In March, the 2022 SASP Intercollegiate Pistol Nationals were held at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park and South Airgun Range. The youth development program held back to back collegiate championships, with the international pistol events beginning after new champions were crowned at the SASP Action College Nationals.
Collegiate shooting teams went head to head in international pistol events, with both familiar individual scoring and SASP’s team scoring. On the first day of competition, athletes gathered at the CMP’s South Airgun Range in Anniston, AL to begin the 10 Meter Air Pistol events. After two relays, Ohio State University soundly retained their title as team champions, followed by West Point and MIT. As individual athletes, Ohio’s Katelyn Abeln went into the final in first place, shooting a 570 – 16x for her 60-shot score.
U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Ryan Yi came away the winner of the coed air pistol finals. In the last series, Ryan’s final shot was a 10.5 (distance from the center X), scoring enough to beat Ohio’s Jack Leverett, whose final shot was 10.7. The separation between first and second place came down to just eight-tenths of a point at 234 and 234.8, respectively. In third place, Katelyn Abeln returned to the podium, shooting a total aggregate score of 212.4.
On day two of the 2022 SASP Intercollegiate Pistol Nationals, the event shifted locations to the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park for the Sport Pistol events. Ohio State University athletes Henry Leverett and Katelyn Abeln swept the gold and silver individual finishes, as well male and female high overall, shooting a 586 – 59 and 577 – 44, respectively. Joining them were teammates Jack Leverett and Cade Haiby to secure the Sport Pistol Team Championship for the Buckeyes.
On the final day of competition, SASP athletes returned to the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park for Standard Pistol events. Olympian brothers and SASP athletes, Henry and Jack Leverett claimed gold and silver, with West Point’s Luke Braun grabbing a bronze podium finish. Four out of the top six athletes in Standard Pistol were Ohio State University athletes, claiming another Team National Champion title for the Buckeyes.
As the official youth feeding program for USA Shooting, a large number of SASP athletes and coaches at this match are current and former Olympians, National Team Members, and Junior National Team Members.
About the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is 501(c)(3) public charity responsible for all aspects of the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) and Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) across the United States. The SASP and SCTP are youth development programs in which adult coaches and other volunteers use shooting sports to teach and to demonstrate sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, teamwork, and other positive life skills.
Provide and enhance personal growth and development opportunities for student athlete members; become the premier authority in all things pertaining to firearm-related pursuits for youth; pass on to future generations the legacy of lifelong, safe, responsible enjoyment of the shooting sports. This includes serving as the primary feeder/pipeline for organized, sanctioned shooting organizations and teams, like USA SHOOTING TEAM USA, and the NGBs (NSSA, NSCA, ATA).