Shotgun Sports | 4/10/2024 9:25:00 AM
SAN ANTONIO — The McPherson College Shotgun Sports Team took on the ACUI & SCTP Collegiate Clay Target Championships this last week. This was the third trip to the event for the Bulldogs, who are in just their third year of competition. The team of ten shooters participated in Sporting Clays and American Trap, both being 100 target events.
In Sporting Clays, the combined team score (taken from the five highest scores across the team) was 337 out of 500, 56 higher than was shot last year in the event. The shooters who made that score up were Joey Bellisario – 75, Zachary Hawley – 72, Lindzie Archer – 64, Tate Brewer – 63, and Dominic (Dawson) Leech – 63.
American Trap put smiles across the entire team and the crowd of parents which traveled to support the shooters. The Bulldogs had a combined score of 476 out of 500, 11 higher than last year's. This score was made up by Dominic (Dawson) Leech – 98, Zachary Hawley – 98, Riley Sojka – 96, Laci Turner – 93, and Lindzie Archer – 91. This score placed the team 9th out of 50 teams in Division III for the event. Six out of the ten shooters recorded new personal bests in this event and the five shooters who combined the team score all found themselves in the top ten of their respective classes.
Dominic (Dawson) Leech, with his 98 out of 100, tied for second with five other shooters in Men's Class B. He went to a shootout looking to break the tie and take home a medal. In his first round he shot 24 out of 25 and tied again with three others. In the second round, he was knocked out after shooting a 22.
There was a wave of disappointment for the shooters as no medals were taken home this year, especially after having taken three gold medals in the event last year. However, the sadness was short-lived, as the Bulldogs left Texas knowing they have more to prove and the talent to get the job done next year.
The team will finish out their year by participating in the USA College Clay Target League's five-week virtual shooting league. The Bulldogs will shoot at their home facility and submit the scores online.
The Shotgun Sports team has a unique competition experience, where they can shoot against big NCAA Division I schools. For example, this year's combined team score in Trap beat out Texas Tech, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Kentucky, to name a few. The divisions for the event are based on the number of shooters which a school brings to shoot, so when the team grows it will likely join the Division II ranking for team events. Individual classes are determined by a shooters average for all ACUI & SCTP events from the year.
McPherson College is also unique in that it offers scholarships for team members. It is not a club team like many others that they shoot against in competition, it is a fully fledged athletic program at McPherson. Help support the team by following on Facebook and Instagram to receive updates from Head Coach Pete Brubaker!
