Arizona ATA Delegate

I have started a new section for Trap and Field Magazine to spotlight new shooters in Arizona. The section will be called....

"WHO'S ON MY SQUAD"

I am Alvin Matthews an ageless athlete :) I live in Phoenix, Arizona and have been here almost 15 years.

I was born in Texas, moved to Gary, Indiana for high school and then went to Iowa City, Iowa for college, graduate degrees, lived and worked there most of my adult life. I moved to Phoenix in 1996. I am the 2nd of two boys in my family. My older brother Joseph is five years my senior. He blazed a path before that saved me from lots of punishment from my Dad:)

I am married to Helga and we have two cats and a peach-fronted conure (small parrot). Helga does not shoot :(.

I received B.S., D.D.S., and Law degree from University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa and graduate dental certificate in Prosthodontics from Marquette University Dental School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I practice dentistry in my own practice on the west side of Phoenix.

I started trap shooting one year ago after my close friend, Matt Currie, husband of my wife's lifelong best friend, Mary,  invited me to join him and Mary's boss to do some trap shooting. We shot some trap and sporting clays. I used one of his O/U  shotguns and did OK. After that one time I really enjoyed trap shooting and felt I could really become pretty good at it. After a couple of weeks of researching guns I was back on the line with my own O/U shotgun.

I shoot trap mostly and have shot skeet and sporting clays a few times.

My shooting has become a major part of my weekly routine...just ask my wife...if I am at home and she does not see me she knows I am in the garage loading shells. I started reloading after shooting for about two months. One of my new found friends at the range told me about a really good deal on a Mec 9000 hydraulic posted on the clubhouse board and 10s of thousands of rounds later I am just getting started:)

Look Alvin up the next time you are at Ben Avery Clay Target Center.

Autumn Satellite Grand

The Autumn Grand has just completed at Tucson Trap and Skeet Club. This year was a record for attendance, up 55-shooters from last year with over 500 shooters in attendance.

One of the more amazing shoot off events was between Gene Hapney and Bill Whalen from Washington State to resolve veteran champion from the Championship Singles. Both were tied after three rounds, it was getting late. Both agreed to shoot from the sidewalk to resolve the tie.

The side walk is more than 36 yards from the trap house in Tucson. Gene is a 23 1/2 yard shooter and Bill is on the 27 yard line. Gene felt he might have a bettter chance from the sidewalk than from his yard line.  The both agreed to shoot from the sidewalk. Gene broke all 5-from post four and Bill dropped three from post two in the first five targets. They moved and the targets became even further away.

After 25-Bill on the right was the winner. Great shooting guys!