Full Results | Concordia Results (PDF)
SEWARD, Neb. – Pristine weather conditions greeted the field of 12 teams and nearly 250 competitors at the Midland Warrior Invite held at Lincoln Trap & Skeet Club in Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 20-21. Senior Katie Welker headlined the efforts of Concordia University, Nebraska Shooting Sports as she won the high overall female championship. As a team, the Bulldogs placed seventh HOA while up against usual suspects such as Fort Hays State University (Kan.), Midland University and William Penn University (Iowa). Competitors were tested in three disciplines: trap, sporting clays and skeet.
Head Coach Dylan Owens’ team cracked 1,341 targets towards the HOA leaderboard. The event marked the third outing of the fall semester for Concordia. Eighteen athletes represented the program.
“It was probably the best weather conditions we’re going to get,” Owens said. “We shot pretty decently. We’re still a little lower than we need to be, especially looking at where we are compared to our conference opponents. We’re going to have to be in the 490s in trap and skeet to have a chance. It’s tough, but we have the capability of doing it. We’re seeing a lot of good growth in our athletes. I want to give a big shoutout to Brianna Helsene. She came out and ran 100 in trap. We had the only two females shoot 100 in trap. I’m excited for this coming weekend.”
One week after placing fourth HOA among women at the Simpson College Invite, Welker rose to the top at the Midland as she shot 100 in trap, 85 in sporting clays and 94 in skeet for a total of 279. Welker wound up in a shoot-off with her teammate Helsene for the women’s trap title. Welker was also best HOA among Bulldogs. She was followed in the team’s top five HOA by seniors Devin Harris (274) and Cael Washburn (258), sophomore Clayton Gellerman (255) and senior Kaylee Hinton (255).
Concordia came away from the Midland Invite with team placements of fifth in trap (485), sixth in skeet (475) and ninth in sporting (378). While Welker and Helsene shot perfect 100s in trap, the Bulldogs were paced by Devin Harris in skeet (99) and Welker in sporting (85). Also in trap, Clayton Gellerman shot 96 and Brody Ferguson came through with a 95. In skeet, Hinton (97), Washburn (94) and Welker (94) each shot 94 or better. Ten Concordia athletes cracked the team’s top five in one or more of the three disciplines.
Welker (Hamill, S.D.) struggled in the final box in skeet but showed the mental resolve to bounce back in sporting and trap. Said Owens, “Katie came off a rough ending in skeet and then had to shoot a tough sporting clays course. She still put up an 85, which is a really good score. Then she turned around and ran 100 in trap on Sunday. That’s the mindset you have to have if you’re going to win a high overall. You just keep shooting and grinding.”
The Prairie Circuit Conference Championships will take place Friday through Sunday at Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Neb., a change in venue from previous conference shoots that were held in North Platte, Neb. At last season’s conference competition, the Bulldogs placed third behind Fort Hays State and Midland.