Trap Talk From The Back Fence: Episode 170 Big Wins, Long Shoot-Offs, and a Full Shoot Recap Aired: April 3, 2026 | Hosts: Zach Nannini & Richard "Ricky" Marshall Jr.

Episode Overview

In this packed episode, Zach and Ricky deliver a comprehensive recap of early season trapshooting events, focusing on the Southern Grand, Florida State Shoot, and the ACUI Collegiate Nationals. The hosts dive into big wins, marathon shoot-offs, standout performers, fresh trends in the sport, and the evolving landscape at the collegiate level. Full of camaraderie, stats, and memorable tales from the trapline, this episode is a treasure for avid fans and shooters alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Upcoming Shoots & Personal Schedules [01:01-02:39]

• Ricky’s Next Events: Weighing options between Missouri State Shoot, Grand Prix ZZ shoot in Texas, Western Grand, and juggling teaching and business commitments.
  • "It's all kind of up in the air right now, but for sure, the Western Grand, June 1st." – Ricky [01:30]

2. Southern Grand Recap – Stellar Weather & Standout Performances [02:39-10:50]

• Best Weather Yet: Consistent sunshine, minimal wind and rain—one of the smoothest runs the hosts recall at Odessa, Florida.
  • "Probably some of the best weather that I've ever seen consistently...our whole squad had a great showing." – Ricky [03:22]
• Joey's Dominance in Handicap: Joey posts a remarkable 986/1000 in handicaps, possibly a record.
  • "He really set the bar...to shoot a 986 at Florida...that's about as good a shooting as I've ever heard of coming out of that place." – Zach [04:26]
• Insights on Chokes & Gear: Discussion on Joey's switch from a 37,000" Rhino choke to a 32,000"—paying off across his events, showing even subtle equipment changes matter at the top level.
• Singular Achievement: Joey’s high overall (HOA) wins, Tyler and Isaac's shoot-off marathons, and Bruce Burton and Shelby Skaggs’ class victories.
  • "Bruce, longtime student of mine, shout out to Bruce. He shot well." – Ricky [08:34]
  • "Wyatt Debris won the junior high overall. Shelby Skaggs won the Lady One championship." – Zach [08:30]

3. Long Shoot-Offs & Co-Champions – The 450+ Bird Saga [11:18-17:49]

• Singles Championship Shoot-Off: Five shooters go 200 straight, resulting in an epic 450+ bird shoot-off—eventually called for time limits and declared co-champions.
  • "It went 19 [boxes] actually...We were just smoking targets." – Ricky [12:42]
  • "I would have a problem if you broke a 200. And then after 200 they're calling it a CO championship. I think you can go a lot longer than that. But I mean, 450, 475. I mean, that's quite a bit of extra overtime." – Zach [15:19]
• Logistics of Shoot-Offs: Noise ordinances forced hard stops, impacting timing for all other shoot-offs and awards.

4. The Squad’s Strong Showing & Shout-outs [17:49-21:28]

• Handicap Showcases: Shout-outs to Perry Weiner and Jack for their stellar 98s and 99s through punishing conditions.
  • "Perry shot really good because that was the day it was a little windy." – Ricky [19:08]
• Team Medal Moments: Ricky ensures Zach’s named singles event trophy stays with Zach—an act of good-natured sportsmanship.
  • "For whatever reason, my singles were not necessarily dialed in...but Rick, he was struggling, folks. Hey, I fixed that in Florida." – Zach [20:56]
  • "That kind of gave me the drive to stay in...I guess I got to win this thing for Zach because he can't do it." – Ricky [21:28]

5. ACUI Collegiate Nationals – Lindenwood’s Dominance [21:55-41:37]

• Travel Woes & Gun Mishaps: Ricky shares a travel nightmare, including lost bags and a marathon at Houston airport—but they make it to San Antonio in time for competition.
• Lindenwood University's Banner Year: Seven 100s in trap—a new ACUI record, victories in trap and doubles, and their 19th Division One National Championship.
  • "Lindenwood won the Division One National Championship for the 19th time. So that was cool." – Ricky [27:59]
• Stars of the Show: Anna Rao wins Ladies Trap with 150 straight in the shoot-off, and Jacob Diller takes Men’s.
• Increased Competition: Notable improvement in depth across collegiate teams, tightening the gap between top squads.
  • "Now I feel like there's talent spread across the country...it's anybody's game on any day." – Zach [30:07]

