Wisconsin State Titles
12 Gauge (2 times) – 1999, 2000
20 Gauge (2 times) – 1990, 1992
28 Gauge (1 times) – 2000
Doubles (1 times) – 1991
HOA (1 times) – 2000
HAA (2 times) – 1998, 2002
Stew comes from a shooting family and he began pulling the trigger at such age that his dad, Cal, had to kneel and rest the gun, a twelve gauge with a .410 insert, over his shoulder. Like many beginners, he started with trap as his clay target sport. In 1984 he began shooting ATA targets and quickly became one of the better shooters in the state. In 1989 he was named to the Wisconsin All State Trap team with averages of 98.08 in singles, 91.31 in handicap, and 94.09 in doubles. About the same time he discovered the skeet game and made the switch. During his first years in skeet he was influenced by Jim Dawson, John Celebre (both Hall of Fame members) and Mike Schmidt, Jr.
Skeet proved to be Stew’s game and he became one of the state’s best. During his career between 1989 and his much too early retirement in 2002, during this period Stew amassed over 72,000 registered targets. Stew was named first team All-State nine times, and captain once. While active on the registered shooting circuit, he won nine state gun titles including one HOA and two HAA championships. In 2001 his four gun HOA average was .9849 which ranked him among the nation’s top shooters. He is one of only three men in the history of Wisconsin clay target shooting to make first team All-State in both trap and skeet. Special skills and dedication are evident in this very unusual accomplishment.
Stew was able to travel to some of the larger shoots outside of the state where he competed with the best. His championships include the doubles event at the U.S. Open in 1991 (outlasting Wayne Mayes in a shoot-off). At the World in in1992 at Savannah, he won Class AA in the .410, and in 1993 at the World in San Antonio he broke an amazing 648 out of 650 targets to take third place in the High All Around event.
Now living in Kewaskum with his wife Cheryl, he pursues his trade as a welder. His shooting is more recreational these days confined mainly to a local trap league.
Wisconsin Skeet Shooting Association 