In a pasture on his grandfather’s farm, a young Devin Harris first learned how to bust a clay pigeon. By the seventh grade, Harris had picked up competitive shooting as part of the local 4-H, just south of town in his hometown Kansas City, Missouri. When asked by his mom about the opportunity, he told her, “Yeah, might as well.”
A simple “might as well” turned into a passion for Harris, who caught on in competitive shooting and realized his hobby could become a collegiate scholarship opportunity. The sport led him across the state of Missouri to Hannibal-LaGrange University before the path eventually veered northwest to Seward, Nebraska.
These new surroundings at Concordia University, Nebraska felt different. Said Harris, “There were a lot of schools I saw where I walked on campus and thought, ‘Man, this is a Christian school in name only.’ Concordia was the first one I stepped on and said, ‘You know, I think this is where I need to be.’”
Harris liked it so much that he took advantage of an opportunity to continue competing as a graduate student. After transferring from Hannibal-LaGrange, Harris became one of the top shooters for Head Coach Dylan Owens’ Bulldogs during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. Harris wanted more after earning All-America honors this past spring at the 2026 ACUI Collegiate Clay Target National Championships.
With a degree in Business Administration (concentration in Marketing) in hand, Harris is working towards his MBA and hopefully a spot on the podium in the spring of 2027. In collegiate shooting, student-athletes are not governed by the NAIA (or NCAA) and are allowed to compete beyond four seasons. For Harris, the choice to return for the 2026-27 academic year was not a hard one.
Says Harris, “I came off the line after our last shot at nationals and told Coach Owens, ‘I'm going to be on that podium next year. I know what I need to do. Can you help me get there?’ I started working on a practice routine with him and just talking to him anytime outside of practice, trying to figure out what I need to work on week by week leading up to nationals to make sure I'm not making the same mistakes I did last year.”
Even on his ‘off days,’ Harris typically finds his way towards the top of Concordia’s high overall (HOA) leaderboard. In his first two cracks at the ACUI National Championships since putting on the Bulldog Blue vest, Harris has obliterated 545/600 and 555/600 targets, respectively, in the HOA scoring totals. Oftentimes, it’s been Harris and teammate Katie Welker-Luetje squaring off for the title of the team’s top performer. At last year’s Southeast Community College Invite, Harris won the HOA title on the men’s side and Welker-Luetje did the same on the women’s side.
But competitive people like Harris are always looking for bigger and better. A the 2026 National Championships, it took a 565/600 to achieve First Team All-America status. Harris intends to tighten up his game and put his name up with the best of the best in collegiate shooting.
Said Owens prior to the start of this season, “We're obviously excited to have Devin back. He and I talked a little bit at the end of last season after nationals and over the summer about refocusing on a few things that can really help him step up that much more. I think he can be great this year.”
In opening the ’26-27 campaign at the Fort Hays State Intercollegiate Shoot, Harris knocked out 404 of a possible 450 targets. He shot 95 in trap, which is not quite good enough in the eyes of Harris, who posted a 98 in San Antonio back in March. Even a slight loss of focus can dramatically affect the results.
Harris and any other competitor can tell you all about the mental battle. Each competition and each new range provides a different set of challenges. The top athletes are able to repeat their process consistently, yielding consistently excellent results.
“The general rule of thumb with this sport is you just need to be the best person there on that day,” Harris said. “Once that shoot is over, if you learn something from it, that's all that matters. That's not necessarily a representation of how you're going to perform the next week. You just have to remember that and be the best person there on that day. If you're not, learn from it, move on, implement what you learned in your practice, and make it count the next time.”
Throughout his journey, Harris has attempted to fine-tune his mechanics and mental focus while learning from several coaches and mentors, beginning with that day out in the pasture. Harris holds his former coach at Hannibal LaGrange in high regard, but when that coach departed, he began to consider other options. Harris had previously met Coach Owens and had entertained conversations with former Bulldog Claire Kee and her family.
The tour of Concordia’s campus sealed the deal for Harris. As he says, “The rest is history.” The culture of the team and the university are major reasons why Harris is still here, continuing to pursue his passions.
“A big part of me enjoying being at Concordia is the team,” Harris said. “I could learn anywhere. I could go to school anywhere, but the team is definitely a driving factor for why I came here and why I stuck around. Pretty much all my fun experiences here have had something to do with the team.”
Not so surprisingly for an outdoorsman like himself, Harris is also passionate about hunting and fishing. When it comes to duck hunting, Harris will sit outside in any type of weather – bitter cold, snow, biting winds, you name it. He’s also a fan of throwback country artists like the legendary Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.
Yep, that sounds like someone who would be comfortable on a range. Some of his favorite shooting ranges include Eagle’s Nest Sporting Grounds in Ohio and the one he frequented in Hannibal when he got his start as a college competitor.
In his present digs, Harris has gotten comfortable with locales such as Oak Creek Sporting Club, Lincoln Trap & Skeet and Heartland Public Shooting Park. It’s part of the road to the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, come March of 2027.
Says Harris, “You get there and realize that everything you've been doing throughout the season has been leading up to that moment … I’ve got to go out there and not get frustrated when I miss. Go out there and just shoot for the glory of God, and He'll take care of you.”
Whatever happens, Harris plans to keep on shooting. He’s back as a Bulldog for everything from the team camaraderie to the thrill of competition to the continued education within a Christian environment – and because, as he joked, the ammo is expensive.