6. Florida State Shoot – From Brutal Wind to High Scores [44:12-61:15]

• Windy Early Week, then Beautiful: Tuesday-Thursday plagued by wind and cold; scores plummet as a result. Only four 100s in singles Tuesday despite equivalent field size to the Southern Grand.
  • "Tuesday's doubles, 97 was the high score...that just shows you, you know, with, with the talent that was on the ground, there was a little bit of a difference." – Zach [46:26]
• Big Winners & Confusion Over HOA Scoring: Matt Trammell is the all-around champion with 389/400; Cody Meredith secures the overall title amid confusion among shooters about which days counted for HOA scoring.
  • "A lot of folks...didn't shoot on Monday because they thought it was a preliminary day...and I think that was what happened to Matt." – Zach [48:47]
• Memorable Quotes:
  • "Not only shoot well, but run the shoot. And that's a whole nother, you know, that's a whole nother level of, of effort when you're having to shoot and run things." – Zach [47:58]
  • "I had to have a little self talk...and just started paying attention and really holding still. I ended up breaking the next 499, and then I just set up the next 400." – Zach, on his singles turnaround [51:12]
• Squad Success: Multiple all-around winners on one squad; shoutouts to Tank Lunsford (Veteran) and Madison Oswald (Lady 1).
• Bag Option Raffle: A $3,800 prize. Entry by luck of the draw; popular and well-received by attendees.

7. Reflections on the Sport and Community [61:16-66:27]

• Interactions with Legends: Stories of meeting Nora and Randy Ross, and the importance of recognizing the sport’s foundational figures.
• Celebrating the Community: Enthusiastic support for more podcasts, content creators, and positive promotion in trapshooting.
  • "Rising Tide lifts all ships...if you can get one more person to do it because of the content that you're releasing, then it's a win." – Zach [64:41]
• Promoting Participation: Encouragement to bring new shooters to the game, lend gear, and grow the sport.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On long shoot-offs:
  "We were just smoking targets...We had to shoot off the doubles. And we went 40 in that for runner up." – Ricky [12:42, 16:24]

• On resilience and mindset:
  "If you run enough stuff, you can clean up those mistakes on the beginning...I was thankful that I was able to keep fighting regardless of how low I was on the board." – Zach [56:43]

• On the growth of collegiate trapshooting:
  "It's a team event. It isn't just one or two shooters...everybody came together. The camaraderie, what I saw at the hotel...one team, one roar." – Ricky [37:07]

• On the value of spreading the sport:
  "Shout out to everyone doing their own thing in the trap shooting world...Keep it up. Keep doing the right thing." – Zach [65:55]

Important Timestamps

• Southern Grand Recap and Weather: [02:39–04:42]
• Joey’s Record-Setting Handicap: [04:13–06:49]
• Squad Members & Other Winners Highlighted: [08:30–10:38]
• Epic Shoot-Off—Championship Singles: [11:18–17:49]
• Handicap & Squad Shout-outs: [17:49–21:28]
• ACUI Nationals Recap Begins: [21:55]
• Lindenwood's Historic Wins: [27:12–29:48]
• Rising Collegiate Competition: [30:07–33:17]
• Florida State Shoot Weather & Scoring: [44:12–47:45]
• State Shoot Winner Highlights: [47:45–56:17]
• The “Bag Option” and Raffle: [59:46–60:28]
• Why Promote the Sport?: [61:16–66:27]
• Reflections on Legends and Community: [62:15–65:06]

Final Takeaways

• The show provides a rich, first-person perspective on both high-level and grassroots trapshooting, from technical details like chokes and gunfit to the communal joy of squad victories.
• This episode shines a light on the importance of both celebrating the legends and welcoming new shooters.
• Through detailed reporting of results and personal milestones—along with encouragement to all forms of promotion—the hosts exemplify their commitment to keeping the sport vibrant and inclusive.

“Keep them coming, and we appreciate all the love and support. We'll see you soon on a trap line near you.”
– Zach & Ricky [66:48]