It was another rainy week at the 2025 Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) State Championships—a familiar theme this season. But the weather didn’t stop more than 1,100 athletes from 79 teams across the state from gathering in Nashville for six days of exciting competition.
Athletes competed in trap, skeet, and sporting clays—the program’s three main disciplines—as well as in super sporting, doubles skeet, doubles trap, and extended yard-line trap.
A new game was introduced this year to add a lighthearted challenge for all. Called Talk-N-Smack, the event featured targets launched from various distances and angles. Athletes, coaches, and parents alike stepped up to compete. In total, participants shot around 750 rounds throughout the week, with Caden Harris from Clarksville Academy coming out on top.
“I’ve been involved in SCTP for years, but this was my first State Championships as program manager,” said Dillon Barnes, Tennessee SCTP manager. “It was incredible to be on the other side and see all the planning come together. I was proud to present awards to these hard working athletes and see their efforts throughout the week pay off.”
Triple Crown Awards
The championships also marked the conclusion of the inaugural Triple Crown Series. Throughout the season, athletes competed in three major events—shooting 200 targets each in trap, skeet, and sporting clays. While individual awards were given at each event, the overall high scorers were revealed in Nashville. Congratulations to Collin Whitehead of McKenzie Shooting Sports, who earned the title of Triple Crown Grand Champion.
Fueled by Dedicated Support
The continued success of Tennessee SCTP and the State Championships depends on generous sponsors and tireless volunteers.
This year’s event sponsors included Grizzly Ears, Allegiant Wealth Partners, Hunt Brothers Pizza, TriStar Health, Edley’s Bar-B-Que, and Gamaliel Shooting Supply. As the title sponsor, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency once again served up grilled burgers for attendees, with venison donated by Hunters for the Hungry.
Volunteers are the backbone of SCTP. This year, we celebrated our hundreds of dedicated volunteers with a special appreciation dinner, catered by Edley’s Bar-B-Que.
Awards and Highlights
Individuals and teams competed through a challenging week at Nashville Gun Club—facing nightly storms early on, followed by intense heat and humidity later in the week. By week’s end, over 400 awards across all seven disciplines were given out, along with High Over All and High All Around for athletes that competed in multiple disciplines.
The High Over All and High All Around winners are as follows. For the full list of winners click here.
High Over All
Awarded to the individuals and teams who shot the highest score out of 300 targets totaled from the main three disciplines: Sporting Clays, American Trap, and American Skeet.
Rookie Lady Champion
Riley Lyons, CCTA No Option
Rookie Men Champion
Jaxon Price, Clarksville Academy
Intermediate Divisions Lady Champion
Taylor Hilliard, McKenzie Shooting Sports
Intermediate Divisions Men Champion
Brooks Kelly, T-County Clay Busters
Intermediate Divisions Team Champion
T-County Clay Busters
Senior Divisions Lady Champion
Oaklee Evans, Haywood Young Guns
Senior Divisions Men Champion
Caden Harris, Houston County Lucky Shots
Senior Divisions Team Champion
McKenzie Shooting Sports
Collegiate Lady Champion
Dakota Duke, Bethel University
Collegiate Men Champion
Luke Lankford, Warriors
Ladie’s Grand Champion
Morgan Hilliard, McKenzie Shooting Sports
Men’s Grand Champion
Ian Fife, Str8 Shooters
High All Around
Awarded to the individuals and teams who shot the highest score out of 650 targets totaled from all seven events: Sporting Clays, Super Sporting, American Skeet, Doubles Skeet, American Trap, Doubles Trap, and Extended Yard-Line Trap
Rookie Men Champion
Jaxon Price, Clarksville Academy
Intermediate Divisions Lady Champion
Taylor Hilliard, McKenzie Shooting Sports
Intermediate Divisions Men Champion
Ian Fife, Str8 Shooters
Intermediate Divisions Team Champion
USJ Sport Shooting Team
Senior Divisions Lady Champion
Oaklee Evans, Haywood Young Guns
Senior Divisions Men Champion
Robert Angell, CCTA No Option
Senior Divisions Team Champion
Unaka Shooters
Collegiate Lady Champion
Dakota Duke, Bethel University
Collegiate Men Champion
Nathaniel Myers, UT Southern
Ladie’s Grand Champion
Morgan Hilliard, McKenzie Shooting Sports
Men’s Grand Champion
Caden Harris, Houston County Lucky Shots
