CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston trap shooting team completed week one of competition in the USA College Clay Target League. The Golden Eagles are in Conference 4 for the fall 2022 season. They are competing against Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, S.D., Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minn., Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, Pa., and Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore, Wis. Overall, the USA College Clay Target League has grown to 24 teams for the season.

The Golden Eagles are in third place in the conference with a score of 691.5. They are 39 points away from Lake Superior College in second, and 93 points away from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in first. UMN Crookston currently leads Mount Aloysius College by 361 points.

Minnesota Crookston was guided in week one by Nick Grams (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn.) and Lane Hanson (Fr.), who each hit 48-of-50 targets for an average of 24.0. Cole Girtz (Jr., Park Rapids, Minn.), Jaeden McCleary (Sr., Enderlin, N.D.), Hailey Olson (Jr., Albertville, Minn.), Brandon Van Den Einde (Fr., Fertile, Minn.), and Charles Walsh (Sr., Park Rapids, Minn.) each hit 47-of-50 targets for an average of 23.5. Josiah Bullivant (Sr., Dassel, Minn.), Alyssa Kasprick (Sr., Thief River Falls, Minn.), Heather Kaup (Fr., Forest Lake, Minn.), and Peyton Verbout (Sr., Goodridge, Minn.) each hit 46-of-50 targets for an average of 23.0. Lily Krona (So., Bemidji, Minn.) connected on 45-of-50 targets for an average of 22.5. Cali Gutknecht (Fr., Mayer, Minn.) and Collin Schlomann (Fr., Redwood Falls, Minn.) each hit 44-of-50 targets for an average of 22.0. Hunter Kasprowicz (So., Radium, Minn.) connected on 43-of-50 targets for an average of 21.5. Kelsey Harms (Fr., Norwood Young America, Minn.) hit 42-of-50 targets for an average of 21.0. Ellen Payne (So., St. Louis Park, Minn.) and Madie Wildfeuer (Sr., Ormsby, Minn.) each connected on 39-of-50 for an average of 19.5, while Ethan Benedict (Fr.) and Gracie Lunsetter each average 19.0 targets.

Olson was the third-best female shooter among all conferences during the first week with an average of 23.5. Kaup and Kasprick were tied for sixth for the best female scores with an average of 23.0. Olson was second of all female shooters in the conference, while Kasprick and Kaup tied for third. Krona was tied for eighth overall in the conference, while Gutknecht was tied for 10^th overall in the conference.