Pekin Family
This week, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) state trapshooting championships at the Iowa State Trapshooting Association home grounds just north of Cedar Falls. The Cardinal Pekin Dust Devils Trap Team will have 16 athletes that will be competing at this event.
Over 2,000 youth from over 100 Iowa teams are scheduled to participate. The Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program has grown from nearly 400 athletes in 2007 to about 3,700 today. Iowa has been the largest state across the nation in the Scholastic Clay Target Program for the past several years. There is no “bench” in the shooting sports so everyone gets to play regardless of athletic ability. The sport is also co-gender and accommodating to those with disabilities. Many Iowa schools offer varsity letters for trapshooting athletes requiring shooters to follow the same academic standards and good conduct policies as other student-athletes. Most teams in Iowa begin practices in March and compete in dual, triangular and invitational meets throughout the spring. Teams are coached by adult volunteers who are certified through the Iowa DNR Basic Shotgun Coach certification program. Firearms safety is always emphasized and the sport is safer than other popular sports offered in schools today. In the years past, Iowa teams have logged approximately 600 competition events between September and June and fired at over 1.6 million clay targets in the local competitions alone. An additional 500,000+ clay targets will be thrown this week at the 5 day trap championship event.
Our 2021 State qualifiers are:
Will Adam, Camryn Clubb, and Colton Zaputil will be competing today in the Intermediate Division (Wednesday 6/9).
Arron Silvers, Ian Silvers, Ava Howell, Johnny Guiter, Levi Coleman, Stephen Troxel, Luke Enloe, Alex Dix, Tobi Kaska, Joanna McKim, Tyson Paris, Owen Rupe, and Conner Yeoman will be competing at the JV and Varsity Level on Sunday (6/13)
Please join me in congratulating these athletes and wish them the best of luck at State!