{"id":59376,"date":"2021-04-16T07:46:55","date_gmt":"2021-04-16T12:46:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=59376"},"modified":"2021-04-16T07:46:57","modified_gmt":"2021-04-16T12:46:57","slug":"shotgun-sports-team-is-national-champs-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=59376","title":{"rendered":"Shotgun sports team is national champs — again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By UNIVERSITY RELATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fort Hays State University shotgun sports team completed a whirlwind season last month by finishing in the top three of two national competitions in a span of 10 days \u2013 in two different cities, more than 1,300 miles apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Scholastic Clay Target Program\n(SCTP) Collegiate national tournament, normally held during the fall semester,\nwas postponed because of COVID-19 protocols until March 19-21, 2021 \u2013 just one\nweek before the annual spring national event, the Association of College Unions\nInternational (ACUI) Clay Target Championships on March 25-27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After winning the overall national\nchampionship in Division II at the SCTP meet in Marengo, Ohio, Fort Hays State\nfinished third overall in the ACUI meet in San Antonio. At the SCTP competition,\nFHSU not only claimed its seventh national title in program history, but it\nscored higher than all the Division I teams as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Duane Shepherd, the team\u2019s coach,\nsaid he was impressed with how the team stayed focused while practicing so many\nhours when all the meets during fall 2020 were canceled because of the\npandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe try to practice the way we are going\nto shoot at meets,\u201d Shepherd said. \u201cBut when we didn\u2019t have any meets during\nthe fall semester, it was kind of hard to keep up the intensity. So I am very\nproud of how they hung together this past year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cordell Waggoner, a senior from Tribune,\nclosed out his final collegiate season in style this spring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the SCTP meet, he finished as the\nhigh overall winner (HOA) in the men\u2019s division with 573 out of 600 shots. He\nalso was part of the skeet team, which placed first, and the sporting clays\nteam that placed second (missing out on a tie for first by just one shot). Then\nat the ACUI competition, he was part of two second-place teams, as well as\nanother, which finished fourth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waggoner came to FHSU four years ago and\nworked his way up the ladder while honing his skills behind some of the best\nshooters in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe how lucky I was,\nto be able to be a part of a team with some really great shooters,\u201d said\nWaggoner, who is set to graduate in May with a degree in tourism and\nhospitality management. \u201cFort Hays State has built such a great program, and it\nis known all over the country for its great shotgun team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie Petersen, a graduate student from\nFremont, Neb., enjoyed similar success at nationals. After finishing second in\nthe women\u2019s HOA and being part of two winning teams (trap and skeet) at the\nSCTP meet, just a few days later, Peterson placed first in women\u2019s trap and\nsecond in women\u2019s skeet at the ACUI meet. She also was part of two top-four\nteams at that meet and shot a perfect 100 score in trap to help that team place\nsecond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Petersen had been part of the shotgun\nteam at Doane College in Nebraska while working on her bachelor\u2019s degree. When\nshe was looking for a college to pursue her master\u2019s in art and design, she was\ndrawn to FHSU because of its top-notch painting program, as well as its shotgun\nteam\u2019s national reputation. Students are eligible to compete for six years in\ncollegiate shooting sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Petersen said once she met her advisor\nat FHSU, Assistant Professor Jee Hwang, and toured the new Schmidt Foundation\nCenter for Art and Design, she was hooked. Being able to join the shotgun team\nwas a bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou couldn\u2019t ask for better coaches or\nbetter teammates,\u201d Petersen said. \u201cEveryone encourages each other, and you can\nfeel they are genuine. Being part of a team is such a great way to meet people,\nand I feel privileged that I am part of the Fort Hays State shotgun team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FHSU\u2019s shotgun team, considered a club\nsport, does not offer scholarships and relies mostly on funding from the\nStudent Government Association and team fundraisers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe students are a great bunch of young\npeople, and we are blessed with their commitment to the program and to excellence,\u201d\nShepherd said. \u201cThey just do what it takes to make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students who competed at nationals this\nspring, listed alphabetically, were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brock Barton, Fairbury, Neb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zach Beers, Syracuse, Neb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nick Borchardt, Johnson Creek, Wisc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie Dettmann, Avoca, Neb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will Dulohery, St. George <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gus Dunbar, Milburn, Neb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heather Gordon, Montrose, Colo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hank McVeigh, Lincoln, Neb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie Petersen, Fremont, Neb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wyatt Pursell, Topeka, KS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riley Ross, St. Paul, Neb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lane Sorensen, Hampton, Neb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan St. Peters, Godfrey, Ill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logan Smith, Eads, Colo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cordell Waggoner, Tribune <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cole Ziegelmeier, Gem \n\nHailey Zulkoski, Ord, Neb. \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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