Alex Johnson takes two firsts at Scholastic Action Shooting Program Nationals
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COLFAX Scholastic Action Shooting Team members gathered before shooting at the national match. Font row (L to R): Evelyn Doyle, Alex Johnson, and Raylee Kouba. Back row (L to R): Lance Johnson, assistant coach, Kyle Weller, Nokomis Nosker, Kimberly Krista, Jack Kouba, and Jim Krista, head coach. —photo by Jim Nosker, assistant coach
Colfax Sportsmen’s Club’s Scholastic Action Shooting Team recently took part in the SASP Virtual National Match, which was authorized by the Scholastic Action Shooting Program, a subgroup of Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation.
For several years the Colfax team has traveled to Marengo, Ohio for the national match. The 2019 event was the largest action shooting event in the world. But COVID-19 scuttled the 2020 gathering of that many athletes and a virtual match was setup instead.
In a virtual match each team shoots the prescribed four courses of fire on their home range. The results are then emailed to the national organization, which tabulates them and ranks the teams and individual shooters. When the Colfax team shot the match, they had to delay when torrential rain became so heavy it obscured the targets and flooded the shooting bays.
Results of the virtual match were posted the last weekend in July and the Colfax team did well in the national event, according to Jim Krista, head coach.
Alex Johnson displayed winning form during the pistol caliber carbine competition of the SASP National Match. — photo submitted
Leading the way for the Colfax team was Alex Johnson of Stanley, who placed first in the rookie division of pistol caliber carbine competition. Joining him on the squad was Evelyn Doyle, Menomonie, who placed second in the ladies division of rookie pistol caliber carbine.
A competitive squad is made up of four shooters. However, rookie rifle squads may shoot with fewer members and take ghost scores for missing competitors. Johnson and Doyle’ squad had to accept two such ghost scores, but the duo still shot well enough to push their squad into third place in the rookie division.
In optics rifle, shot with .22 rimfires, Johnson and Doyle were joined by Kaylee Kouba of Colfax. With a ghost score added to their own scores, Colfax’s rookie squad made an eighth place finish. Johnson again dominated the other rookies, coming in with the first place time.
Colfax Sportsmen’s Club also fielded a combined varsity and junior varsity squad composed of Kimberly Krista, Arkansaw, Nokomis Nosker, Colfax, Jack Kouba, Colfax, and Kyle Weller, Elk Mound.
In optics rifle the squad came in 13th. Among all varsity-junior varsity men, Weller was 10th and Jack Kouba 35th. On the ladies side of the slate, Kirsta was ranked fifth and Nosker 12th.
Kyle Weller on the range during the Colfax team’s virtual National match. —photo submitted
In rimfire pistol the mixed varsity and junior varsity squad was 18th. Individually in the men’s division, Kouba was 17th and Weller was 31st. Among women, Nosker was 11th and Krista 14th.
Pistol caliber carbine was the final area of competition for the Colfax mixed varsity squad. They placed 14th. In the men’s individual rankings, Kouba was 12th and Weller 13th. In the ladies’ rankings Nosker was sixth and Krista 14th.
Unlike some scholastic teams which have ties to school districts and weren’t allowed to practice or compete before July, the Colfax team was able to begin practicing as soon as the Colfax/Dunn County Shooting Sports Complex was allowed to re-open. Fielding a team this year was difficult, according to Jim Krista. No where near as many athletes as usual turned out. Concerns about the pandemic was a frequent reason given.
In SASP matches, athletes are placed in four person squads, based on their years in the program. Younger shooters may be moved up, but older shooters may not be moved down. In all divisions accept rookie rifle, a full squad is required in order to compete.
Competitors face four different scenarios of five targets each. The targets are either round or rectangular and are made of steel. Size of the targets, as well as their height, distance from the shooter, spacing, array and placement of the stop plate are different for each scenario.
Wielding a rifle almost as long as she is tall, Raylee Kouba competed in the SASP Virtual National Match, under the watchful eye of Jim Krista, head coach. —photo submitted
At the sound of a beep, the athlete shoots each of the five targets as quickly as possible, always finishing with the stop plate. Each athlete makes five runs at each scenario. The slowest speed is thrown out and the four shortest times are kept. At the end of the match each competitor’s score is totaled and the scores for all four athletes on a squad are added up. The squad with the lowest cumulative time is the winner.
Squads may compete in rimfire pistol with iron sight, rimfire pistol with optic sight, rimfire rifle with iron sight, rimfire rifle with optic sight, 1911 centerfire pistol (usually 9mm), centerfire pistol – not a 1911 – with iron sight, centerfire pistol optic sight, and pistol caliber carbine. Optics sighted or iron sited carbines all are in the same category.
To qualify to shoot optic rimfire pistol, the athlete must also shoot iron sight rimfire pistol. And to shoot optics centerfire pistol, the athlete must first shoot either 1911 centerfire, or centerfire pistol iron. The idea is for all pistol shooters to have to learn proper iron sight picture.