Central Lakes College’s trap shooting team won its conference after competing in the USA College Clay Target League’s six-week season.
The team also finished third at Nationals.
The 15-member co-ed team celebrated its most successful season since beginning competition in 2017. This is the first time CLC won the conference championship.
After taking first place at its conference, CLC participated in the national tournament, Nov. 1-6, with team members each shooting 100 clay targets at Lakeshore Conservation Club.
Team members Kylie Wolkenhauer and Isaac Malone each scored a 97 out of 100, which earned Wolkenhauer the High Gun for all females at Nationals and tied both her and Malone for the second-highest score of the tournament. Team member Grace Caouette wrapped up her first season of competitive trapshooting by claiming first in the tournament’s novice category.
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“When you look at our overall scores throughout the season, we did not have just one or two student-athletes carrying the team with high weekly scores, but instead, we shot consistently as a team,” Raiders coach Erich Heppner said. “In our fifth and final week, our initial group did not shoot particularly well, and our lead over our conference opponents was very much in jeopardy. The next group went out knowing that they needed to lift their teammates up and they delivered by shooting season-high scores and putting the team in an uncatchable position.
“We had a lot of moments this season where teammates were called upon to shoot well, and they stepped up with ice in their veins and delivered.”
The team includes: Grant Albers (Dundas), Grace Caouette (Elk River), Colton Gutenkauf (Baxter), Wyatt Herron(Brainerd), Tristan Johnson (Alexandria), Jenna Lawin (Holdingford), Isaac Malone (Willmar), Quinn Mathisten (Howard Lake), Caleb Nurnberger (Staples), Dustin Piotter (Holloway), Lainey Priglmeier (Foley), Megan Tritz (Darwin), Adam Viskocil (Northfield), Edward Volkl (Pillager), Kylie Wolkenhauer (Pequot Lakes)
Coaches are Mike Hammer, Erich Heppner, Robb Kolodziej, Mark Robideaux, Nikki Shout and Steven Weagel.
