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 (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

JOEL ETCHEN GUNS SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP

CH MATTHEW REBUCK PA 199 AAA DAVID SCHAEFFER JR. MD 199 AA JAMAAL BROWN MD 199 A MICHAEL WINIGRAD PA 196 B ANDREW BAKER NY 196 C RONALD CATENA NY 196 D JOHN DONAGHY PA 193 LD1 HEIDI WOMER NY 196 LD2 DIANE ARNER PA 196 SUB JR BRAYDEN COSPER PA 196 JR NICHOLAS WERTZ PA 199 JR GOLD WESLEY BEAVER PA 198 SUB VET JON ZADZORA PA 198 VET DONALD ALDERSON NY 199 SR VET STEVEN FITCH PA 197 CHAIR WILLIAM ROSS PA 180

and Frank Pascoe were Class AAA and Veteran runner-up, respectively, also with 198s.

The start time of the Steve Amarant Memorial Doubles was earlier than the previous day’s Doubles event and, as a result, the lighting was better. Justin Slater again led the field with a 99 to take Champion, while Ian Darroch took Class AAA and Christopher Burn Class A following their second high scores of 98. Nicholas Wertz was the Junior winner and Don Neilson Jr. the Sub Veteran high gun after scores of 97.

SUNDAY

Shooting conditions were ideal Sunday morning for the Silver Seitz Doubles Championship. High scores of 99 were posted by Kenneth Darroch and Donald Schaffer Jr. Following one perfect round of 20, Darroch was the event Champion, and Schaffer Jr. fell back to take Class AAA Champion. Michael Fox Jr. topped Class AA following 98, and Shane Biser and Michael Blaisdell led Junior Gold and Sub Veteran standings, also with 98s.

Clouds rolled in but winds remained light by the start of the

MATTHEW REBUCK KENNETH DARROCH

Fantanarosa Insurance Handicap Championship. Wesley Beaver turned in a 98 from 27 yards to lead the field of 465 competitors and take the event’s Champion trophy. Kenneth Burnett turned in the only noncategory 97 from 19½ yards to win runner-up. Michael Pintirsch led Sub Veteran with the only other score of 97 in the event. John Federici posted the lone third high score of 96 to take Champion in the Senior Veteran category.

HAA & HOA

Wesley Beaver, once again, topped the field for a championship title, this time taking High All Around with 391. One target back was Michael Fox Jr with a 390 to earn Class AAA honors. Michael Blaisdell and Joel Etchen led Sub Vet and Veteran HAA standings with scores of 389 and 388, respectively. Nicholas Wertz led the 800 target High Over All with 776. Three behind Wertz was Justin Slater who took AAA honors with 773.

The Keystone Open is a great way to start the registered shooting season in the Northeast. As usual, the PSSA ran an excellent shoot. In spite of the shortage of ammunition, the turnout for this shoot was the largest the PSSA has seen in a number of years. The chance to catch up with shooting friends, many not seen since FANTANAROSA INSURANCE HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP

CH WESLEY BEAVER PA 98 RU KENNTH BURNETT NY 97 3RD MICHAEL FOX JR. NY 95 4TH CHRIS COHOON PA 95 5TH JEFFREY KIRKLAND PA 94 6TH KORY SHISSLER PA 93 LD1 STEPHANIE WRISLEY PA 94 LD2 MICHELLE SHAFFER PA 94 SUB JR LUKE DUDASH PA 95 JR NICHOLAS WERTZ PA 90 JR GOLD JACOB BONSER PA 91 SUB VET MICHAEL PINTIRSCH PA 97 VET JOEL ETCHEN PA 95 SR VET JOHN FEDERICI RI 96 CHAIR WILLIAM ROSS PA 88

KEYSTONE OPEN HIGH ALL AROUND

CH WESLEY BEAVER PA 391 AAA MICHAEL FOX JR. NY 390 AA GREGORY SMITH RI 382 A SCOTT BOWERS PA 379 B CHRIS COHOON PA 380 C JEREMY MISSIMER PA 371 D LUKE DUDASH PA 367 LD1 M. ARCHAMBEAULT MA 375 LD2 DEB OHYE-NEILSON PA 374 SUB JR BRAYDEN HECKMAN PA 375 JR NICHOLAS WERTZ PA 386 JR GOLD TYLER BROWN PA 374 SUB VET MICHAEL BLAISDELL NH 389 VET JOEL ETCHEN PA 388 SR VET JOHN FEDERICI RI 386 CHAIR WILLIAM ROSS PA 337

the previous fall, and the generally mild weather in central Pennsylvania this time of year, definitely makes the SILVER SEITZ DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP

CH KENNETH DARROCH PA 99 AAA DONALD SCHAEFFER JR. PA 99 AA MICHAEL FOX JR. NY 98 A CHRIS LANDON NY 96 B MICHAEL DIXON PA 95 C ANDREW BAKER NY 97 D STEPHEN BURICK NJ 92 LD1 KATELYNN DECKER PA 93 LD2 DEB OHYE-NEILSON PA 93 SUB JR BRAYDEN HECKMAN PA 92 JR NICHOLAS WERTZ PA 97 JR GOLD SHANE BISER MD 98 SUB VET MICHAEL BLAISDELL NH 98 VET JOEL ETCHEN PA 97 SR VET JOHN FEDERICI RI 97 CHAIR WILLIAM ROSS PA 69

WESLEY BEAVER

KEYSTONE OPEN HIGH OVER ALL

CH NICHOLAS WERTZ PA 776 AAA JUSTIN SLATER NY 773 AA JAMAAL BROWN MD 751 A THOMAS CLARKE NJ 744 B ED ARCHAMBEAULT MA 745 C CHRISTOPHER BURN NJ 741 D LUKE DUDASH PA 729 LD1 KATELYNN DECKER PA 728 LD2 DEB OHYE-NEILSON PA 743 SUB JR DAVID BROWN JR. NJ 736 JR CHASE WOJTANIK NY 746 JR GOLD WESLEY BEAVER PA 770 SUB VET MICHAEL BLAISDELL NH 766 VET JOEL ETCHEN PA 763 SR VET LARRY SHADE PA 740 CHAIR WILLIAM ROSS PA 666

Keystone a shoot that you’ll want to consider attending next year. n