SHOOTREPORT
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2021 KEYSTONE OPEN REPORT BY JOSH BUCHIERE The Keystone Open was hosted by the Pennsylvania State Shotgunning Association in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, from May 14-16, 2021. This three-day tournament, consisting of 800 program targets (300 on Friday, 300 on Saturday, and 200 on Sunday), kicks off the trapshooting season for the PSSA.
FRIDAY The shoot started off at 10am Friday morning with the Jan Diefenderfer Memorial Singles. Shooting conditions were excellent with light winds, partly cloudy skies, and high scores. Ten shooters posted perfect scores, and the results were as follows—Brandon Deal, Champion TRAPSHOOTINGUSA
(after two rounds of carryover); Ian Darroch, Class AAA Champion; Vincent Barranco, Class A Champion; Nicholas Wertz, Junior Champion; Patrick Monaghan, Veteran Champion; and Luigi Liberato, Senior Veteran Champion. In Friday’s Lee Crupi Memorial Handicap, Bruce Morris, shooting from 21½ yards, topped the field of 500 by a two-target margin with an impressive score of 99 to take Champion. The second through sixth place trophies would be taken with scores of 95 and, with the ammunition shortage, no shots were fired to settle these trophies. Kory Shissler was the event runner-up after winning a coin flip over Kenneth Dunkle (3rd place), Shenan Rose (4th place), Brent Spear (5th place), and Michael Fox Jr. (6th place). Martin Reed was the Sub Veteran Champion following his lone second high score of 97. Jason Love topped the Junior
category also with 96. Due to the large number of shooters in the day’s previous two events, the lighting was difficult by the start of the afternoon’s Bob Fieo Memorial Doubles event. The challenging visibility did not deter Justin Slater who topped all shooters with 99 and was event Champion. James Hoffman won Class AA with 98, and Nicholas Wertz led Junior ranks with the same score. Ian Darroch and Thomas Clarke took Class AAA and A Champion, respectively, with 97s.
SATURDAY Saturday started off calm and clear for the Joel Etchen Guns Singles Championship, but by the start of the second hundred in the afternoon, winds intensified and no shooters remained straight in the day. High
scores of 199 were turned in by Matthew Rebuck, David Shaeffer Jr., Nicholas Wertz, Donald Alderson, and Jamaal Brown. Alderson and Brown opted to forfeit the shoot-off and took Veteran and Class AA Champion for the event with their respective 199s. Alderson’s and Brown’s forfeit left Rebuck, Shaeffer Jr. and Wertz to shoot off for the Champion title. Shaeffer Jr. dropped one target on his third post while Wertz and Rebuck would remain straight. After brief discussion, both competitors opted to flip for the Champion title and save valuable shells. Rebuck won the flip and was the 2021 Keystone Open Singles Champion, and Wertz fell back to take Junior Champion. Shaeffer Jr. ended up as Class AAA Champion with Rebuck moving up to the Champion slot. Jon Zadzora and Michael Blaisdell were 1st and 2nd in Sub Veteran ranks with 198s and one shoot-off round, while Ian Darroch
