2023 NSCA Nationals Recap

The NSCA National Championship, the final stop on the NSCA Championship Tour and the grand finale of the clay shooting season in the United States. Held every year at the NSCA Headquarters in San Antonio, Texas the last week of October, the tournament is renowned for drawing in all of the nations top competitors to compete for the title of national champion which is one of the most prestigious and sought after accolades in the sport. With well over two thousand competitors, the National Championship is the largest attended event in professional sporting clay shooting. The Main Event consists of four, seventy-five target courses (yellow, red, orange, and green) that are shot separately and set by target setters that challenge all competitors with an array of different presentations. Target presentations were not the only challenge the shooters faced when trying to post their best scores as heavy rain and inclement weather consistently appeared day in and day out throughout the week leaving the competition courses condensed with large amounts of mud and water. The Super Squad was in effect for the second year in a row as all top competitors were grouped together on the same rotations to even the playing field. This has helped elevate spectator numbers and viewership in the sport to a great level. After three days of battling it out, Anthony Matarese Jr., Austin Kiemsteadt, Bayne Horne, and Brandon Powell were paired together in the final grouping due to posting the highest scores combined over the first three days of competition. The Green Course was the final course that was shot and the stakes were high on Sunday afternoon as America's best shooters fought for the National Championship Crown. Brandon Powell had a four bird lead entering the final day and was the heavy favorite to win the event. Though heavy winds and a rapid drop in temperature were present during the final round, Powell held off all competitors claiming his first National Championship Title after being Runner Up six times priorly in his career! His dominant score of 287/300 was surely worthy of the title as he capped off a very successful 2023 shooting season. Bayne Horne, a Texas Native claimed the Runner Up Title. Though not a household name like many top shooters in the country, it is no surprise to see Horne competing at the top as he has prevailed at a high level for many years prior including a top six finish at the National Championship last year. Dominic Grossi finished well the final day climbing up the leaderboard from the second to last pairing and tied fellow friend and competitor Austin Kiemsteadt for third overall in the Main Event. After an extremely tough shoot-off, Grossi came out on top and claimed the bronze medal. In the ladies category, Madison Sharpe won first place claiming her first National Championship title by a slim margin of only one target over Runner Up Karen Miles who shot a respectable 62/75 on the final day and closed the gap on Madison's five bird lead heading into the final day. Madison's astounding 73/75 on the Yellow Course put her in great position to secure the Ladies National Championship Title. Desirae Edmunds was third in ladies with a strong 64 on the final day which put her at a combined score of 263/300 on the week. Until next year, shoot straight.