2020-21 Shooting Sports Schedule/Results
*2020 Prairie Circuit Classic Conference Champions
| Date | Event | Location | Recaps |
| Sept. 12 | Midland University/Iowa Western CC Tri | Omaha, Neb. | Recap |
| Sept. 13 | Midland University/Iowa Western CC Tri | Brainard, Neb. | Recap |
| Sept. 19-20 | Midland University Ice Out Invitational | Lincoln, Neb. | Recap |
| Sept. 25-27 | Prairie Circuit Classic Fall Championship | North Platte, Neb. | Recap |
| Oct. 3-4 | Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational | Brainard, Neb. | Recap |
| Oct. 10-11 | Hastings College Bronco Invitational | Grand Island, Neb. | Recap |
| Feb. 20-21 | University of Missouri Tundra Shootout | Columbia, Mo. | CANCELED |
| Feb. 27-28 | Lindenwood University Invitational | St. Charles, Mo. | Recap |
| March 6-7 | Doane University Tiger Invitational | Lincoln, Neb. | Recap |
| March 25-27 | ACUI National Championships | San Antonio, Texas | Recap |
2020-21 Shooting Sports Roster
| Year | Hometown | Previous School | |
| Ames Andelt | Fr. | Crete, Neb. | Crete HS |
| Nicole Breese | Jr. | Solon, Iowa | Solon HS |
| Monica Dale | Sr. | Burlington, Wis. | Wilmot Union HS / Simpson College |
| Daniel Cahoon | Sr. | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| Jessica Ciezki | Fr. | Waterford, Wis. | Waterford Union HS |
| Wyatt Eriksen | Sr. | Grand Island, Neb. | Grand Island Northwest HS |
| Blake Greckel | So. | Scottsbluff, Neb. | Scottsbluff HS |
| Wyatt Hambly | Jr. | Passo Robles, Calif. | Paso Robles HS |
| Claire Kee | Fr. | Gibbon, Neb. | Gibbon Public Schools |
| Abby Kepplin | Fr. | Omaha, Neb. | Home Schooled |
| Kyndle Kirby | Sr. | Palmer, Alaska | Palmer HS |
| Sydni Kroll | Jr. | Gibbon, Neb. | Gibbon Public Schools |
| Erin Lokke | Grad | Saint Francis, Minn. | Saint Francis HS |
| Russell Malterud | Jr. | North Branch, Minn. | North Branch Area HS |
| Breyer Meeks | Fr. | Filer, Idaho | Filer HS |
| Wayne Moore | Fr. | Surprise, Neb. | David City HS |
| Jack Nelson | Fr. | Kimberly, Idaho | Lighthouse Christian HS |
| Mackenze Origer | Sr. | Willow, Ark. | Houston HS |
| Emily Rasmussen | Jr. | Union Grove, Wis. | Union Grove HS |
| Monica Reed | So. | Natural Bridge, N.Y. | Home Schooled |
| Cally Rogers | Jr. | Bellevue, Neb. | Platteview HS |
| Sarah Schwacher | Jr. | Waterford, Wis. | Waterford Union HS |
| Emma Singer | So. | Spearfish, S.D. | Belle Fourche HS |
| Thomas Sosso | Jr. | Papillion, Neb. | Papillion La Vista HS |
| Damien Stewart | Jr. | Glenwood Springs, Colo. | Glenwood Springs HS |
| Breanna Tarras | So. | Antigo, Wis. | Antigo HS |
| Rebecca Tierney | Sr. | Charles City, Iowa | Charles City HS / Simpson College |
| Colten Uitermarkt | Jr. | Otley, Iowa | Pella Christian HS |
| Grace Weber | Jr. | Edwardsville, Ill. | Metro East Lutheran HS |
| Hannah Wiedebush | Sr. | Mansfield, S.D. | Warner HS |
| Autumn Wildfeuer | Sr. | Truman, Minn. | Martin Luther HS |
STAFF
Scott Moniot, Head Coach (3rd Year)
Erin Lokke, Graduate Assistant Coach
Season Preview: 2020-21 Concordia Shooting Sports
September 4, 2020
Head Coach: Scott Moniot (3rd year)
2020 National Finish: N/A (canceled due to pandemic)
2019 National Finish: 4th (out of 13 teams in “Division 2”)
2019-20 Highlights: Broke school records in wobble trap, skeet doubles and sporting clays; placed second at own Bulldog Sporting Classic; raised $87,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities; competed in nine official events (six in the fall semester and three in the spring semester).
Roster Breakdown: 31 total team members, including 24 returners and seven freshmen; roster features representation from the states of Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
2020-21 Roster | 2020-21 Schedule
Outlook
The 2019-20 season did not conclude with the dramatic finality that the typical ACUI National Championship would provide. However, spirits are high within the Concordia University Shooting Sports program as it enters the 2020-21 campaign. This will mark year three of Head Coach Scott Moniot’s tenure leading the Bulldogs. In the spring of 2019, Concordia claimed fourth place (in the “Division 2” grouping) at the national championship in San Antonio, Texas.
