Missouri Student Wins SCTP Title, Browning Scholarship
The 2016 Scholastic Clay Target Program’s (SCTP) National team Championships at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, OH, July 9-16 attracted nearly 3,000 young shooters from across the nation. When all the coaches, parents and supporters are added in, the number swells to some 10,000 people assembled to support our nation’s next generation of shooters.
“Browning has long been an avid supporter of youth shooting programs,” said Scott Grange, director of Public Relations and Shooting Promotions for Browning Arms. “This year Browning provided three top-grade firearms to help raise funds for a scholarship for the top SCTP shooter who was using a Browning shotgun. Through a combination of online auctions and an onsite raffle we were able to raise $6,200.00, and every cent went toward supporting this scholarship.”
The winner at this year’s SCTP Nationals was Sean Laurent, a 17-year-old from Arnold, MO, who was the recipient of the $6,200 Browning scholarship. He was shooting his Browning 725 Trap model shotgun.
Laurent is a junior at Seckman High School, and one of the 43 members of Team Henges, a youth shooting group affiliated with the Missouri Department of Conservation. When he’s not crushing clays on the range, Sean spends his time on the Student Council and is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honors Program. He also draws a bow as a member of his high school archery team.
“I’m very excited about the Browning scholarship,” Sean reportedly told an outdoor writer in a recent telephone interview. “This hasn’t all sunk in yet. I’m still looking into colleges, but I’m undecided right now. I want to go into engineering and would like to shoot trap in college if they have a team.”
The hot-shooting youngster posted a personal best of 199 of a possible 200 targets in singles from the 16-yard line for his national win. Sean indicated that his long hours of practice behind his Browning 725 Trap paid off, with a typical week on the training range consisting of four rounds of 25 targets, three days a week. Sean also favors his Browning 725 sporting for skeet.
“It’s groups like Browning that help us do what we do,” concluded Tom Wondrash, SCTP National Director. “Browning puts its money where its mouth is. We can’t thank Browning enough.”
In addition to the three top-grade guns Browning donated to raise funds for the SCTP scholarship, visitors to the Browning building at the Cardinal Shooting Center were treated to a selection of collectible hats, pins and patches just for stopping by. Browning also was one of the only gunmakers at the event with demo guns that individuals could check out for a round on the trap field and see how they performed.
W&G
