Sportsman Today: State Youth Trap Championships | Travel and outdoors
The Maryland AIM Championship was held June 12 at the Thurmont Conservation and Sportsman’s Club. AIM stands for Academics Integrity and Marksmanship and represents the official youth trap shooting program of the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA). The ATA is the largest clay target shooting organization in the world, and the ATA governs the rules and regulations of the sport. AIM encourages fair play and personal responsibility, and AIM also offers scholarship opportunities to AIM members.
A total of 43 kids in singles shot traps and 21 doubles shot traps to compete for the top ranking in the Maryland AIM trap league. Four non-resident AIM members were included in the total. AIM members from the following Maryland teams participated: Susquehanna Dusters, Frederick Stars & Stripes, Thurmont Top Shots, Catoctin Fish & Game and Mount Airy Sharpshooters.
The weather cooperated and provided cloudy skies, light winds, and comfortable temperatures throughout the day. Participants, family and volunteers enjoyed a lunch prepared by Mission BBQ and Rita’s Italian Ice.
The competition was followed by a shoot-off for a shooting bag donated by Shamrock Leather and was won by Nanan Tamour of Walkersville. AJ VanRavensburg of New Market won the Annie Oakley dam for a shellfish dish.
McGlaughlin and Biser take top honors
The individual AIM awards were presented at the end of the event. Special recognition for the female High Overall honors went to Abigail McGlaughlin, 17, of Union Bridge. She is a member of the Frederick County 4-H Shooting Sports Program and the Frederick Stars & Stripes Clay Target Team. McGlaughlin recently completed her emergency medical certification and is currently affiliated as an EMT with the New Market District Volunteer Fire Department.
Eighteen-year-old Shane Biser of Thurmont took top honors in the men’s overall standings. Biser is a member of Thurmont Top Shots, the youth trap program of the Thurmont Conservation and Sportsman’s Club. Over the past two years, Biser has won the ATA All-American ranking in the junior category. He attended Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, to earn a nursing degree.
As a freshman of the Midland University Varsity Shotgun Sports Team, Biser dominated the Prairie Circuit Classic and was part of the Mid-West All Conference team. In 2019, he won the Maryland State Singles Championship with a perfect score of 200. The 2020 event has been canceled due to pandemic restrictions. Already in 2021, while competing in the Junior Gold category, he won several honors including: Doubles Champion at the Keystone Open in Pennsylvania; and Singles Champion, Handicap Finalist and Class AA All-Around Champion at Empire Grand in New York State. Biser also won the Preliminary Handicap Open Champion at the Delaware State Trapshooting Championship.
AIM Individual Prices – Singles
AIM trophies are awarded by age categories: Pre-Sub 11 and under; Sub-junior 12-14; Youth 15-17; Junior gold 18-22.
Cole Shanholtz, pre-submarine champion, score 88; Logan Miller, pre-submarine finalist, scores 83; Bryce Lawson, third pre-submarine, marks 82; Memphis Seonarain, sub-junior champion, score 99; Cole Cervantes, junior vice-champion, mark 98; Jake Gillispie, third junior, scores 93; Jackson Palmisano, fourth Sub-Junior, score 92; and AJ VanRavensburg, fifth sub-junior, scores 88.
AJ Hahn, junior champion, note 97; Zach Mullen, junior vice-champion, mark 96; Hayden Palmisano, third junior, score 96; AJ Arnold, fourth junior, score 96; Connor Folk, fifth junior, note 95; Shane Biser, junior gold champion, mark 98; Chase Tyeryar, junior gold runner-up, mark 96; Nathaniel Neuland, third junior gold, score 92; Abigail McGlaughlin, Junior High Lady, 97; and Baileigh Bonney, Junior High Lady, 90 years old.
Individual AIM Prizes: Doubles – Cole Shanholtz, Pre-Sub Champion, score 66; Logan Miller, pre-sub finalist, score 58; AJ VanRavensburg, sub-junior champion, score 89; Cole Cervantes, junior vice-champion, score 73; Jackson Palmisano, third junior, scores 69; AJ Hahn, junior champion, note 84; Hayden Palmisano, junior vice-champion, mark 81; Connor Folk, third junior, score 76; Nathaniel Neuland, junior gold vice-champion, note 89; Abigail McGlaughlin, Junior High Lady, 83; and Baileigh Bonney, High Lady Sub-Junior, 41 years old.
Maryland State Trap Championship
The 120th Annual Maryland State Trap Championship began earlier this week and will end on June 27. The event takes place on the grounds of the Maryland State Sportsman’s Association at 11612 Hunt Club Road in Thurmont. This is the largest ATA shoot ever held in Maryland with over 200 contestants from many states competing for cash, prizes and All-American points. The event is open to the public.