The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) would like to congratulate our athletes that competed at the 2025 NRA World Shooting Championship (NRA WSC). This year due to the generosity of Federal Ammunition, for the first time ever SSSF paid the entry fees for six our athletes to attend the NRA WSC. We had another two of our athletes also attend on their own. The six athletes that had their entry fees paid by Federal Ammunition were selected based on their finish at our Top Gun Challenge at our National Championships. Top Gun Challenge is decided by the athletes scores in trap, skeet, and sporting clays in our Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and iron sight pistol, fastest rifle, and 1911 pistol in our Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP).
Our eight SSSF youth athletes were competing in their first ever NRA WSC, where this year 166 athletes from around the world competed in 12 shooting sports disciplines using provided factory firearms and ammunition. Athletes are not allowed to use their own firearms that they are familiar with. For their first trip to the NRA WSC, our athletes shined. Of the athletes attending we had six junior amateurs, one adult amateur, and one adult pro athlete.
The highest overall placement was Connor Knapp from Wisconsin at 15th overall. Connor is an athlete for our SASP team at the University of Arizona. Connor is a pro athlete sponsored by SSSF Blue Diamond Sponsor RUGER. RUGER is also a Founding Partner Sponsor of our SASP.
Sydnee Young from Wisconsin, who shoots in both SCTP and SASP for the Muskego Warriors, may have been the lone SSSF female athlete attending, but she didn’t let that stop her from having an outstanding competition. Sydnee finished 4th place overall female. The NRA WSC breaks that down between pros and amateurs, and Sydnee finished 1st Place Female Amateur, winning that division by just under 100 points. In individual stages Sydnee showed how the tough competition in SCTP has made her a great shotgun athlete. Sydnee was top overall female in Sporting Clays and FITASC, beating all the pros. She also was first amateur female in NRA ACR level one, IDPA, and Cowboy Action. Sydnee had top 5 amateur female finishes in all 12 events.
Jesse Grant of Florida, who shoots for the Central Florida Rifle and Pistol SASP team, finished 5th overall amateur. Jesse was the youngest SSSF athlete, turning 16 just before the event. Jesse took 1st place as amateur in NRA ARC 2 gun and USPSA stages, 3rd in IDPA, and 5th in Cowboy Action.
Jackson Schmidt of Missouri, who won the SSSF 2025 Top Gun competition, finished in the top ten amateurs with a 9th place finish at the NRA WSC. Jackson, who shoots for the Ballisticrats SASP and the Saint Louis Interceptors SCTP team, was the top amateur in the Cowboy Action, 2nd in USPSA, and 4th in FITASC.
James McElroy of Missouri, who is a teammate of Jackson’s on the Ballisticrats and the St. Louis Interceptors, finished 15th overall amateur. James also finished 1st place on the IDPA stage.
Tanner Gibson of Tennessee, who shoots SCTP and SASP for the William Blount Shooting Team, finished 1st in our SSSF Top Gun Challenge in 2024 and 2nd in 2025. Tanner finished 27th amateur overall and took 2nd place amateur on the IDPA stage.
“Looking at just the junior amateur athletes, our SSSF athletes finished first through 6th. Although our athletes did well in the competition, as a youth development program, we are even more excited about how they represented SSSF and our programs,” stated Rick Leach SSSF President and Executive Director. “I received calls from several people involved in the event, including adult pro competitors. They wanted to tell me what great young adults our athletes were. They said they were a joy to talk and compete with and that the future of shooting sports is in good hands if our athletes are the example of future competitors.”
SSSF is excited for next year. We have already spoken with Federal Ammunition and they are ready to help us send SSSF Top Gun Challenge winners to the 2026 NRA WSC. We cannot thank Federal enough for all their support of our programs and youth shooting sports.
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 Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) across the United States. The SCTP and SASP 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).
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