HAYS, Kan. – The opening of the fifth season of Concordia University’s shooting sports programs (first as a varsity sport administered by the athletic department) got started with the Bulldogs placing sixth high overall among 12 teams at the Fort Hays State University Fall Intercollegiate Shoot (Sept. 15-16) in Hays, Kan. While making his debut as Concordia’s head coach, Scott Moniot showcased the largest roster in program history. All 33 Bulldogs competed at the event.
The Fort Hays State Shoot featured some of the top programs in the country, including national powerhouse Lindenwood University (Mo.). Moniot’s bunch showed they could be competitive. Concordia shooters combined to post 16 scores of 90 or better.
“I was really happy with some of the personal performances,” Moniot said. “We faced some adversity. We started out late because we had a kid go to a hospital. It kind of put the whole thing in motion late. Everybody did their jobs. We came home and I think everyone is pretty determined to get to work. They saw where we need to be if we want to be in contention. They saw they could do it. Two weeks from now we’re really going to get a good test to see where we’re going to be. I’m excited to see what happens.”
In terms of high overall, the top Bulldog performer in Hays was freshman Bryon Bacca, who shot 90/100 in both double trap and wobble. He finished the event by hitting 346 total targets. The top five high overall for Concordia included freshman Wyatt Hambly (343/400), senior Erin Lokke (337/400), freshmen Emily Rassmussen (335/400) and Colten Uitermarkt (334/400). A native of Saint Francis, Minn., Lokke is the most accomplished shooter in the young history of the program. She did her best work in wobble (92/100).
The highest total turned in by a Bulldog in any single event was the 98/100 from junior Monica Dale in wobble. Not only did Hambly shoot a 96 in trap, he also scored 90/100 in wobble. Baca (90 in both double trap and wobble), sophomore Wyatt Eriksen (93 in wobble, 93 in trap) and freshman Sam Philson (92 in wobble, 91 in trap) also turned in multiple scores of 90 or better.
One of the highlights for Moniot was also seeing his teammates rally behind freshman Damien Stewart, who suffered an ankle injury on Saturday, but still competed. Stewart shot off a swivel stool and was helped to the other stations by Bulldog teammates. Said Moniot, “People said that was the highlight of their weekend, seeing that kind of team bonding. I was pretty proud of those kids.”
Half of the team’s scores in the 90s came in wobble. As a team, Concordia placed sixth high overall in wobble.
The next event is coming up this weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Bulldogs will compete at the ACUI Western International Championship on Saturday and Sunday. Encouraged so far, Moniot has high hopes for what’s to come.
Said Moniot, “It was fun to take some of the talent we already had and mix it with the new talent. As a team we shot the highest score we ever shot in some of the events. It will be really interesting in two weeks when we go to our conference championship. I have a feeling if we do our job, people are going to take notice. That will give us a good barometer of how our talent compares, and I think we’re going to be in a pretty good spot.”