Virginia Tech Corps Marksmanship Unit Excels at SASP Collegiate Nationals

 

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

The Virginia Tech Corps Marksmanship Unit (VT CMU) recently took multiple podiums and a national championship at the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) Collegiate Nationals. The collegiate championship took place at the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s Talladega, Alabama facility. Virginia Tech’s cadets faced off against 15 collegiate teams from across the nation including West Point, University of Arizona, Concordia University, Florida State, Hillsdale College, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Bethel University, and Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.

SASP Collegiate Nationals presents both squad and individual awards, with the VT CMU squads achieving podiums in each of the five disciplines they contested. By comparison, Texas A&M achieved two podiums and West Point was shut out. In individual level awards, Cadet Edward Zhou took 2nd place overall in the Centerfire Pistol Optics division with Cadet Hunter Lambert taking 3rd place overall in Rimfire Pistol Optic Division.

Specifically, the Virginia Tech Cadets placed as follows at the 4-person squad level:

Rimfire Pistol Optic Division (22LR)
• 1st Place – VT Corps Marksmanship Unit
o Cadet Jacob Bush
o Cadet Hunter Lambert
o Cadet Will Nance
o Cadet Lin Ma

Rimfire Pistol Iron Division (22LR)
• 2nd Place – VT Corps Marksmanship Unit
o Cadet Jacob Bush
o Cadet Hunter Lambert
o Cadet Will Nance
o Cadet Lin Ma

Centerfire Pistol Optic Division (9mm)
• 2nd Place – VT Corps Marksmanship Unit
o Cadet Adam Jardines
o Cadet Edward Zhou
o Cadet Mitchell McClure
o Cadet Christopher Campione

Centerfire Pistol Iron Division (9mm)
• 3rd Place – VT Corps Marksmanship Unit
o Cadet Adam Jardines
o Cadet Edward Zhou
o Cadet Mitchell McClure
o Cadet Christopher Campione

Rimfire Rifle Optics Division (22LR)
• 2nd Place – VT Corps Marksmanship Unit
o Cadet Hunter Lambert
o Cadet Cooper Rapp
o Cadet Cole Shackelford
o Cadet Kian Zandipour

The VT CMU Head Coach Master Gunnery Sergeant Lance Jones remarked, “With these results, our cadets have demonstrated both depth of skill in attaining all top three finishes, as well as breadth of skill by doing so across five disciplines. A remarkable achievement when compared with our better funded military school competitors who only fielded squads in one or two disciplines.”

The VT CMU has a MidwayUSA Foundation endowment account and would greatly appreciate any donations to help them establish a firm financial foundation. Donations are tax-deductible – to donate please visit:
Virginia Tech Corps Marksmanship Unit –
https://www.midwayusafoundation.org/team-profile/?id=R18084

The VT Marksmanship Unit will be attending the SIG Relentless Warrior Championship in New Hampshire on April 9th – the first year they are participating in the competition for military cadets.

(Editor's note: Thanks to Eliot Jardines for providing this report)

VSSA Affilated Team Raffle to Support Trip to National Championship

Team LoCo Motion, a Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) team and VSSA affiliated club, is attending the SASP National Championship in Marengo, Ohio in mid-July. The team is selling SASP National Raffle Tickets as a means of raising funds to offset the cost of the trip. Team LoCo Motion recently took first place in pistol caliber carbine division at the Virginia SASP State Match, hosted by the Winchester Izaak Walton League.

The raffle has five fantastic prizes including:

• Dan Wesson Firearms – Pointman Nine PM-9
• STI – DVc Limited Island 2011 Pistol
•  Mossberg – MMR Tactical with Vortex Red/Green Dot Combo
• Browning – 1911 .380 Medallion Pro
• Taurus – PT111 Millennium G2 9mm

Tickets are $10 each. The drawing will take place on Friday July 19 at the SASP National Championship in Marengo, Ohio – raffle ticket holders need not be present to win.

