Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By LIZZIE BOWEN | Staff Writer

 PELHAM – For the third year in a row, The American Legion Matthew Blount Post 555 “Triple Nickel” and Shelby County Shooting Sports Association (SCSSA) Junior Shooters won first place in the Commander’s Cup event on Saturday, March 4 at the Anniston Civilian Marksman Program (CMP).

“The SCSSA was established in 2003 to teach gun safety and marksmanship skills and to promote the shooting sports in Alabama,” Post 555 Adjutant Nancy Waller said. “We have continued this endeavor to the present. SCSSA is a 4-H Rifle program, but we are more than that. Boy Scouts are able to complete their Rifle Merit Badge with us. Outreach to other organizations is conducted on request based on time available. NRA certified courses are offered by our coaches. Our teams compete at events all around the country.  The SCSSA is a youth-oriented shooting club that has affiliations with the NRA, 4-H, USAS and The American Legion.”

There were six teams competing and this team sponsored by the “Triple Nickel” had a tremendous showing of talent for both the “Precision” and “Sporter” teams.

Several key leaders from The American Legion Department of Alabama were in attendance: Commander Buddy Keen, Sr. Vice Commander Charles Marsh and Jr. Vice Commander Don Madden.

“The reason our Junior Shooters won The American Legion Alabama Commander’s Cup for the third year in a row is due to hard work by the shooters, determination and focus which involved practicing twice a week and sometimes more, as well as attending competitions,” Director of SCSSA Sam Richardson said.

The “Precision” shooters won first and fourth places in the team event, and the “Precision” individual places were won by sponsored members of The American Legion Matthew Blount Post 555 as follows: first place Carley Seabrooke, second place Bryce Newman and third place to Emily Buck.

The Junior Shooters were very excited with this accomplishment and showed their appreciation of Post 555 by personally thanking Barry Blount, photographer Chic Cecchini and Nancy Waller.

“This was the first shooting competition I attended, and I was amazed at the professionalism of each and every competitor,” Waller said. “As they received guidance from Director Sam Richardson and training from Coach Darrell Lawley, these young people knew exactly how to react to both positive and negative situations with grace and to follow all rules when on the ranges to ensure maximum safety for everyone. They are polite and well-mannered, and I was so proud of all of them for the way they represented the SCSSA and Matthew Blount Post 555.  It was a great experience for me, and I look forward to attending more competitions.”

The “Sporters” are a group of dedicated young shooters who represented themselves, the SCSSA and the “Triple Nickel at the event. The group consists of Lainey Bowden, Maggie Bailey, Jenna Huggins and Tessa Huggins.

“With this competition also a qualifier for the 3-Position Air Rifle Junior Olympics, Carley Seabrooke and Marley Bowden made the “cut-score” (584 points or better) for individual invitations,” read a press release. “The 1st place “Precision” team scored a total of 2325 points which exceeded the “cut-score” of 2280 to receive an invitation to the Nationals. A team invite means they can skip the Regionals and take five shooters to the CMP National Championship in July at Camp Perry, Ohio. This event offers scholarships as well as having college coaches present. It was a great event from start to finish, and congratulations again to the ‘Triple Nickel’ shooters for their third win in a row of the Commander’s Cup.”

More information on Post 555 can be found Alpost555.com.