15 June 2026
By John Rossiter
BOSTIC, N.C. and NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Georgia trapshooters traveled in force to two of the Southeast's premier state championships last week, and they left with results worth talking about.
The 114th Tennessee State Trapshooting Championships at Nashville Gun Club drew 142 entries to the singles championship alone, with additional fields competing in handicap and doubles. Days later, the 2026 North Carolina State Trap Championships at Old Hickory Rod & Pistol Club in Bostic wrapped up a five-day, 12-event program that drew more than 160 shooters from across the region. Georgia was well represented at both venues, with out-of-state competitors earning wins from the singles posts to the handicap yardage markers.
Here is a complete look at how the Peach State's shooters performed.
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Tennessee State Championships — Nashville Gun Club
Nashville Gun Club, set along the Cumberland River in West Nashville, hosted the 114th edition of the state's top trapshooting competition under the warm, humid skies that are standard fare for Middle Tennessee in June. Two Georgia shooters made the out-of-state results.
Reid Briggs entered the Event 4 Singles Class Championship and posted a 98 in the Junior C class — one of the sharper scores in that division among the out-of-state field. In the same championship weekend, William "Bill" Fahrlende competed in the handicap portion, shooting from the 19-yard line in the SUBV category. Fahrlende broke a 92 and backed it up in the shoot-off with a 22 and a 21, earning him Runnerup honors in the out-of-state SUBV category — a composed finish in a competitive field.
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North Carolina State Championships — Old Hickory Rod & Pistol Club
The Blue Ridge foothills outside Bostic provided the backdrop for a five-day championship that covered everything from opening singles to the final handicap title. Old Hickory Rod & Pistol Club is one of the most scenic venues on the Southeast circuit, with the Chimney Rock and Lake Lure corridor just minutes away. The weather for the June 10–14 shoot was cooperative — warm temperatures, long summer days, and manageable winds that allowed shooters to settle into their routines.
Georgia had multiple category winners across singles, doubles, and handicap events, with one shooter earning an outright championship and another compiling one of the week's best aggregate totals.
Jase Lee Royal turned in the most decorated week of any Georgia competitor at the NC State Championships. Competing in the Sub-Junior (SJ) category, Royal opened the championship by winning the Sub Junior category in Event 1, the Glenn Miller Singles, breaking a perfect 100. He followed with another 100 in Event 4, the Caleb Mathis Singles, again winning the Sub Junior title. His finest moment came in Event 8, the Hall of Fame Handicap, where he shot a 97, forced a shoot-off against the field, and emerged as the outright champion — the top prize in a 100-entry event. He closed out his week competing in Event 12, the NC Handicap Championship, posting a 91 from the 23-yard line to top the Sub Junior category. Across five events, Royal was consistently among the top performers in the entire out-of-state field.
Mike J. Schildgen demonstrated the kind of all-around versatility that earns Veteran-class competitors their reputations. In Event 1, the Glenn Miller Singles, Schildgen posted a 99 — a near-flawless performance that claimed the Veteran category. In Event 5, the Keith Forbes Handicap, he shot from the 23-yard line and broke a 94 for the Veteran category win. The highlight of his week came in Event 7, the NC Singles Class Championship, where Schildgen broke a perfect 100 to take the tops spot in the Out of State Veteran Category — one of a select few 100s posted across the 115-entry field. Three strong events across singles and handicap made Schildgen one of the most consistent Georgia performers of the week.
Joseph A. O'leary was the most active Georgia shooter at the NC State Championships, competing across singles, handicap, and doubles from the opening event to the close. In Event 2, the Charlie Ackroyd Handicap, he shot a 93 from the 27-yard line taking out of state Sub Vet honors. He followed that up by scoring a 94 in the Sub Vet category in Event 6, the Caleb Mathis Doubles. In Event 9, the NC Doubles Class Championship, he won the out-of-state Sub Vet category outright with a 95. His consistency across the full schedule produced a High Over All (HOA) total of 929 and a High All Around (HAA) score of 377, both good for the out-of-state Sub Vet category titles in those aggregate competitions.
