HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State University’s Shotgun Team successfully defended its national championship at the Scholastic Clay Target Program Nationals shoot in Marengo, Ohio.
The championship completed a season in which they also placed first in all-team events and High Overall Awards (HOA) at the Prairie Circuit Conference Shoot in North Platte, Neb., and at the ACUI Upper West Coast Conference Shoot in Carson City, Nev.
At the SCTP Nationals shoot, Heather Gordon, a Colorado Springs, Colo., senior majoring in criminal justice, won co-champion of the female HOA, placed first in Ladies Trap and third in Ladies Sporting Clays.
Jake Whipple, a Cambridge, Neb., graduate student, placed second for the male HOA.
Jennifer Schoenecker, a Hays senior majoring in agricultural business, placed third in Ladies Skeet.
In addition to individual awards, Fort Hays State placed first, first, and second in team events for Skeet, Trap, and Sporting Clays, respectively.
At the Hastings College Shoot, Riley Ross, a St. Paul, Neb., junior majoring in agriculture, won the male HOA, and Hailey Zulkoski, an Ord, Neb., sophomore majoring in sport and exercise therapy, won the female HOA.
In addition, six individuals won first-place medals.
At the Prairie Circuit shoot, Ross won the male HOA, Gordon won the female HOA, and Logan Smith, a Burwell, Neb., freshman majoring in biology and criminal justice, won the male freshman HOA.
Some team members were awarded all-conference medals. To earn all-conference, members had to be among the top 10 male and top five female shooters when scores were totaled.
Recipients of all-conference medals: Whipple; Cordell Waggoner, a Tribune junior majoring in tourism and hospitality management; Hank McVeigh, a Lincoln, Neb., sophomore majoring in physics; Colton Lashley, a McCook, Neb., senior majoring in criminal justice; Ross; Brock Barton, a Fairbury, Neb., sophomore majoring in information networking; Gordon; and Schoenecker.
Smith received an all-conference freshman medal, awarded to the top five male and top five female freshmen.
At the ACUI Upper West Coast shoot, Whipple won the male HOA and Schoenecker won the female HOA. In addition, eight first-place, six second-place, and seven third-place individual medals were won across all events.
Three FHSU team members shot perfect rounds of 100: Ross and Michael Saint, a Jewell graduate student, in Men’s Skeet and Whipple in Men’s Trap.
