MARENGO, Ohio – The work of sophomore Justin Zuhlke and freshman Erin Lokke highlighted the third outing of the season for Concordia University trap and skeet. Zuhlke shined in the trap competition, placing second among a field of 199 shooters of institutions from around the country. As a team, the Bulldogs placed 12th among all 16 teams with a score of 1,938 out of 2,500 at the 2015 Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) National College Championships held in Marengo, Ohio, Oct. 30 – Nov. 1.
“It was rewarding to see our hard work pay off against the top collegiate teams in the nation,” said head coach Joel Helmer. “The team is maturing and becoming more consistent in its pre-shot routines while recognizing the level of concentration and preparation it takes to become a nationally competitive shooter. The team is excited about their final competition of the fall season this coming weekend and I think we are peaking at just the right time.”
Zuhlke, a native of Beaver Dam, Wis., put on a show with a 198/200 in trap. After missing his 48th clay, Zuhlke ran the table by hitting 152-straight targets in windy conditions. On the women’s side, Lokke shot 47/50 in skeet, tying for second among all female shooters in the event. That performance put her 47th overall out of 186 competitors in skeet.
Sophomore Seth Willard topped Concordia in the categories of 200 Target Sporting Clays and 50 Target 5-Stand with scores of 144/200 and 38/50, respectively. Willard also finished second on the team to Zuhlke in trap (177/200). A total of nine Bulldogs made the trip to Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo.
As a team, Concordia placed second in in skeet in its division with Lokke leading the way. The Bulldogs also got solid performances from Korbin Reich (44/50), Mark Bender (43/50), Kendall Schick (43/50) and Ethan Cradick (43/50). In 5-Stand, Concordia placed third thanks in part to Willard’s marksmanship. He was followed in the event by Schick (36/50), Charron (35/50), Lokke (34/50) and Reich (30/50).
In overall team scoring, Concordia placed higher than Purdue University, Slippery Rock University, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Nicholls State University. Lindenwood University won the overall competition with a score of 2,342.
Helmer’s Bulldogs are set to return to action on Saturday and Sunday at the two-day Upper Midwest Conference Championships at Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Neb. Concordia will then break from competition until March 2016.
Sophomore Justin Zuhlke