Arlington/Fairfax IWLA Raffle for Youth Shooting Program

The Arlington/Fairfax IWLA (a VSSA Affiliated club) has a great raffle currently going on to support the club's youth air gun programs.  You can win a Springfield Armory Range Combo.  Tickets are $20 and only 200 will be sold.  You can purchase tickets several ways:

To buy tickets for the Springfield Armory Range Combo, send money via:
Zelle (include email address) to rogeriwla@gmail.com
PayPal (Friends & Family option) to rogeriwla@gmail.com

Or mail check  for the number of tickets you want x $20 to:

ARL-FX IWLA

8923 Renshaw Ct 

Springfield, VA 22153

NoVA Sharpshooters Host the 2020-2021 Virginia USA Shooting Pistol Junior Olympics State Championship

By Mark Budgeon 

Every year USA Shooting invites shooting clubs across the United States of America to host qualification matches called Junior Olympic State Championships (JOSCs). These events allow junior athletes to compete shoulder-to-shoulder with their counterparts from across their resident state as well as non-residents. For the past three years, the NoVA Sharpshooters have hosted these qualification matches at the Arlington-Fairfax Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America.

This year athletes, parents and coaches all pitched in to put this event together in spite of the COVID 19 pandemic. Following Virginia guidelines, the club successfully hosted the Sport Pistol and Air Pistol JOSCs allowing 26 athletes to compete for qualification scores and potential invitations to the USA Shooting Junior Olympics planned for 2021.

On Sunday morning, November 22nd, seven athletes from the NoVA Sharpshooters and Team LocoMotion met at the Rifle Pistol Range for a 60 shot Sport Pistol match. Suman Sanghera placed first winning the Junior Women gold medal and also recognition as the Virginia State Champion. Josephine Mou won the silver medal and Lauren Creese won the bronze. For the junior men, Victor Mou won the gold medal, Ethan Jardines placed second winning the silver medal and William Regala won bronze.

Sport Pistol JOSC (L to R): Suman Sanghera, Ethan Greenhaw, Josephine Mou, Ethan Jardines, Lauren Creese, Victor Mou, William Regala

After the sport pistol match, these seven athletes participated in the air pistol JOSC held across the road at the Sills Air Range. Nineteen junior athletes from the NoVA Sharpshooters, Team LocoMotion (Purcellville), Rockin’ Rockets (Rockingham County 4-H), Lafayette Gun Club (Grafton) and an independent shooter from Frederick, Maryland competed in the 60 shot match. Since there were six or more competitors in each gender category, a state champion could be named for both the junior men and the junior women.

For the junior women, Suman Sanghera again placed first winning the gold medal and recognition at the state junior women champion. Makenzie Anne Wygans from the Lafayette Gun Club won silver and Christina Alvarez won bronze. For the junior men, Bhavjeet Sanghera placed first winning the gold medal and recognition as the state junior men champion. Victor Mou won silver and William Regala won bronze.

Air Pistol JOSC (L to R): Makenzie Anne Wygans, William Regala, Christina Alvarez, Victor Mou, Suman Sanghera, Ethan Greenhaw, Josephine Mou, Zachary Dantzlerward, Madeline Matney, Connor Shea (nine athletes not pictured)

These athletes scored high enough to earn automatic invites to the 2021 Junior Olympics: Suman Sanghera (sport and air pistol), Bhavjeet Sanghera (air pistol) and William Regala (air pistol). When all the clubs across the country complete their matches and report their scores, USA Shooting will establish cutoff scores for each event and age category. Then USA Shooting will extend invitations to athletes for the 2021 Junior Olympics. The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs is the traditional location for the USA Shooting Junior Olympics. However, the facility is restricted to preparing the USA Team for the Summer Olympics. USA Shooting will announce the location for the Junior Olympics at a later date.

Congratulations to these junior athletes and their parents and thanks to coaches Lei-Ann Chang, Tim Greenhaw, Jennifer Alvarez for taking the time to lead the program. Only in its fourth year, the NoVA Sharpshooters Junior Shooting Program has grown to be the largest and most successful junior international pistol program in the state of Virginia.

