Owatonna Trap Shooting Team Takes Aim at Alexandria

Owatonna High School's trap shooting team competes at the state championships in Alexandria Friday. This is the Huskies first year of fielding a team in the clay target league.

The top teams there will be invited to the Minnesota State High School League sanctioned event in Prior Lake Saturday June 24. Even if the Huskies don't make the cut for that tournament, it will have been a successful debut season. Coach Dave Schroeder told the KRFO coaches show recently, "Season number one was just outstanding."

OHS finished toward the top of their conference standings after the five-week competition season, "Third place is wonderful for our first year." Conferences are set up based on team size, not on geography or school enrollment. The Huskies competed against Cambridge-Isanti, Alden-Conger, Benilde-St. Margaret's, Mora, Crookston and Spring Lake Park. Teams shoot at their home club every week and compare scores online. Friday's meet at Alexandria is the team's first road trip.

Schroeder says the team began holding classes on safety and trap shooting etiquette shortly after the school board approved the sport last August. Owatonna had 43 shooters on the team from eighth through twelfth grade. The level of experience varied, "We had a wide range of experience from hardly ever even shooting a shotgun before to some other ones who are very accomplished." All participants must have their firearm safety certificate to qualify.

OHS has nineteen shooters registered for the Alexandria event. Unlike the true team scoring used during the regular season, only five scores will count on Friday. The top teams will represent Class 5A at the MSHSL event June 24 in Prior Lake.