To purchase raffle tickets please visit:
http://www.locomotionfoundation.org/2019-raffle
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Eliot Jardines admin@locomotionfoundation.org

Scholastic Action Shooting Program All-State Shooting Team Announced

The Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) has named its All-State Team consisting of the four top high school and middle school athletes in the Commonwealth. SASP was created by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation in 2013 and consists of youth ages 10 – college competing in pistol and rifle. Athletes shoot at five steel targets that are arrayed in four different stages while timed. The program currently boasts approximately 1,200 participants across 42 states.

SASP began in Virginia in 2015 when the LoCo Motion Foundation established Team LoCo Motion in Purcellville. In 2016, the Winchester Izaak Walton League established the WIWL Blue Ridge Bullets. Both teams received significant support from Friends of the NRA/NRA Foundation. Three new teams were established in 2018 - two sponsored by the Young Marines and one by the US Naval Sea Cadets. Liberty University established a collegiate SASP team this year.

Athletes were selected for the Virginia SASP All-State Team based on their academic qualifications and achievement at the state and/or national championships this past year. The All-State Team consists of a high school and middle school squad, each with the four fastest athletes in the Commonwealth. All-State athletes for 2018 include:

High School Squad
- Adam Jardines of Purcellville
- Jack Bright of Leesburg
- Andrew Sullivan of Stephens City
- Corinne Whisenant of Middletown

Middle School Squad
- Ethan Jardines of Purcellville
- Talon Morris of White Post
- Maccoy Gilkison of Boyce
- Lauren Creese of Purcellville

SASP State Advisor Eliot Jardines stated, “The SASP program in Virginia has grown tremendously in the past three years, and we are very excited to have so many new teams and competitors. Every member of the 2018 Virginia SASP All-State Team is a nationally ranked athlete who brings great credit upon the sport and the Commonwealth.”

SASP is looking to continue its expansion and interested parties are encouraged to contact the State Advisor at admin@locomotionfoundation.org to learn more about establishing a team, available funding and scholarship opportunities.

VA SASP Teams Dominate In Virtual Match Series

Virginia’s Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) teams dominated the rimfire pistol divisions in the SASP National Virtual Match Series for the 2017-2018 season. The Virtual Match Series is open to all 235 SASP teams across the country whose athletes compete both as individuals and in squads. The competitions take place locally but the rankings are tallied nation-wide.

SASP was created by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation in 2013 and consists of youth ages 10 – college competing in pistol and rifle. Athletes shoot at five steel targets that are arrayed in four different stages while timed. SASP began in Virginia in 2015 when Team LoCo Motion (Round Hill) was established. In 2016, the Winchester Izaak Walton League established the WIWL Blue Ridge Bullets. Both teams received significant support from Friends of the NRA/NRA Foundation. Currently in the Commonwealth, three new teams are being established, two of are sponsored by the Young Marines and one by the US Naval Sea Cadets.

SASP teams compete in squads of four athletes but individual results are also recognized. In the Rimfire Pistol Intermediate (Middle School) Division, the WIWL Blue Ridge Bullets squad took first place with the Team LoCo Motion squad taking second. In the Rimfire Pistol Senior (High School) Division, the Blue Ridge Bullets fielded two squads which took first and second place with the Team LoCo Motion squad taking third.

At the individual level, virtual match standings are ranked across all divisions (Rookie, Intermediate-Entry Level, Intermediate-Advanced, JV, Varsity and Collegiate). The Commonwealth’s young ladies made an impressive showing with Lauren Creese of Team LoCo Motion taking 2nd place and Amelia Lunceford of the WIWL Blue Ridge Bullets taking 3rd place nationally. In the men’s division, Michael Soltis of Team LoCo Motion captured 3rd place in the national rankings.

Eliot Jardines, the SASP Virginia State Advisor stated, “We are very pleased with the results of the 2017-2018 SASP Virtual Match series. Virginia teams have come a long way in a span of a few short years and we are excited to see what the 2018-2019 season brings. Not only are we looking to build on our success in this series but also at SASP Nationals. Our goal this season is to help our two new Young Marines and one US Naval Sea Cadet teams get up and running to add them to the Commonwealth’s competitive roster.

