Blair Youth Shooting Sports (BYSS) hosted a first-week Eastern Cornhusker Trapshooting Conference (ECTC) North Division shoot Saturday morning.
After a week filled with warm weather, the young marksmen and women of the Senior Division were forced to aim their shotguns directly into an ice cold north wind at the range just off of County Road P33.
Kalvin Kies said the biggest mental hurdle of the shoot was the temperature.
“I don't think the wind effects a good shooter, honestly,” he said.
“I was hoping it was going to be a little nicer today,” Kies' teammate, Evan Brodersen, added. “But, like he said, you should be able to block out the wind and shoot a nice score.”
The pair — alongside Tregan Baker, Elijah Tabor and Gavin Baker — helped their Blair Black lineup earn second overall in the handicap shoot as well as the high overall team standings behind an Omaha Creighton Prep lineup. The hometown squad finished just four clay pigeons behind Prep in the handicap event and 16 behind overall, 417-401.
Brodersen earned first from 20-21 feet, shooting 43-for-50, while finishing with an overall score of 82-for-100. Tregan Baker, meanwhile, was third from 22-23 feet and 83-for-100 altogether.
Kies shot 82 of the 100 targets he aimed at, too, as Tabor and Gavin Baker hit 79 and 75, respectively.
BYSS' Jase Lantry added a second-place handicap shoot finish from 18-19 yards, while Jaydyn Backman was first in the girls' handicap category. She was 78-for-100 overall.
After 50 shots from 16 yards to start the day, though, both Kies and Brodersen sought improvement. Kies was short of his goal — perfection. He said he needed to be more mentally strong.
Brodersen agreed, applying the thought to his own efforts.
“Could have been a lot worse, but it could have been a lot better as well,” he said.
As it turned out, 15 more BYSS shooters finished 60-for-100 or better overall at home. They were Jacob Vanek (75-for-100), Henry Valasek (74), Aaron Hinman (73), Alyssa Lode (73), Hunter Camenzind (73), Jager Leichleiter (71), Revlyn Rasmussen (71), Landry Benoit (71), Roman Sahm (69), Gabe Vaughan (69), Haleigh Deming (67), Tyler Behnk (63), Emily Loerzel (62), Bella Reynolds (61) and Luke Raymond (60).
Rory Hiser, Michael Amandus, Baylor Barrow, Isaak Schultz and Kai Koeltzow also represented the hometown team at their hometown range during a week No. 1 ECTC shoot. The high overall champion of the event was Omaha Skutt's Ian Morehead, who finished 89-for-100 into a cold north wind.
Arlington shooters compete in Bellevue
Several more Senior Division Arlington shooters opened their ECTC seasons in Bellevue on Saturday.
Competing alongside his Fremont Trap teammates, Wyatt Widman was the 16-yard champ, shooting 49-for-50 and 82-for-100 overall.
Zane Gerrish was first from the handicap distance of 20-21 yards (37-for-50), while Shane Japp was second in the boys' handicap category overall, going 41-for-50 and 85-for-100 altogether.
Cyris Sass was third from 20-21 yards, too.
Fremont's Gold team first from 16 yards, but also took first as an overall team. Japp, Kaleb Dowling and Gerrish represented Arlington in the lineup alongside Hudson Knoell and Drake Daubert.
Dowling hit 83 of the 100 clay pigeons he aimed at overall, while Wyatt Flesner (82), John VonBehren (79), Carter Olson (75), Jack Sorensen (74) and Trenton Hansen (71) shot better than 70 percent, too.
More Senior Division members of the Fremont team from Arlington are Darren Quintana, Eastan Strom, Brock Lauritsen, Haydn Hegemann, Ben Flesner, Jake Flesner, Tate Johannes and Cooper Staats, according to coach Becky Nielsen.
Juniors shoot at Papillion
Junior Division Blair and Fremont marksmen started their ECTC seasons Saturday, too, but in Papillion. A Blair Blue lineup took first as a team, taking out 215 targets. Henry Heuton led the lineup, going 45-for-50, while Greyson Nixon, Jackson Kempcke, Noah Marquiss and Greyson Nichols also made key contributions.
Elkhorn Navy took second with 210 targets as well, while the Fremont Black lineup was third with a 204 score. Fremont team members were Cade Lynch, Sam Henggeler, Landon Beattie, Lakyn Deming and Jack Fletcher.
In addition to those above, BYSS marksmen taking out 40 or more targets were Carter Doyle, Ryan Barta, Devon Lantry and Eli Stamm.
