Hi everyone. I have some very sad news. Barry Roach passed in late March in Arizona. Barry was inducted into the Illinois Hall of Fame last year. I told you all about him then. I do have one more story about Barry that shows the character of the man. He was very ill last June, but he still flew out to Illinois to enter the Hall of Fame. I asked him why he went through all the hassle of coming all the way out here. We could have easily sent him the plaque in Arizona. He told me that if we thought enough of him to vote him in, then he would show up to receive the honor. It is not much but it says a lot about him. Rest well, Barry.
Unfortunately, I have to mention the passing of another Illinois shooter. Mike Rhodes, a longtime shooter died in early April. Mike was a good guy and a good shot. He is much better known for running the Gatch Lake Gun Club south of Vandalia, Illinois. Gatch did not throw registered birds but threw non-registered derbies all year long. Shooters from all over the southern zone of Illinois would show up there for a good time. Rest well, Mike.
I was shocked to find out that our executive director, Lynn Gibson, has passed. Lynn, for years, did a good job running the ATA for us. We have a really big hole to fill. Rest well, Lynn.
On a happier note, Mike Hathaway has reached the 75,000 target plateau in Singles.
Shoot well and support your local club.
Bill Duncan, ATA Delegate
Hi everyone. Shooting here in Illinois has not picked up yet. But down in the south, Illinois shooters are doing well at major shoots. At the Spring Grand, in Arizonia, Tom Fester was second in the Senior Veteran category in both the Singles and Handicap Championships. At the Southern Grand, in Florida, Ian Lawrence was second in the Singles Championship and won HOA. Tony Fortino won the HAA Championship. Tom Fester won the Senior Veteran Handicap Championship and Steve Terzo won the Class B Doubles Championship. Great shooting all of you!
Now that shooting is starting to pick up in the south, we are starting to reach milestones again in shooting careers. Both John Nord and Brenda Dennis have reached 50,000 Handicap targets. Congratulations. Dedication is the first step to championships.
By the time you read this, shooting will be going full bore in Illinois. Remember, set goals, be relentless and have fun. Shoot well and support your local clubs.
Bill Duncan, ATA Delegate
Hi everyone. Not much shooting is going on in Illinois right now so I thought I would give my yearly plea. Please support your local small clubs. I know big shoots are exciting, you get to meet new people, and you can shoot a lot of targets in a short period of time. I want to remind you that small clubs have their own charm. Sitting under a shade tree with some friends and shooting some targets isn't a bad way to go either. We must keep small clubs active. They are the breeding grounds of future registered shooting. So please show up there and have some fun.
I am very excited to tell you about a new shooting program here in Illinois. Blackburn College, my Alma Mater, has created a shotgun shooting program that will begin competing this fall. I went over to look at the facilities they are putting together and was very impressed. They are coached by Lauren Dunn, a many time All-American, All Stater and a member of the ISTA Hall of Fame. Blackburn is a small liberal arts institution with a friendly, homey atmosphere. If you are looking for a place to shoot and get an education, check out Blackburn. I think you will be impressed. You can reach Lauren at
I am sad to report that Illinois has lost another trap shooter. Tom Hoffman, a central zone shooter, has passed after a battle with cancer. Tom was a great guy and a great shooter and will be missed at the clubs where he competed. I know I sound like a broken record, but I hate it when we lose people like him. Rest well, Tom.
Shoot well and support your local club.
Bill Duncan, ATA Delegate
Hi everyone. I want to start out by correcting another mistake I made with the 2025 Illinois All-State team. The mistake was with the Veterans team. The same five gentlemen remain on the team, but their order needs to be corrected. The correct order is 1) Brian Hezel 93.48, 2) Dan Staker 93.17, 3) Mike Hathaway 92.9, 4) Matt Nicol 92.14, 5) Harvey Schultz 91.91. I apologize to all concerned.
I noticed that Illinois has 3 Mega Target Members from the last target season. Mike Dennis, Leland Hassler and Mike Westjohn all shot more than 20,000 targets last year. Congrats guys. We all admire you for your stamina and dedication. I have said this before, if any of you would like to adopt me and take me shooting, I would really appreciate it.
I want to invite all of you to come and shoot at the Illinois State Shoot this year. This will be our 150th State shoot and we are planning on making it our best yet. Come and be a part of history.
Shoot well and support your local club.
Bill Duncan, ATA Delegate
Hi, everyone. It seems like in the wintertime more people pass away. This is certainly true in Illinois trapshooting because we lost three shooters over the past month. Ed Austin, Robert Wheatey and Linda Nowak have all died recently. All three were good people, good shooters and good friends. I know I sound like a broken record, but I hate to report losing people like this. It diminishes us all when they are not around.
I need to correct a mistake I made when I figured the 2025 Illinois All-State team. In the Sub-Junior category, Logan Rynders should be removed from the fifth spot and Adelynn Wottowa should go in to replace him. I apologize to all who are affected by this change.
Shoot well and support your local club.
Bill Duncan, ATA Delegate