It’s hard to beat Richmond Hill teenager and former Savannah Christian Preparatory School Clay sports sharpshooter Connor Daniel for what he did over his summer vacation.
PHOTO: Connor Daniel proudly displays his trophies, medals, and awards after a summer that included five world titles and a regional championship. (Photo by Don Brunt/Double Barrelled Picture Company)
It’s hard to beat Connor Daniel, period.
The No. 1 junior sporting clays shooter in the world, Daniel traveled last month to competitions in England and Cyprus and earned five individual and team world championships. Last weekend, closer to home in Wisconsin, Daniel collected the 2025 North Central Regional Junior title in the National Sporting Clays Association.
PHOTO: Daniel locks in on his target during an international clay shooting competition. (Photo by Don Brunt/Double Barrelled Picture Company)
A highly decorated shooter on state, national, and international levels by the time he graduated from Savannah Christian last spring, Daniel is starting his freshman year with classes beginning Aug. 12 at Georgia Southern in Statesboro.
The university’s clay target team, a club sport, is moving up to the ACUI’s top division this year after four national crowns in five years at Division 2 (twice), 3, and 4, so Daniel is a huge addition to coach Marty Fischer’s squad.
Despite his achievements, he insisted on trying out for the team. Daniel confirmed in a telephone interview last week from Wisconsin ahead of the annual tryouts.
“Every kid who has made the team has done tryouts and performed well enough to be on the team. I felt that I didn’t want to be excluded,” Daniel said. “I didn’t want people to see me as either any better than them or feel like I’m too good for them.
“I just wanted to do what everybody else has done in the past. I feel like that’s a good way of starting my path with the team.”
PHOTO: Daniel’s precision and focus have made him a dominant force in junior sporting clays. (Photo by Don Brunt/Double Barrelled Picture Company)
His path so far -- since starting the sport around age 11 -- has been lined with accolades, including as a sub-junior (age 16 and younger), as he won the 2022 World English Sporting Clays Championship.
Daniel made his first U.S. national team for juniors (21 and younger) in 2023 and competed at the E.J. Churchill Group facility in England, the same host for the 2025 World English Sporting competition.
Feeling more prepared and confident to contend, Daniel won the junior division and tied for 23rd overall with a score of 176 out of 200 targets on July 18-19. The top score was 185.
PHOTO: Representing the USA, Daniel competes against the best shooters in the world. (Photo by Don Brunt/Double Barrelled Picture Company)
Owen Haas, a 2023 Savannah Country Day graduate now attending Florida State, tied for third in juniors and 31st overall with 174.
PHOTO: Owen Haas takes aim during competition. (Photo: Owen Haas/Instagram)
Daniel, who turned 18 on July 21, also medaled as the U.S. team placed first.
“The world championship title was a pretty good present,” he said. “It was fun. It was cool to have my birthday during the shoot as well. That was pretty special.”
Cyprus: Business trip
The next weekend at the World FITASC Sporting Clays Championship in Cyprus, Daniel was the first of 48 juniors and tied for 19th overall of 652 competitors with a score of 179 out of 200. The top score was 191.
PHOTO: Daniel readies his next shot during the World FITASC Sporting Clays Championship in Cyprus. (Photo by Don Brunt/Double Barrelled Picture Company)
Daniel and the U.S. juniors won the team title, and he also captured the FITASC Cup for juniors, which is an annual award using a points system for scores from designated local, continental, and world tournaments. In this case, events in Mississippi in May, New Jersey in June, and Cyprus in July.
It was Daniel’s first time in Cyprus, an island country in the Mediterranean.
“It was definitely different, a different type of geography I’ve never seen before,” Daniel said. “The weather, it was absolutely brutally hot and that’s very hard to compete under.”
Daniel and his parents, Marty and Cindy Daniel, stayed at a beach resort, which was also not typical. Connor was among vacationers, but he wasn’t one of them. He didn’t even step into the Mediterranean, though he went in the resort swimming pool.
“I had my mind set on competing and not having fun,” he said. “I had a little bit of fun. It’s strictly business when we’re there.”
After a brief return home from Cyprus, the Daniels were back in business, driving to Hudson, Wisconsin, for regionals before their son started college.
He finished first of 65 junior shooters with a 175 total, which was 10th-best overall. Haas was seventh in juniors at 166.
Haas and Daniel are friends who have been competing against each other for years, and each has a state high school title among many honors to their credit.
Zac Guerrettaz, general manager of the Forest City Gun Club in Savannah and head coach of its junior program, was asked after the England competition about these young men. Haas has helped the Forest City Juniors become a state and national power.
“The reason why (Haas) is so good is there’s nothing that really gets in his head. He’s a machine,” Guerrettaz said. “Both Connor and Owen don’t let the little stuff bother them. They keep their eyes on the prize.”
PHOTO: Team USA clay shooters at a celebration event. From left: Connor Daniel, first athlete; Owen Haas, third from left. (Photo: Owen Haas/Instagram)
Staying locked in
That was certainly tested in England, where Daniel tried to keep focus by following his routine and “that allows you to be less nervous and get in a flow state where you can do your best,” he said, “and not be able to worry about anything else.”
After dealing with the expected hurdles of transporting competition guns through airports and jet lag after arrival, the Daniel family got sick – first father, then mother, then son, who sat out one of the warm-up events before the main event started that Friday.
“It was pretty much the flu -- body aches, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, all that stuff,” said Connor, who said he felt 100 percent better by the final day that Saturday.
But first came heartbreak, as his parents got a call in the middle of the night that a very dear family friend had died that Thursday. James Randall “Randy” Grovenstein, 71, of Pooler, was like a grandfather to Connor, who was told after Friday’s round.
“It was kind of like a kick in the butt. I felt that kind of motivated me. I felt like I needed to go out and win it for him,” Connor said.
“I didn’t say it to anybody there. But I called his wife, Marsha, and let her know that I did it for him and I couldn’t have done it without him looking over me.”
Daniel described him as a mentor.
“He didn’t shoot, but he’s somebody I’ve known my whole life,” Daniel said. “I’ve learned from him life lessons and he’s been there when I’ve needed him.”
The junior competition didn’t finish in regulation, as Daniel was tied with Sam Linington at 176, so they went to a shoot-off of one station and 10 targets.
“Whoever hit the most won,” Daniel said. “I ended up hitting nine and he hit five in front of a few hundred people. It was pretty nerve-wracking.”
Daniel said the obvious explanations for his success are hard work and talent.
“But also I think what plays a big part is opportunity,” he said. “I’ve been blessed to have well-off parents who are able to travel and afford to pay to get me to tournaments. I’ve also had pretty good coaching that allows me to get better.”
Follow @prepsportsreport for exclusive updates and in-depth coverage throughout the season. Don’t miss a moment—stay tuned for highlights, interviews, and game insights.
Stay connected with the Prep Sports Report on Instagram at savannahsportsreport and on "X" at @PrepSav or @kdsportsreport.
Do you have scores, information, or story ideas? Email them directly to kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com to contribute to our ongoing coverage
