TAKING AIM — The Fairmont trap shooting team is aiming to place high in the upcoming Minnesota State Championship June 12-20 in Alexandria. Team members are first row (left to right): Cole Nawrocki, Reece Buntjer, Guy Davis, Myles Ahrens, Ty DeBoer, James Hill, Jacob Wiemers, Lucas Mosloski, Ayden Vogt and Brock Rodning. Second row: Payton Hanson, Talan Hanson, Bryan Ditzler, Daniel Calkins, Wyatt Survis, Lucas Kotewa, Logan Cole, John Carr and Logan Droegemueller. Third row: Brittney Lopau, Ethan Madsen, Maddox Isenberg, Austin Walters, Deacon Appel, Nola Geronsin, Gavin Junkermeier, Gunner Wells, Zayden Werner and Vaedah Werner. Fourth row: Dane Breitbarth, Brayden Koch, Adam Wohlhuter, Ethan Buchan, Hunter Sommer, Leah Becker, Cole Wiemers, Lucas Malo and Ethan Geerdes. Fifth row: Brennon Day, Marcus Eckles, Allison Redepenning, coach Roger Wokasch, coach Deb DeBoer, coach Scott Fuhrman, RSO Kevin Buchan, Caiden Padgett, Zander Johnson and Ben Moeller. Back row: Coach Rich Wolf, Cass Davis, assistant coach Carol Fuhrman, RSO Don McGregor, coach Curt Peterson, Jamie Mueller, and RSO Kirk Morris. Not pictured: Grady Moore; coaches Brian Gregor, Brian Boltjes and Teri Woody; and RSOs Chuck Northwick, Ryan Aherns, Collin Cunning, Darin Hoefker and Joe Kallemeyn. (Photo courtesy of Seifried Portrait Design)

FAIRMONT — The upcoming trap shooting state meet are right around the corner and Fairmont’s 32 competitors will have all guns blazing.

Under the tutelage of head coach Scott Fuhrman, the team has excelled. Fuhrman is a long-time trap shooter who brings his expertise to the team.

“I’ve been involved in trap shooting a long time, and I can remember as a kid going with my dad to the gun club to shoot. It’s something kids from sixth grade through high school can do. We have fun with this team, but all of our kids understand the importance of gun safety and respecting everyone associated at the events.”

All high school trap shooting teams compete in a state-wide competition from June 12-20 in Alexandria, and those shooters who qualify advance to a state-wide competition the following week. Fairmont team member Dane Breitbarth has already qualified for the state finals, thanks to his top 20-ranking among the 9,400 high school trap shooters throughout the state.

Seniors on the team are Adam Wohlhuter, Cass Davis, Gavin Junkermeier, Gunner Wells, Brayden Koch, Ethan Buchan, Daniel Calkins and Jamie Mueller.

Juniors are Reece Buntjer, Ben Moeller, Ethan Geerdes, James Hill, Cole Wiemers, Colby Leiding, Guy Davis, Jacob Wiemers, Allison Redepenning, Deacon Appel and Leah Becker.

Sophomores on the squad are Caiden Padgett, Ethan Madsen, Grady Moore, and Brittney Lopau; freshmen are Lucas Mosloski, Cole Nawrocki, Myles Ahrens, Zayden Werner, Talan Hanson, Marcus Eckles, Zander Johnson, Hunter Sommer, Brennon Day and Nola Geronsin.

The trap shooting team also has sixth through eighth graders, too. Eighth-grade students are Breitbarth and Austin Walters.

Seventh graders on the squad are Wyatt Survis, Luther Malo, Vaedah Werner, Logan Cole, Ty Deboer, Brock Rodning, Maddox Isenberg, Lucas Kotewa, Ayden Vogt and Bryan Ditzler.

The youngest team members are sixth-grade students Logan Droegemueller, John Carr and Peyton Hanson.

Each shooter has completed a state gun safety class, earning a certificate that carries over to hunting if they wish.

Each participant uses either a 12- or 20-guage shotgun during competitions and throughout the season they shoot at clay targets. They generate an individual score by the number of clays they hit.

There are five stations and each shooter has five clays to try to hit for a total of 50 each week. During the state competition, the competitors shoot 100 targets.

For the 12-gauge shotgun, participants use 1-ounce or 1 1/8-ounce shot in each round, and for a 20-gauge shot gun, they use 7/8-ounce shot. The state set the specifications for the gun and shot requirements.

“Everybody has their own preference what type of gun they use,” Fuhrman said. “Most use a 12-gauge, but some prefer a 20-gauge. Whatever makes them feel comfortable.”

Shooters who start in station one move to station two, two to three, three to four, four to five and five to one.

The team’s top shooters are Breitbarth, Buntjer, Padgett, Nawrocki, Moeller Wohlhuter, Ahrens, Geerdes and Davis for the boys, plus Vaedah Werner and Redepenning for the girls.

“We don’t make cuts; so everyone makes the team,” Fuhrman said. “Some schools have tryouts and make cuts, but we don’t turn away any boy or girl who wants to join the trap shooting team.”

The schools in the conference that includes Fairmont are Buffalo, Fergus Falls, Stewartville, Sauk Rapids, McGregor/ Aitken/Cromwell, Byron and Montevideo.

Clay targets are launched from a machine on either side of the shooter and travel 43 mph.

Breitbarth carries a 24.8 average to lead the team meaning he hits nearly all 25 each time he shoots. Fuhrman said he has missed only seven clays the entire season and those were during the first two weeks.