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Ground Swipers Trap Club
New Jersey Recap
The 2026 Grand American
SPARTA, ILLINOIS • WORLD SHOOTING COMPLEX
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Fellow shooters,
The 2026 Grand American has wrapped up at the World Shooting Complex in Sparta, Illinois, and what a run it was for New Jersey. All told, 19 New Jersey shooters put our state on the board against the best in the country, and they came home with a serious pile of hardware.
The headline: New Jersey brought home a championship in the Grand American Handicap itself, with Juha Pyykko winning the 23.0 to 24.5 yard bank. Scott Kalnas piled up ten trophies, and nine different New Jersey shooters earned trophies across the program. New Jersey also put teams on the board, a full State Singles Team and a Veteran squad in the National Team Race, with Ground Swipers members on both.
Ground Swipers Trap Club pulled this recap together to promote every New Jersey shooter who made the trip. If you made the effort to get there and represent our fine state, we did our part to represent you.
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Representing the Garden State
New Jersey State Singles Team
| Scott Kalnas AAA |
199 |
| Patrick Shulack Jr. AA • Ground Swipers |
197 |
| Keith Barton C • Ground Swipers |
194 |
| Richard Batesko A • Ground Swipers |
193 |
| Andrew DiGiacomo A |
192 |
| Team Total |
975 |
Three of the five are Ground Swipers members.
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National Team Race
New Jersey Veteran Team
| Robert Jarvis |
274 |
| Jeffrey Whalen |
264 |
| Patrick Shulack Sr. Ground Swipers |
264 |
| Team Total |
802 |
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Trophy Winners
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| Scott Kalnas Also a perfect 200 for second place overall in the Winchester AA Singles Championship. |
10 trophies |
▸ AAA Champion Fiocchi Singles 100 ▸ AAA Champion MEC Outdoors Singles 100 ▸ AAA Champion SOS Clays Doubles 99 ▸ AAA Champion International Event ▸ 27 yd Champion Caesar Guerini Prelim Hcp 97 |
▸ Runner up Precision Fit Doubles 100 ▸ Runner up Excel Super 500 Doubles 495 ▸ Third Little Egypt Doubles 99 ▸ Third Graf and Sons Doubles 99 ▸ Class AAA Fourth ATA World Doubles 99 |
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| Juha Pyykko Won a yardage group in the Grand American Handicap itself. |
8 trophies |
▸ Champion Grand American Handicap, 23 to 24.5 95 ▸ Champion Caesar Guerini Prelim, 23 to 24.5 96 ▸ Class A Champion ATA HOA, 1000 targets 957 ▸ Class A Champion ATA World HAA 389 |
▸ Class D Champion Graf and Sons Doubles 96 ▸ Third All American Doubles 100 ▸ Class A Fifth ATA World Clay Target Champ 198 ▸ Class A Fourth Wenig Doubles 97 |
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| Patrick Shulack Jr. Ground Swipers |
4 trophies |
▸ Class AA Champion NRA Singles 199 ▸ Class AA Runner up Winchester Super 500 Sgls 494 |
▸ Class A Runner up Graf and Sons Doubles 97 ▸ 25 to 26.5 Third Trapshooting USA Handicap 95 |
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| Robert Jarvis Veteran |
4 trophies |
▸ Vet Champion ATA World Doubles 98 ▸ Vet Champion SOS Clays Doubles 97 |
▸ Armed Forces ATA World Doubles 98 ▸ Class B Runner up Excel Super 500 Doubles 469 |
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| Jeffrey Whalen Veteran |
4 trophies |
▸ Class D Champion ATA 2600 HOA 2264 ▸ Class D Champion International Event |
▸ Class D Runner up E Z GO HAA Prelim 354 ▸ Class D Fourth ATA World Doubles 93 |
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| Tony Pietrofitta |
3 trophies |
▸ Class C Champion 28 Gauge Event ▸ Class C Runner up NRA Singles 195 |
▸ Class C Third ATA World Clay Target Champ 198 |
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| Joe Sissano ATA President Shot 14 events, high of 186 in the Winchester AA Singles Championship. |
1 trophy |
▸ 21 to 22 yd Champion Fireside Super 500 Handicap 427 |
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| Andrew DiGiacomo Junior A Junior shooter who competed alongside his father Joseph. |
1 trophy |
▸ 23 to 24.5 Runner up Blaser Handicap 94 |
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| Joseph Clarke NJ State delegate |
1 trophy |
▸ Class C Third Wenig Doubles 95 |
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Also Representing New Jersey
Every one of these shooters flew the NJ flag hard in Sparta.
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Patrick Shulack Sr. Veteran
A Ground Swipers full member, he shot 23 events, with a high of 178 of 200 in the ATA World Clay Target Championship. |
Thomas Clarke Sub Veteran
A New Jersey State delegate to the National ATA, he competed in 22 events and broke a 192 of 200 in the NRA Singles. |
Brian Skeuse Veteran
Shot 13 events, with a high of 184 of 200 in the Winchester AA Singles Championship. |
Edward Taylor Veteran
Put up a 96 in the Fiocchi Singles over 10 events. |
Keith Barton
Ground Swipers Treasurer, he broke a 194 of 200 in the ATA World Clay Target Championship across 9 events. |
Richard Batesko Veteran
Ground Swipers Past President and current Board Member, he posted a 193 of 200 in the ATA World Clay Target Championship. |
Keith Newton Junior
A New Jersey Junior shooter, he represented well with a 169 of 200 in the Winchester AA Singles Championship. |
Michael Chiarella
Ground Swipers Vice President, he shot a 189 of 200 in the NRA Singles. |
Jan Skeuse Lady II
Representing New Jersey's lady shooters, she posted a 91 in the Sterling Cut Glass Singles. |
Joseph DiGiacomo
Father of Junior shooter Andrew, he shot an 86 from the 20 yard line in the Caesar Guerini Preliminary Handicap. |
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A couple of notes on the group: Thomas and Joe Clarke are a father and son team, our New Jersey State delegates to the National ATA, who donate countless hours to our state shooters at the national level. And Andrew and Joseph DiGiacomo competed as a father and son too, which is what this sport is all about.
We are especially proud of the five Ground Swipers members who flew our colors: Patrick Shulack Sr., Patrick Shulack Jr., Richard Batesko, Keith Barton, and Michael Chiarella.
That is a New Jersey showing our whole state can be proud of. Congratulations to every shooter on a great Grand American, and we will see you back on the line.
Shoot well and stay safe.
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Ground Swipers Trap Club
The Jersey Shore's Home for Precision Trap Shooting
1910 Lacey Rd, Forked River, NJ 08731
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