Justin L. Royal was a reliable presence across the doubles program and the handicap finish. In Event 3, the Roger Latham Doubles, he posted a 94 to take the out-of-state A class. In Event 9, the NC Doubles Class Championship, he won the A class title again with a 93. He returned in Event 12, the NC Handicap Championship, shooting from the 26.5-yard line and breaking a 95 to earn a 4th place in the out-of-state standings. His High All Around total of 380 secured the out-of-state A class HAA title, capping a steady week that held up from doubles to the championship handicap.
Shirley Duong made her most significant impact in the championship's final stretch. In Event 10, the NC Singles Championship — a 138-entry field that served as one of the week's feature events — Duong posted a 195 to win the out-of-state Lady 1 category on Championship Saturday. On Championship Sunday, Shirley continued to rake in the awards by taking Lady 1 Category win in Event 11, the NC Doubles Championshipwith a 91. She rounded out the weekend with a 95 from the 24-yard line in Event 12, the NC Handicap Championship, finishing again as the Lady 1 Champion and completing the sweep of the Lady 1 Championship awards. Her High All Around total of 381 earned her the out-of-state Lady 1 HAA title — a strong cumulative finish for a shooter who hit her best form when the championships were on the line.
Rex Alan Wells competed in the B class and delivered his sharpest results in two of the week's most competitive events. In Event 7, the NC Singles Class Championship, Wells posted a 97 to win the out-of-state B class category. He backed that up in Event 8, the Hall of Fame Handicap, shooting from the 20-yard line and breaking a 95 with a 24 in a shootoff to finish 4th overall in the out-of-state standings — a strong result in a 100-entry field.
John E. Kuntz made his presence known in the final days of competition. Event 11, the NC Doubles Championship, John posted a 93 securing C Class Honors. He followed that up in Event 12, the NC Handicap Championship, shooting from the 22-yard line, by posting a 95 to earn 3rd place in the out-of-state standings. His High All Around total of 380 earned him the out-of-state B class HAA title — a well-constructed aggregate result across a full weekend schedule.
Michael W. Monahan competed in D class in Event 9, the NC Doubles Class Championship, posting an 80 in the out-of-state field. The doubles discipline presents one of the steeper challenge curves in trap competition, and Monahan's entry in the championship reflects Georgia's broad participation across all classification levels at the state level.
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A Name to Watch: Evan O'leary
No account of Georgia's week would be complete without noting Evan O'leary — currently listed as an Alabama competitor but in the process of relocating to Georgia, where he will join his father, Joseph A. O'leary, in representing the Peach State.
If the 2026 NC State Championships are a preview of things to come, Georgia's gain will be significant. Evan O'leary was the most dominant out-of-state performer of the entire championship week. He posted a 93 in Event 3 (Doubles), followed by a perfect 100 in Event 4 (Caleb Mathis Singles) to win the A class title. He broke a 96 in Event 5 (Keith Forbes Handicap) to earn third place in that event, then shot a 95 from the 27 yrd line in Event 8 (Hall of Fame Handicap) for sixth place and a 98 in Event 9 (NC Doubles) to win the B class.
His week reached its peak in Event 10, the NC Singles Championship, where Evan O'leary broke a 199 out of a possible 200 — a near-perfect score that earned him the outright championship of a 138-entry field. He continued his dominance by shooting a 98 in Event 9 (North Carolina Doubles) to again take the prize as the top out of state shooter. Over the course of the full program, he compiled a High Over All total of 962, earning the out-of-state overall championship, and a High All Around score of 386, claiming the AA class champion.
When Evan O'leary officially makes Georgia his home state, the Peach State will add one of the region's premier competitors to its borders— a prospect that should have other state associations taking notice.
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Looking Ahead
With two productive championships in the books, Georgia's trapshooters head deeper into the summer season with momentum across every discipline. The results from Nashville and Bostic reflect a state where shooters are performing at a high level across age groups and classifications, and the full picture of the Southeast circuit is still very much being written.
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*All results sourced from official ATA-registered event scoresheets for the 114th Tennessee State Trapshooting Championships and the 2026 North Carolina State Trap Championships.