The Scholastic Action Shooting Program now has two teams out of Round Hill, as well as teams in Winchester, Woodford and Mason Neck. As a means of introducing youth action shooting and youth development to more Virginia communities, SASP is looking to establish new teams. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the State Advisor at admin@locomotionfoundation.org to learn more about establishing a team, available funding and scholarship opportunities.

Virginia Action Shooting Program Grows

By Eliot Jardines

The Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) has seen significant growth in Virginia this year. SASP was created by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation in 2013 and consists of youth ages 10 – college competing in pistol and rifle. Athletes shoot at five steel targets that are arrayed in four different stages while timed. The program currently boasts approximately 1,200 participants nationally and 50 within the Commonwealth.

The SASP program began in earnest in Virginia in 2015 when the LoCo Motion Foundation established Team LoCo Motion in Purcellville. In 2016, the Winchester Izaak Walton League established the WIWL Blue Ridge Bullets. Each of these teams has grown significantly both in terms of numbers as well as competitive prowess. Both teams received significant support from Friends of the NRA/NRA Foundation. Three new teams are being established, two of are sponsored by the Young Marines and one by the US Naval Sea Cadets.

Members of the Blue Ridge Bullets sponsored by the Winchester Izaak Walton League at SASP Nationals.

Team LoCo Motion head coach Eliot Jardines was recently appointed the SASP State Advisor for the Commonwealth. “We are very pleased with the growth of SASP in Virginia. With the help of our steadfast supporters the NRA and the SASP national staff, we were able to pull off the first ever Virginia SASP State Match,” he stated. Held at the NRA Headquarters Range, the state match was contested in the rimfire pistol, rifle-optic and rifle-iron sights divisions. In addition to the two VA teams, an SASP team from Gaston County, North Carolina also participated. In addition to the competition, attendees were given a guided tour of the National Firearms Museum and had a chance to meet newly elected NRA President Oliver North who was on hand to welcome the competitors.

Members of Team LoCo Motion at SASP Nationals.

The culmination of the competitive season is the SASP Nationals in Ohio however and there is where Virginia’s teams have made their presence known. This year’s SASP Nationals had a record 1,200 entries, making it simultaneously the world’s largest youth action shooting event and the largest steel match in history. Given this level of competition, the Commonwealth’s teams achievements were quite remarkable.

Newcomers to Nationals this year, the WIWL Blue Ridge Bullets acquitted themselves quite well with their Intermediate (middle school) rimfire squad placing 18th out of 23 squads. The team also fielded two squads in the open rimfire division (squads with both middle and high school students), which placed 21st and 45th out of 68 squads. At the individual level, Amelia Lunceford placed 10th and Carigan Cogle placing 12th in the ladies Intermediate Advanced Division. Graceleigh, Genevieve and Emmaline Blodgett placing 14th, 18th and 19th respectively in the Intermediate Entry Level Division. On the men’s side, Talon Morris took 7th and Maccoy Gilkison took 12th in the Intermediate Entry Level Division.

Team LoCo Motion returned for its third year to SASP Nationals. The Senior (high school) squad took 9th out of 32 squads in rimfire pistol with the Intermediate squad placing 15th out of 23 squads. At the individual level, team captain Adam Jardines placed 16th in the highly competitive men’s Varsity Division, squad leader Corrine Whisenant taking 6th in the women’s Junior Varsity Division and Jack Bright taking 15th in the men’s JV Division. At the intermediate level, squad leader Ethan Jardines took 5th place in the men’s Intermediate Advanced Division while Lauren Creese likewise took 5th in the women’s IA Division. The team also tried their hand at the new pistol caliber carbine (PCC) discipline and took 5th place in the Open Division.

As the teams gear up for the new shooting season which starts in September, the Scholastic Action Shooting Program will be adding three new teams before the end of 2018. SASP is keenly interested in expanding the program outside of Northern Virginia and interested parties are encouraged to contact the State Advisor at admin@locomotionfoundation.org to learn more about establishing a team, available funding and scholarship opportunities.