Arlington/Fairfax IWLA Sills Air Range Raffle

Every year the Arlington/Fairfax IWLA (a VSSA affiliated club) Sills Air Range does 2-3 raffles to help secure the air range’s long term financial stability. Using donated items — mostly from the Midway Foundation — the club raises funds via raffles and then puts the proceeds into their Midway account. The Midway Foundation then partially matches what they put in — and as the account accumulates the club can use the money for air range needs. All of this helps the club keep the annual consumables fee lower.  This club has been home to some great youth shooters, some of which have gone on to shoot in college, and one who won Olympic Gold in 2016.

The next raffle is one of the best yet! The 1st Prize is a Henry 30/30 (from Midway) and the 2nd Prize is a Ruger Mark III (generously donated by the club's very own Mark Budgeon). For every ten tickets sold, the club will hold a drawing for a Browning knife/flashlight combo. So there are many chances to win!

You can support the air range and these young shooters by purchasing raffle tickets. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased online at the air range website — afc-iwla-sillsairrange.org/ — and they will also be selling tickets in person for those who know someone who is a member of the club or live close to the range and would prefer to purchase them in person.

The drawing will be drawn after the 200th ticket is sold!

VSSA Affiliated Club Raffle to Benefit Youth Airgun Programs

The Arlington/Fairfax IWLA, a VSSA affiliated club, is raffling a Model 1885 Low Wall .243 Centerfire Rifle. Proceeds benefit the club's youth air gun programs. Raffle tickets are $20 plus $1 for processing (costs of mailing tickets etc). The drawing will take place after 300 tickets have been sold. The winner need not be present to win. To purchase tickets, simply go to the club's web site at http://afc-iwla-sillsairrange.org/.  For more information simply download the raffle flyer by clicking here.

Vote for Ginny Thrasher - Semi-Finalist for the AAU Sullivan Top Amateur Athlete in America Award

Virginian Ginny Thrasher is a semi-finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award recognizing the top amateur athlete in America. Thrasher, a 19-year-old NCAA national champion and member of VSSA affiliated Arlington/Fairfax IWLA (AFCIWLA), represented the U.S. in Rio, earning the country's first gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in the 10m air rifle. She defeated her veteran opponent in the finals by a full point, a wide margin in perhaps the Games' most precise sport. Thrasher is a West Springfield High School grad, currently attending WVU, and a prodigy from the early days of the AFCIWLA Sills Air Range. Her mom Valerie is an air rifle coach and her dad Roger is the Sills Air Range manager.

The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. Representatives from the AAU created the AAU Sullivan Award with the intent to recognize amateur contributions and achievements from non-professional athletes across the country.

World-renowned golfer Robert “Bobby” Jones received the inaugural award in 1930 and swimmer Anne Curtis became the first female to accept the award in 1944. Other notable athletes to win the award include famed Olympians Mark Spitz (1971), Carl Lewis (1981), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1986) and Michael Phelps (2003). Former UCLA basketball star Bill Walton (1973), University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (1997) and Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott (2014) have also earned the prestigious honor.

Vote now for the 87th AAU James E. Sullivan Award. You can vote once every 24 hours.

Ginny Thrasher: https://aausullivan.secure-platform.com/a/gallery/rounds/1/details/121

VSSA Club Home to Olympians and National Champions

On November 23rd, Arlington/Fairfax IWLA, a VSSA affiliated club, held a reception for two members who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics,  Gold Medalist Ginny Thrasher and Lucas Kozeniesky.  Both Thrasher and Kozeniesky are Fairfax natives and both are products of the Arlington/Fairfax air rifle program.  The Fairfax Board of Supervisors presented the two with resolutions recognizing their accomplishments and Congress Woman Barbara Comstock present Ginny with a Congressional Resolution.  Attendees were treated to hamburgers and hotdogs by the club.

Ginny Thrasher and Lucas Kozeniesky with Bucky Sills, Congresswoman Barbara Comstock and Fairfax Board Member Pat Herrity

Congressman Barbara Comstock presents Ginny Thrasher with Copy of Congressional Record recognizing Thrashers accomplishment.

