CEDAR FALLS — The Solon Spartans Trapshooting team of six first-year and thirteen returning athletes concluded their 2025 season with personal bests and promises for the future at the Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) Trap Championships last week in Cedar Falls. Throughout the regular season the team competed in the three disciplines of trapshooting known as singles, handicap, and doubles at eight local meets since starting at the end of March. The Iowa SCTP Trap Championships is one of the largest in the United States with over 3,300 athletes ranging in age from fourth grade through high school demonstrating their skills and challenging each other over the course of seven days, Monday, June 2, through Sunday, June 8. To further emphasize the magnitude of the event, a total of more than 4,500 entries in the three disciplines were recorded with over 820,000 targets thrown into the sky for the athletes to demonstrate their marksmanship.

Varsity level athletes consist of those who are sophomore through senior years in high school. Of these, 970 men participated in the 200-target singles competition. The Solon Spartans had five registered with Allen Shima breaking 195 targets, Ethan Ressler hitting 192, Kacey Craig blasting 185, Caden Stull hitting 183, and Brayden Netolicky shooting 147. Alannah Mahoney hit 190 targets and Morgan Bleeker busted 140 targets in the women’s varsity competition.

Junior Varsity is made up of high school freshmen or upperclassmen who are shooting for their first year and they also compete in a 200-target singles competition. The Solon Trapshooting team had three in the JV division, first year shooter, Bubba Kreps, shot 155 targets, Dylan Dunnwald hit 151 and newcomer, Alina Steele smashed 126 targets.

Sixth through eighth graders compete at the Intermediate level in Singles. Leading our intermediate squad was Conor Mahoney shooting 171 targets, closely followed by Arthur Martin hitting 170 targets and Nathan Cross smashing 169. Lincoln DeWild crushed 148 with a broken arm and Jeremiah Bartlett broke 92 targets before succumbing to illness during the second round of shooting.

Four of the newest team members also fared well despite the stressful day filled with rain and wind as well as time and location changes throughout the day in their first time state competition experience. Jack Dunnwald shot 143, Connor Steele smashed 137 targets, Charles Ferin hit 111 and Abe Singbeil blasted 82 targets.

In Senior Varsity 100-target Handicap competition, Alannah Mahoney picked off 76 targets and Morgan Bleeker hit 50 on the ladies side while in the men’s division Kacey Craig hit 84, Allen Shima and Ethan Ressler each broke 75 clays and Caden Stull shot 68 targets. Dylan Dunnwald hit 58 in the JV men’s division. Arthur Martin and Connor Mahoney hit 81 and 77 targets respectively for an intermediate handicap score.

For the Senior Varsity 100 target Doubles competition, Allen Shima blasted 83, Ethan Ressler shot 79, Alannah Mahoney hit 76, Caden Stull smashed 74, Kacey Craig busted 72 targets. Dylan Dunnwald hit 67 in the junior varsity division. In the intermediate division, Connor Mahoney shot 82 and Arthur Martin hit 63 targets. First year Charles Ferin blasted 56 for a doubles score in the intermediate entry level division.

Coaches Eric Bilskie, Kevin Shima, Kyle Mahoney, Tim Ressler, and Melissa Ressler, were all pleased with the adaptability of the newest team members during an adverse weather day and the leadership provided by the returning members throughout the season. The results at the Iowa SCTP Trap Championships demonstrated the hard work put in by all of the athletes and those who will return next year look forward to building upon the results and continued growth. The Solon Spartan Trapshooting team will have a full squad of freshmen making up a complete JV squad with experience and more than enough for a full squad of seniors that have been competing together for four full years. Coaches are planning on an abbreviated season for experienced shooters again this fall. If you have interest in joining the Solon Spartan Trapshooting Team, our coaching staff or helping financially with sponsorships, please contact [email protected].