PCM’s Harney signs to compete in sports shooting at HCC

MONROE — Family history prompted Prairie City-Monroe High senior Dawson Harney to chose competing in a high school trap shooting club. Harney has been competing for three years with the Baxter Trap Team.

On Thursday, Harney signed a letter of intent to compete collegiate sports shooting next year at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo. Sports shooting — trap shoot — is not a sanctioned high school sport in Iowa but is a growing spring club sport.

“My grandpa starting shooting when he was young and he got my dad into it,” Harney said. “My dad stop for 30 some years then got back into it once I got into it. It took off from there.”

Harney has an average of 24-of-25 of clay targets. His highest score has been 99-of-100 clay targets in competition.

“I visited a couple of colleges and I just felt comfortable at Hawkeye. When I met Troy, he made me feel I belonged there and competing for them.”

Troy Emley is the head sports shooting coach at Hawkeye Community College. The Red Tails have 13 national championships in sports shooting.

“He has had good averages so I knew he had potential doing very well for us and be a part of the team,” Emley said. “He has a fire to compete and a desire for the shooting sports.

Emley said Harney shoots trap in high school so they will look to expand his shooting skills into skeet and sport clays.

“He has good form and good fundamentals which will help him in the other types of shooting,” Emley said.

Harney said he believed he can give the Red Tails’ program good scores as he continues to develop his shooting skills. “And good grades,” he added.

Harney plans to major in sustainable construction at HCC.

“I’d like to go as far as I can in the sport — on to a four-year college or maybe the Olympics,” Harney said.

Harney is the son of Lisa and Rick Harney of Runnells.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
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