Connecting with 219 of 250 flying clays, senior Jackson Gibbs (second from left) was the trap team’s top gun this year.
Shooting a 216, senior Gillian Baumgartner (second from right) was the top female shooter.
They and other members of the trap team were recognized at the Caribou Gun Club on Wednesday.
“This is the largest group of kids we’ve had,” said head coach Jack Zimmerman (center). “It’s fun to see the sport growing. We’re proud of all of you. You got better all year long even though we had to shoot through some nasty weather.”
Gibbs and Baumgartner are accustomed to pacing the Clipper shooters. Gibbs tied Brandon Ellickson (now a coach) for the most accurate shooter in 2018 and won the award outright in 2019. Baumgartner was also the top female shooter in 2018 and 2019. The season was shelved last spring.
Top guns for each week were week one: junior Riley Tomaszewski (45); week two: eighth grader Cooper Arnold and freshman Gabriel Sullivan tied (44s); week three Gibbs, Sullivan and junior Cade Kriah tied (44s); week four: Gibbs (49); week five junior Jack Mertins (46).
Baumgartner led the girls in all five competition weeks.
Based on scores of week one and two compared to scores of week four and five, junior Emma Treanor (left) was the most improved female while sixth grader Tanner Simonette (right) was the most improved male shooter.
Many of the Clippers will shoot in the state competition at Alexandria on June 18 with a time TBD. Parent Jason Gibbs noted that shooters can go up early to get in some practice rounds before the competition shooting starts.
Award winners surround coach Jack Zimmerman. They are, from L-R, Riley Tomaszewski, Cade Kriah, Jack Mertins, Gabriel Sullivan, Emma Treanor, Jackson Gibbs, Cooper Arnold, Gillian Baumgartner and Tanner Simonette.
After the awards presentations, the trap team got together for a couple of Annie Oakley competitions. Shooters take turns trying to connect with a clay target. If he or she misses, the shooter to his or her right can attempt to shoot it down, eliminating the shooter or shooters who missed. Sometimes three shooters will miss while the next one connects to eliminate all three. The last five or so who remain move back 10 feet or so, making hitting the flying target more difficult. The last shooter remaining wins.
Cooper Arnold won the first Annie Oakley fun shoot.
The trap team got together for a photo before the awards presentation.