teams again at the Virginia/West Virginia Championship later this summer at Shadow Hawk Defense.”

Both teams have established MidwayUSA Foundation endowment accounts and would greatly appreciate any donations to help them establish a firm financial foundation. Donations are tax-deductible – to donate please the links under each photo:

Liberty University athletes with the Tammy Mowry Rifle Cup

Liberty University Action Shooting Teameam

Cadets from the Virginia Tech Corps Marksmanship unit and their coach MGySgt Lance Jones

Virginia Tech Corps Marksmanship Unit 

Virginia’s Junior Olympic Pistol Athletes

The Commonwealth has seen an explosive growth in junior Olympic pistol shooters in the past year with a record 23 qualifications for the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championship. Athletes competed in 10-meter Air Pistol and/or 25-meter Sport Pistol, both of which are Olympic events. In order to receive an invitation to the national championship, athletes must have achieved a qualifying score at a junior Olympic state championship.

The Virginia Junior Olympic Championship for Air Pistol was held in Centreville and hosted by the Arlington-Fairfax Izaak Walton League. The Sport Pistol championship was held in Fairfax at the NRA Headquarters Range. 25-meter Sport Pistol and 10-meter Air Pistol are Olympic events which are regulated by USA Shooting, the national governing board for Olympic shooting sports. Junior athletes from across the Commonwealth recently received invitations to compete in the national championship which is held at the National Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 the event has been postponed until later this season.

Both the 25-meter Sport Pistol and 10-meter Air Pistol Virginia Junior Olympic Championships were organized by Coach Mark Budgeon of the NoVA Sharpshooters. Arlington-Fairfaix Izaak Walton League President Mr. Tom Ciarula was on hand for both competitions to award USA Shooting medals to the top athletes. Coach Budgeon has been the driving force in the explosive growth of Olympic pistol in Virginia having personally coached the overwhelming majority of the athletes who received an invitation on the NoVA Sharpshooters and LoCo Motion teams.

(over 20 athletes from across the Commonwealth participated)

The following athletes received invitations to National Junior Olympic Shooting Championship:

(Left to right:  Lauren Creese - Bronze, Cristina Alvarez – Silver and Suman Sanghera State Champion)

Women’s Air Pistol
Christina Alvarez – NoVA Sharpshooters
Lauren Creese – NoVA Sharpshooters
Lillianna Holland – Independent Athlete
Josephine Mou – NoVA Sharpshooters
Suman Sanghera – NoVA Sharpshooters (State Champion)

(Left to right:  Derek Liddle – Bronze, Ethan Jardines – Silver, Bhavjeet Sanghera State Champion)

Men’s Air Pistol
Justin Berry – Rockingham 4-H Rockin’ Shots
Zachary Dantzlerward – NoVA Sharpshooters
Paine Gronemeyer – NoVA Sharpshooters
Ethan Jardines – NoVA Sharpshooters
Derek Liddle – Rockingham 4-H Rockin’ Shots
Victor Mou – NoVA Sharpshooters
William Regala – NoVA Sharpshooters
Bhavjeet Sanghera – NoVA Sharpshooters (State Champion)
Connor Shea – NoVA Sharpshooters

(Left to right:  Lori Ann Madison – Silver, Suman Sanghera – Gold, Paine Gronemeyer – Bronze, Victor Mou – Gold, Josephine Mou – Bronze, Bhavjeet Sanghera – Silver)

Women’s Sport Pistol
Lori Ann Madison – NoVA Sharpshooters
Josephine Mou – NoVA Sharpshooters
Suman Sanghera – NoVA Sharpshooters (State Champion)

Men’s Sport Pistol
Jack Bright – Team LoCo Motion
Maccoy Gilkison – Team LoCo Motion
Paine Gronemeyer – NoVA Sharpshooters
Ethan Jardines – Team LoCo Motion
Victor Mou – NoVA Sharpshooters (State Champion)
Bhavjeet Sanghera – NoVA Sharpshooters

VSSA Vintage Sniper Team Success in Florida

Not long before all of the shutdowns around the country began due to the Wuhan Coronavirus, the VSSA Vintage Sniper Team competed at the Port Malabar Rifle and Pistol Club Vintage Sniper Match sponsored by CMP on Saturday, 22 Feb, 2020 in Palm Bay, Florida.  The Team of Mike Jamison and Paul MacAlester won the match with a score of 370 (out of 400 possible) at distances of 300 and 600 yards with vintage 1903/A4 rifles.  Great job guys!

 

             

 

This Year's General Assembly Gun Grab Was Just Round One

VSSA has warned that this year's legislative attack on our freedom was just round one.  According to gun ban advocate Lori Haas and Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran, besides another attempt at banning commonly owned semi-automatic firearms, they have a whole list of things lined up for next year.  They appeared on a left-leaning podcast in mid-April called "Transition Virginia".  During the interview, Haas said her group, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV), is already working with legislators to pass a ban next year.  Pointing to the 4th Circuit ruling upholding Maryland's semi-auto ban,  Moran said so-called "assault weapons" are not protected under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is no surprise that Moran pointed to Maryland because that is model that the patron of HB961, Delegate Mark Levine, pointed to when promoting his bill this session.

You can hear the Haas and Moran interview here.  If gun ban groups are already working legislators to pass a semi-auto ban, gun owners need to be doing the same thing.  We can't wait until January.

Hat-tip NRA-ILA.