LAS VEGAS, CA (MPG) – The Clark County Shooting Complex in Las Vegas was the stage for the 2025 U.S. Open Youth Clay Shooting National Championship, held from July 8 through July 12. The sprawling facility, which features rifle, pistol and archery ranges as well as RV parking, is especially known for its extensive shotgun facilities. These include 23 Trap and Skeet fields, a 5-Stand range, and a Sporting Clays course with covered shooting stations to provide protection from the elements.
The championship brought together 406 youth shooters from California and Nevada to compete in Skeet, Trap, and Sporting Clays disciplines. Competitors trained for months leading up to the event under the guidance of instructors Gordon Cooley and Bob Maffei. Training took place at top-tier clubs such as Golden State Trap and Skeet Club, Stockton Trap and Skeet Club, Yolo Sportsmen’s Gun Club, Quail Point Sporting Clays, and Colusa Gun Club. These sessions were aimed at ensuring the athletes would perform at their peak when it mattered most. Shooters were placed into six divisions: Young Adult, Varsity, Junior Varsity, Intermediate Advanced, Intermediate Entry, and Rookie with individual and squad awards given for National Champion, Runner-Up and Third Place finishes. Skeet and Sporting Clays squads were composed of three shooters, while Trap squads consisted of five. All squads were pre-registered, ensuring fairness and eliminating score cherry-picking after events concluded.
Among the standout performers was Gage Locatelli of the Yolo Clay Dogs, who took home the Sporting Clays National Champion title in both individual and squad competition and was also the Runner-Up in Individual Skeet and Skeet Squad. Drake Locatelli, also of the Yolo Clay Dogs, earned Runner-Up titles in both Skeet and Sporting Clays in the Rookie division. Blake Romiski, another Yolo Clay Dogs shooter, was part of both the Runner-Up Skeet Squad and the National Champion Sporting Clays Squad. James Cooley of the Misfits took Runner-Up honors in Trap, shooting a perfect 100 targets and placed sixth in Individual Skeet. He was also part of the Skeet National Champion Squad, along with teammates Dustin Wurm and Conrad Burrows. Wurm was crowned the Skeet National Champion in the Young Adult division and competed as part of the top Skeet Squad. Jaden Dement of the Clay Crushers earned fifth place in Individual Skeet and fourth place in Sporting Clays, helping his squad take third in the Sporting Clays event. Madilyn Maisano of Coon Creek tied for seventh place in Individual Skeet in the Varsity division and earned a third-place finish with her squad. Raegan Parisio of A & A Shooters tied for seventh in Skeet and was one of the top female finishers in the nation for Sporting Clays, tying for tenth overall. Blake Ellis of Sutter Trap tied for sixth in Intermediate Entry Trap, while Summer Anderson helped her Junior Varsity Trap Squad claim a Runner-Up finish. Jacob Maisano of the Sharp Shooters had one of the most decorated showings, earning Runner-Up in Skeet, sixth in Trap, leading his squad to a Trap National Championship, and winning the High Overall National Champion title.
Altogether, these twelve shooters brought home an impressive collection of accolades: two National Individual Titles, five Individual Runner-Up Titles, six Squad National Championships, two Squad Runner-Up finishes, two third-place Squad titles and one High Overall National Champion title. Their achievements are a testament not only to their skill and dedication but also to the support of the many people and organizations who made their success possible.
“A particular note of gratitude is extended to Ed Hulbert and the Colusa Industrial Properties for their continued promotion of youth shooting sports in Colusa County as well as a heartfelt thanks to Gordon Cooley, whose generous donation of time and expertise was instrumental in helping these young shooters prepare. Their collective efforts were key in making this championship experience both successful and unforgettable,” said Maffei. Maffei also expressed a special thanks to the gun clubs that opened their facilities for training, to CYSSA for organizing competitions throughout the year, to YSSA and the Clark County Shooting Complex for hosting Nationals, and especially to the parents who volunteered their time and energy to support their shooters.