When the pressure is on, champions deliver. Just one week after claiming the Junior title at the World English Sporting Clays Championship in England, Connor Daniel proved once again why he’s the top-ranked Junior sporting clays shooter in the world—this time with a win at the 47th World FITASC Sporting Clays Championship in Kornos, Cyprus, in July.
Competing as a member of Team Winchester and Team White Flyer, the 18-year-old rising star shot a commanding 179, claiming the 2025 FITASC World Junior Champion title. The victory caps off a stunning two-week run that includes four world titles—two individual and two team wins—as a key member of Junior Team Sporting Clays USA.
“Congratulations to Connor Daniel on his second world champion title in two weeks and Mike Wilgus on his FITASC World Championship title,” said Jason Gilbertson, Senior Marketing Director for Winchester Ammunition. “The sporting clays schedule is grueling as you can see with two major World Championships only five days apart, yet our Team Winchester and Team White Flyer athletes show up and display the elite technique and focus they have worked to achieve. In the month of July, Team Winchester has racked up three world champion titles and two runner-up titles at the most elite sporting clays championship events in the world.”
Daniel’s 179-point contribution also powered the U.S. Junior Team to a dominant team win in Cyprus, replicating the success they had just days earlier in England. His precision and poise at the international level continue to set him apart from his peers—and he’s only just turned 18.
One of the standout factors behind Team Winchester’s success is equipment. The Winchester AA Lite-Handicap one-ounce shotshell—a favorite among international competitors—was the shotshell of choice for both Connor Daniel and Mike Wilgus, who also took home the FITASC World Senior Champion title.
Often regarded as the most technically demanding form of sporting clays, FITASC competition features 200 targets across eight uniquely challenging courses. With multiple shooting positions and difficult target presentations, the format demands high-level focus and target reading.
2025 WORLD FITASC SPORTING CLAYS CHAMPIONSHIP INDIVIDUAL JUNIOR LEADERBOARD
- Connor Daniel (USA) 179
- Jonathan Prince (USA) 178
- Hunter Webb (USA) 176
- Lane Picklo (USA) 174
- Jacob Judson (USA) 173
Joe Fanizzi, another standout from Team Winchester and Team White Flyer, secured a fourth-place finish in the Open division, while Theo Ribbs and Anthony Matarese, Jr., helped the U.S. Sporting Clays Team secure a silver medal in Cyprus.
With July now in the books, Team Winchester’s athletes are leaving their mark on the international stage—including a junior phenom who’s just getting started.
You can see the full results of the 2025 World FITASC Sporting Clays Championship here.
Learn more about Winchester and White Flyer.