Moniot’s roster is 31 deep and has representation from 12 different states. Many of those names have the ability to emerge as standout performers in varying disciplines over the course of the season. That’s part of what makes Concordia such a threat.
“Anybody on this team on any given day could have a top performance,” Moniot said. “The nice thing about our sport is that everybody gets to play the game. It’s fun to see that talent develop and it could come from anywhere on the team. Everyone on our roster has the potential to take this to a high level.”
The Shooting Sports program at Concordia first got started in 2014-15, meaning it’s one of the youngest programs in the athletic department. The bar seems to be raised each year. Graduate assistant coach and alum Erin Lokke has garnered plenty of attention in her drive to become one of the world’s top shooters. As a team last season, the Bulldogs broke school records in wobble trap and skeet doubles at the Bronco Invitational and set a new program standard in sporting clays at an ACUI event in February.
On an individual level, Nicole Breese won the female high overall title at the Doane Invite, Colten Uitermarkt shot a perfect score in skeet at the Doane Invite and Wyatt Eriksen was perfect in trap at the Tundra Shootout. In her fifth season of collegiate competition, Lokke earned female all-conference honors at the Prairie Circuit Classic while Emma Singer and Breanna Tarras landed on the freshman all-conference squad. Moniot also sees the likes of juniors Wyatt Hambly and Sydni Kroll as two rising stars.
It’s near the end of week four of face-to-face classes and practice at Oak Creek Sporting Club is in full swing. It’s a much better feeling than what athletes all over the world felt back in March. Said Moniot, “It was pretty devastating. We worked all season to get ready for it and felt we were in a good spot. The excitement was there. We gave them some projects to work on over the summer, but a lot of them couldn’t go to the range and practice because everything was shut down. We’re here now to do our jobs. Let’s get to practice and make this happen. Wow, these kids were ready. They came with a hunger and a fire.”
Oak Creek Sporting Club has been home to the Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational for each of the two previous seasons. It’s a top-of-the-line facility in Brainard, Neb., roughly a 35-minute drive from campus. At least season’s home event (144 total shooters), the Bulldogs placed second out of 11 teams while being paced high overall by Hambly, Mackenze Origer, Bryon Baca, Cole Hammond and Blake Greckel.
Depth appears to be a strong suit again as Concordia readies for the fall portion of the schedule to get underway.
“I think everybody on the team has been working super hard,” said Kroll, a native of Gibbon, Neb. “We had a team camp the other week and everybody worked well together. I had a group of five and we all learned how to coach each other if Coach (Moniot) is helping someone else. I think the team is looking really good this year. All the freshmen are really outdoing themselves.”
At 6-foot-5, Hambly is a “large dude” by his own admission. Naturally, he thought football would be a good fit as a freshman in high school. After an accident resulted in a fractured skull and severe concussion, Hambly looked for non-contact sport opportunities. He picked up shotgun sports quite fast, first in his hometown of Paso Robles, Calif., before making a splash statewide and nationally.
“Not having nationals definitely pushed us to strive a little harder through the summer,” Hambly said. “We trained a lot harder working to get better at our job so that come this season we’re ready to go. We hope to complete our job to the best of our ability. We were on our own for shooting, but we definitely made the summer worth it. Looking at how our season has started off with practice we’re all very motivated to get back into competition.”
Moniot sees this program continuing to grow along with the sport as a whole. Participation is rising across the country at the high school level. Concordia has a lot to offer those potential recruits. Not only is Oak Creek one of the “premier sporting clay clubs in North America,” as Moniot puts it, the program is about to have the use of an indoor training room (inside the newly completed Dunklau Center). Moniot says it will have the look of a big video game with considerable value to the athletes. Says Moniot, “We can micromanage and detail out how we want to approach a target, how we want to shoot a target and get the visual feedback on a screen. It’s going to be pretty techy.”
It’s another tool for a well-armed program. Moniot believes strongly in the firepower his squad possesses. By staying true to the process and doing “the job,” the Bulldogs hope to catch up to rivals and highly accomplished shooting programs like Fort Hays State University. In 2019, Fort Hays State, Martin Methodist College and University of the Ozarks were the three teams to place above the Bulldogs at the ACUI National Championships.
“They have the potential, when we put this thing all together – all the disciplines – they’re good enough to play with anybody,” Moniot said. “In fact, they’re good enough to beat anybody. We broke school records throughout the course of the whole season last year so that was pretty exciting. We had some really high moments. That’s why (not having nationals) was a real letdown. We had all the pieces. We were hoping to put them all together that one week in San Antonio.”
After some scheduling adjustments, Concordia is slated to begin action this fall with a weekend dual versus Midland, Sept. 12-13. Day one will take place in Omaha, Neb., before shifting to Oak Creek on day two.
