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Newton Trap Team members have been busy the past two weeks in trap, skeet and sporting clay competitions at other team’s home ranges.
On Saturday, the Cardinal shooters compete on their home range — the Jasper County Gun Club. The Newton club will host its annual high school trap shoot starting at 9 a.m. The Cardinals are set to shoot at 10:30 a.m.
This past weekend Newton began with a trap shoot at Knoxville on Saturday, competing against Pella Christian, Knoxville, Pella, Albia, Montezuma, North Mahaska and Southeast Warren. Newton’s varsity squads each had a combined score of 192 finishing 13th and 14 out of 20 squads in their division.
Allison Ulrey shot a 45 and took third place out of 24 in the varsity women’s division. Devon Young also shot a 45 and finished 18th out of the 88 in the varsity men’s division.
Newton junior squad members Brodee Vest, Blasé Byrd, Dylan Farver, Daniel Townsend and Trenton Winchell posted a combined score of 159 to finish in fifth place out of 10 squads. Vest was Newton’s top score in the junior varsity men’s division hitting 45 of 53 clay targets for fifth place.
Newton’s other full junior varsity squad of Malarie Zach, Ryan Brown, Jarrett Antle, Kalob Westercamp and Landon Gearhart finished in eighth place. Zach took third place in the junior varsity women’s division with a 35.
A few Newton shooters competed in the skeet event at Knoxville. Varsity members Dallas Schaeffer, Logan Zaabel and Joshua Adkison posted a squad total of 95 to take fifth place out of seven squads. Zaabel shot a 39 to finish in 10th place out of 33 in the men’s division. Brooke GIfford finished in seventh place out of eight in the women’s division.
On Sunday, Newton was led by Zaabel in a sporting clays event at Maxwell. Zaabel had a score of 41 for eighth place. Newton had five team members competing in a field of 17 shooters. Other teams competing were Ballard, Nevada, Pella, Solon and Waterloo Christian.
“We didn’t have the best scores this weekend. The weather was a big factor for us I think,” Newton coach Paul Klein said. “It was really rainy and cold both days, and I think the kids just weren’t focusing as hard as they should have. Hopefully, we will see better weather this Saturday for our home trap meet at the Jasper County Gun Club.”
On April 22, Newton top varsity squad shot an 181 for 10th place at a trap shoot hosted by Ankeny Centennial High School. Teams competing with Newton were Ankeny, Knoxville, Gilbert, Des Moines and Baxter.
Brian Bleakney posted the highest individual score for Newton with a 44, placing 12th out of 70 senior varsity division. In the junior varsity division, Newton’s highest squad score was 165 for a fifth place finish. Vest shot a 41 to take 11th out of 43 in the senior junior varsity division.
“It was a bit windy that day and that effects how the clays fly. Our scores overall could have been better but hopefully the team members will recover and shoot better,” Klein said after the meet.
The Cardinals shot skeet and sporting clays against Pella and Marshall County on April 24 at the Big Springs Shooting Range in Searsboro.
Evan Cook was the high score in skeet with a 39 to finish in ninth place out of 32 senior division shooters. In sporting clays, Zaabel took fourth place in the senior men’s division, shooting a score of 40. Ulrey finished third in the women’s senior division with a 34.
“We are improving in the skeet and sporting clays events,” Klein said “A lot of these teams practice skeet and sporting clays regularly. We get the majority of our exposure to both disciplines by going to competitions, so for us to have team members finishing in the upper half is pretty good.”
Newton is back at Big Springs on Monday for another skeet shoot.
Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com