Iowa’s youth shooting sports athletes are preparing for several upcoming state championship events. More than 3,300 Iowa shooting sports athletes will participate in the 2025 Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) championship events held now through the end of June.
The trap shooting event will be held at the Iowa State Trapshooting Association Homegrounds, north of Cedar Falls, from June 2-8. Athletes will compete in American singles, doubles, and handicap trap. More than 820,000 targets will be shot by the athletes, ranging in age from grade school through high school.
- June 2-3: Elementary and Middle School Trap Singles
- June 4: Handicap Event, all ages
- June 5: Doubles Trap Event
- June 6-8: High School Trap Singles
The sporting clays championship will be held June 12-14, at the Highland Hunting Club, in Riverside. The final competition of the year will be American skeet, held at the New Pioneer Gun Club, in Waukee, June 18-21.
The Scholastic Clay Target Program has seen constant growth in Iowa and across the nation, with increases in participation seen in Iowa middle school and high school teams, which have grown from 1,400 athletes to over 4,500 athletes, since 2011.
“The Scholastic Clay Target Program provides many opportunities to Iowa’s shooting sports athletes. You don’t have to be the biggest, strongest or fastest, it really is a level playing field. All athletes are welcome to attend and compete at the State Championship events. The shooting sports are as much a competition against yourself as it is with other competitors, and we have many athletes shoot their personal best at these events.”
The Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program are youth development programs that promote shooting sports and competitive shooting as a means to help young individuals achieve their highest potential and become their best selves. The program's goal is to instill personal values and character traits, such as fair play, compassionate understanding, individual responsibility, sportsmanship, self-discipline, and personal commitment in young people.
For more information on the Scholastic Clay Target or Action Shooting Programs in Iowa, contact Jonathan Jones at 515-313-8048 or Jonathan.Jones1@dnr.iowa.gov.