At Vandalia

Trapshooting tradition was upheld last week at Vandalia, Ohio. In 45 years there have been no repeat winners of the national amateur championship, no women victors. The Grand American Handicap* was captured by Leslie Jepsen, a sparse-haired, thin, nervous electrician from Dwight, Ill. He toed the mark at 19 yards with a pump gun borrowed from a neighbor at home (he broke his own two years ago) and hit 97 clay birds out of 100. His prize was $3,000.

Among the 853 Vandalia marksmen were many in uniform. Captain Joe Hiestand of Fort Myers, Fla., became the first four-time winner of the North American Clay Targets* by breaking 200 clay birds in a row. J. K. Stark, a 41-year-old sales manager from San Antonio, dropped into Vandalia for a day, decided to enter the National Doubles Clay Target Championship,** won with 98 out of 100.

The ammunition problem (trapshooting shells were frozen two years ago) was solved mainly by reloading shell casings from last year. But some contestants patronized the black market, paying as high as $50 for a case which normally costs $15.

*The Grand American presents 100 targets to 12-gauge guns at distances of between 16 and 25 yards--the handicap being set by the Amateur Trapshooting Association with the help of 48 state trapshooting organizations. The Grand American's winner is regarded as U.S. champion. * The North American presents 200 targets to 12-gauge guns at 16 yards. ** The National Doubles presents 100 targets (two birds simultaneously) to 12-gauge guns at 16 yards.

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