Ginny Thrasher with Bucky Sills

Kozeniesky and Thrasher with Fairfax Board members Kathy Smith, and Pat Herrity

Arlington/Fairfax IWLA Swap Meet to Benefit Air Rifle Electronic Target Fund

The Arlington/Fairfax IWLA (a VSSA affiliated club) will hold a swap meet on Sunday, September 25, from 1PM to 5PM, at the club's air rifle range to raise money for it's Electronic Target Fund.  There will also be raffles during the event.  To get more information about tables or anything else about the event, contact Helen Martin at HelenLMartin@verizon.net.

VSSA Trainers Teach Marines How to Teach NRA Training Courses

VSSA President Ernie Padgette, VSSA Vice President Tom Ciarula, and VSSA member Bucky Sills, all National Rifle Association-certified training counselors, headed to Marine Corps Base Quantico to train the Marine Corps Combat Shooting Team earlier this spring.

“We are here teaching the Marines certain NRA courses,” Padgette told  Cpl Antwaun Jefferson of the Defense Video and Distribution System.  “To be able to teach these courses to the Marine Corps population, the Marines will need to be certified and that is what we are here for.”

Classes included, but were not limited to, the basic instructor training class, basic pistol instructor class, and personal protection outside the home basic and instructor classes. The classes lasted 12-14 hours each.

The courses were offered free of charge out of consideration of the sacrifice each of the members are making to serve our nation.  By the end of the week, 11 members of the combat shooting team became certified instructors and are now authorized to teach the NRA courses.

Hat tip to DVDS.

Crush'n Clays Event Breaks Attendance Record

The 10th annual Crush’n Clays had a record breaking attendance! The event was not only sold-out, but actually over capacity with 119 shooters. This total exceeds our previous record total by more than 20 shooters! Team entries we sold out two week in advance of the event. We also had a record breaking number of participants in the Annie Oakley event. Even more astonishing, with such a large crowd, the event ran on schedule with no delays. This is a direct result of the hard working range officers working the fields, who kept everything on schedule.

The event which is jointly sponsored by the Arlington/Fairfax IWLA Chapter and the Virginia Shooting Sports Association has raised $190,000 over that last ten years, to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The day started with a trapshooting clinic under the excellent tutelage of Bob Brino Director of Trap & Skeet. Arlington – Fairfax IWLA. A big thanks goes to Bob who donated the targets. With over 7,000 targets shot, the cost of the targets was nearly $600.

A special participant was Tom Ridenour. Several years ago, Tom was a member of the Arlington-Fairfax IWLA Scholastic Clay Target Trap Team. He recently returned from a tour in Iraq with the National Guard where he was injured in an IED blast in February, but fortunately he has recovered. We’re glad to have him home. Tom is the son of Bill Ridenour, a Range Safety Officer at the Skeet and Trap Range.

The 2008 Crush’n Clays event championship went to Lu Charette, VSSA’s own Executive Director. The class champions included; J.R. Wingfield Class A Champion, Dominck Casciano Jr. (and Crush’ Clays Sponsor) Class B Champion, Buddy Colby, Class C Champion and Joe Primerano Class D Champion.

High Team, recognition went once again to Piedmont Sportsman’s Club. Shooting on the PSC Team were Lu Charette, Andrea Smith, J.R. Wingfield and Mark Charette. Second place went to Dave Wabeke’s Team from the Arlington-Fairfax IWLA and third place went to Dan Burrer’s Team also of the Arlington-Fairfax IWLA.

Crush’n Clays was the first event of its type when it was launched in 1999. Since then many other similar events have been organized nationwide to benefit St. Jude’s, the Ronald McDonald House and other charities.

Competitors received event T-shirts, ammunition, refreshments from Everfresh and lunch prepared by Rick Kohne of the Arlington- Fairfax IWLA.

Thank go to the event sponsors, supporters and volunteers especially, the National Rifle Association, Atlantic Healthcare Inc., the Virginia Shooting Sports Association and Everfresh. Special thanks go to the Arlington-Fairfax Chapter of the IWLA for their support including facilities, targets and volunteers. Their support was critical to the event’s success.