The Eastern Cornhusker Trapshooting Conference (ECTC) season officially starts Saturday.
Last weekend, though, Blair Youth Shooting Sports (BYSS) and a few visiting teams took aim at 100 clay targets from 16 yards away.
“It's like a little practice for everybody,” Blair senior Riley Brodersen said.
Hayden White and Anissa Hill, who are both Iowa Western Community College recruits, noted individual goals for the day when asked.
“Have fun and kind of just see how high I can get my score,” White said.
“My main thing is just focus, and making sure I keep my head in it,” Hill added.
Junior Kalvin Kies, meanwhile, treated the chilly morning shoot as if it were a key ECTC event.
“Practicing perfection,” he said, explaining the day's process. “Making sure I'm doing everything correctly.”
In the end Saturday, Kies led BYSS' Senior Division marksmen with a 96-for-100 showing from 16 yards. Tyler Hume took out 94 clay targets, while Triston Clausen (92), Harry Kies (91) and Brodersen (91) succeeded on more than 90 percent of their shots, too.
Jaydyn Backman led the Blair girls with an 87-for-100 showing, while Landry Benoit topped BYSS' Junior shooters with a score of 81.
“I think we're all looking to do a little bit better this year,” Kalvin Kies said when asked about the Blair Gold lineup's third-place finish at last year's championship shoot — the Cornhusker Trapshoot. “Just improve from last year. You know, you can always improve. You can always get better mental conditioning for this coming trap season.”
White doesn't disagree.
“I'm just trying to keep what I've got and, hopefully, get better,” the future Reiver said.
Brodersen said his grandfather keeps him prepared.
“He taught me everything I know,” he said. “He just kind of runs me through it, and it's just, like, the same thing over, over, over and over again.”
Along with those mentioned, Elijah Tabor also earned a medal at the state shoot in Doniphan last year. He's back this season as is much of the BYSS girls' lineup.
“I love that the old squad from last year is back,” Backman said. “We love each other a lot.”
She further explained the girls' bond.
“We uplift each other. We support each other,” Backman added. “I did terrible at state and one of the girls was so sweet. I cried on her shoulder.”
Hill was Blair's top finisher at the 2023 Cornhusker Trapshoot. She's prepping for college this season, but also “hoping to be up on the podium somewhere,” she said of the state regional competition.
Brodersen, meanwhile, wants to be at the very top in boys competition at the Doniphan range.
“My goal is to win state because other years I got pretty close,” he said. “This time I just want to get first since it's my last year.”
To start, though, BYSS needs to compete in the ECTC, starting with a trip to Harry A. Koch Trap and Skeet in Omaha this Saturday. It's why White answered a question about what he was looking forward to this spring with the following answer.
“Any and every shoot.”
2024 BYSS ROSTER
Senior Division: Michael Amandus, Jaydyn Backman, Gavin Baker, Tyler Behnk, Gaige Bolton, Evan Brodersen, Riley Brodersen, Hunter Camenzind, Triston Clausen, Haleigh Deming, Evie Hearn, Anissa Hill, Aaron Hinman, Rory Hiser, Tyler Hume, Harry Kies, Kalvin Kies, Jase Lantry, Jager Leichleiter, Alyssa Lode, Emily Loerzel, Colton Nixon, Aaron Pierce, Revlyn Rasmussen, Bella Reynolds, Morgan Shaner, Elijah Tabor, Henry Valasek, Jake Vanek and Hayden White.
Junior Division: Levi Acre, Tregan Baker, Landry Benoit, Chick Christensen, Came Clements, Carter Doyle, Henry Heuton, Jackson Kempcke, Devon Lantry, Noah Marquiss, Greyson Nichols, Greyson Nixon, Eli Stamm, Gage Vaughan, Ryker Villwok and Brock Warner.
