Uitermarkt turns in perfect score, Bulldogs break school record in trap

By Concordia University, Nebraska on Sep. 18, 2019 in Shooting Sports

HAYS, Kan. – An anticipated season is underway for the Concordia University shooting sports program, which is in the second year of head coach Scott Moniot’s tenure. Twenty-nine Bulldogs competed last week at the Fort Hays State Intercollegiate Shoot (Sept. 14-15) in Hays, Kan. The results were encouraging with the Bulldogs besting the rest of the field in trap.

The Fort Hays State Shoot provided a good early season indicator of where Moniot’s group stands. With its school record total of 493 (out of 500) in trap, Concordia outgunned many of the nation’s top-known shooting programs such as Fort Hays State, Midland and Lindenwood University (Mo.).

“All things pointed to this event for us to see how we were going to play the game,” Moniot said. “We knocked off four past national championship teams in trap. The kids were on a pretty emotional high. We also turned around and did a pretty good job in skeet, which is one area we need to keep working on. Our girls are really amazing and our guys are not far behind. All in all, we had a good weekend.”

Hot, muggy and windy conditions greeted the field of competitors at the Fort Hays State Shoot. It didn’t seem to bother Bulldog sophomore Colten Uitermarkt who shot a perfect 100/100 in trap. He was the only shooter in the competition to accomplish that feat. Sophomores Nicole Breese (99/100), Wyatt Hambly (99/100), Bryon Baca (98/100) and Tommy Sosso (97/100) also contributed to the team’s record breaking performance in trap. Hamby also shot a 97 in doubles trap to take first out of the entire field.

Concordia shooters also entered the skeet and doubles trap disciplines. Among the 10 teams at the Fort Hays State Shoot, the Bulldogs placed fourth in skeet (461) and fifth in doubles trap (455). The top five scorers on the squad in skeet were Utiermarkt (95/100), sophomore Sarah Schwacher (93/100), freshman Chris Birkshire-Lewis (92/100), sophomore Damien Stewart (91/100) and Hambly (90/100). The top five in doubles trap were Hambly (97/100), freshman Cole Hammond (93/100), Baca (90/100), Sosso (88/100) and senior Sabra Moore (87/100).

In terms of high overall, host Fort Hays State (1,915) cracked the most total targets. Concordia did not factor into the high overall standings because it did not shoot in wobble (which is not a conference event).

This past week, four Bulldogs missed the Fort Hays State Shoot in order to compete at the U.S. Olympic Shotgun Trials in Kerrville, Texas. Those who went down to Kerrville included freshman Blake Greckel, senior Monica Dale, graduate assistant Erin Lokke and junior Emma Van Donselaar.

Concordia will return to action this Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 21-22) at the Midland University Ice Out. Competition is set to get started at 9 a.m. CT both days from Lincoln Trap & Skeet Club in Lincoln, Neb.