Shotgun Sports Finishes Fifth at Nationals

(San Antonio, TX) – The Hastings shotgun sports team competed at the ACUI & SCTP Collegiate Nationals beginning on Mar. 17. Among the 31 teams in the division three section, Hastings was fifth with 2724 points. In the whole competition, Hastings was 19th out of 103 teams.

As a team in the division three section, the Broncos were third in super sporting, fourth in doubles trap, fifth in doubles skeet and sporting clays, sixth in skeet, and 20th in trap.

Junior Hunter Gilbertson had the best overall individual score for the Broncos, finishing 64th with a score of 550. In the open competition, he was tied for third in doubles skeet with a 96 score and ended up fourth after the tiebreaker. Sophomore Tucker Carpenter had a score of 547 and also finished in the top 80, taking 75th. Carpenter was in a seven-way tie for first in the skeet open competition with a 99 score, ultimately taking fifth, as well as sixth in super sporting. Gilbertson and Carpenter each earned All-American honorable mention honors for their performances at Nationals.

Junior Austin Hofts was the other Bronco in the top 100 of the combined men and women scores, placing 92nd with a score of 544. He took fifth in the doubles trap competition with a score of 96. Sophomore Hannah Sears was 100th out of the women's competitors, scoring 469, which was 578th overall. In the women's open, she was fifth in skeet and 11th in doubles trap.

Also competing for Hastings out of the 776 total individuals at the National shootout was senior Rennick Turner (265th, score of 525), senior Tanner Dager (270th, score of 525), senior Kyle Frederick (346th, score of 514), junior Hayden Thomason (347th, score of 513), sophomore Chase Wieczorek (431st, score of 500), and sophomore Jake Royal (511th, score of 483). Wieczorek was also ninth with an 89 score in the open sporting clays competition.

The Broncos will now look to the offseason as they prepare for next season.