Bulldogs place second at first shoot; Malterud perfect in trap
September 14, 2020
BRAINARD, Neb. – A mini shoot over the weekend (Sept. 12-13) provided the Concordia Shooting Sports Program the opportunity to open up the 2020-21 season. The Bulldogs had not competed at an event since the Doane Invitational back on March 7-8. This particular event matched Concordia against Midland and Iowa Western College in a triangular. Day one of the shoot took place in Omaha before shifting to the home of the Bulldogs (Oak Creek Sporting Club) in Brainard, Neb., on day two.
While cracking 1,626 targets as a team, Concordia placed second behind Midland (1,641). Iowa Western (1,614) placed third. Junior Russell Malterud hit all 100 targets in trap as the lone perfect performance of the entire weekend. Concordia entered 28 total competitors into the event.
“It was nice to be able to get out there and go head-to-head with an opponent,” Moniot said. “It’s been a long time since the kids had a chance to really compete. One of the highlights was Russell Malterud shooting 100 straight in trap. That was pretty exciting for him to come out with that kind of focus. Our freshmen came out and performed really strong this weekend. Everybody shot good scores, but I think we have the potential to do more. All in all, I’m pleased with the weekend. We have some things to shore up and work on.”
While Malterud starred in trap, the top Bulldogs in terms of high overall (HOA) were Wyatt Hambly (323), Erin Lokke (321), Nicole Breese (316), Wyatt Eriksen (313) and Rebecca Tierney (308). Among females, Lokke, Breese and Tierney went 1-2-3 on the HOA leaderboard. Hambly placed second HOA among men behind only Midland’s Dino Manuel (326).
On the women’s side, Concordia also swept the top spots in each of the disciplines courtesy of Lokke in trap (98) and sporting clays (87), Breese in skeet (98) and Tierney in double trap (42). As a team, the Bulldogs placed first in sporting clays (433) with the help of Eriksen (89), Hambly (89), Lokke (87) and Monica Dale (85). In double trap, Colten Uitermarkt posted the team’s top score of 48.
A much larger event is coming up this Saturday and Sunday at the Midland Ice Out in Lincoln. The first shots are scheduled to be fired at 9 a.m. CT on both days. Moniot expects the field to include competitors from eight or nine different schools.
Says Moniot, “We’re getting ready for another big event. This will give us a real good test to see where we’re really at. We don’t have a lot of time to fix things because we go to the conference championships the next week (Sept. 25-27) in North Platte. I think we have a good strategy for what we need to focus on this week.”
Bulldogs break through, win Midland Ice Out
September 21, 2020
LINCOLN, Neb. – This may be looked back at as being a watershed moment for Concordia University Shooting Sports. While cracking 1,881 targets as a team, the Bulldogs bested a field of 10 teams at the Midland Ice Out Invitational and won the event. Perennial power and host Midland finished 10 targets behind Concordia at the top of the heap. The event played out Sept. 18-19 at Lincoln Trap & Skeet Club.
Last week the Bulldogs placed behind Midland in a mini season-opening event that also included Iowa Western Community College. Head Coach Scott Moniot’s squad was led by junior Wyatt Hambly in terms of high overall (HOA). Hambly placed as the Midland Ice Out runner up.
The team total of 1,881 was achieved with scores of 439 in sporting clays, 483 in skeet, 234 in super sporting, 241 in double skeet and 484 in trap. Concordia beat out all other opponents in both skeet and double skeet. While the Bulldogs placed first HOA ahead of Midland, Iowa Western finished third, Connors State placed fourth and Doane checked in at fifth.
Hambly hit 373 total targets and placed second HOA behind Midland’s Jace Garza (380). Five other Concordia shooters placed inside the top 10: Rebecca Tierney (371), Colten Uitermarkt (371), Sarah Schwacher (370), Russell Malterud (369) and Erin Lokke (368). Tierney, Schwacher and Lokke went 1-2-3 in terms of female competitors.
Broken down by discipline, the Bulldogs boasted the top shooters in women’s sporting (Schwacher – 91), women’s skeet (Schwacher – 98), women’s double skeet (Tierney – 49), women’s trap (Nicole Breese/Lokke – 97) and men’s double skeet (Malterud – 49). Blake Greckel (49) tied for first in super sporting but finished in second after a shoot-off.
A total of 29 Bulldogs competed in the event. Eleven Concordia shooters knocked out 350 or more targets towards the HOA leaderboard. As the team HOA leader, Hambly shot 89 in sporting, 96 in skeet, 45 in super sporting, 47 in double skeet and 96 in trap.
Up next on the schedule is the Prairie Circuit Classic Fall Championship this Friday through Sunday (Sept. 25-27) in North Platte, Neb. The event serves as a conference championship event and precedes the Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational coming up Oct. 3-4.
Bulldogs claim first-ever conference championship in record setting day
September 28, 2020
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. – Once the smoke cleared (literally), the Concordia University Shooting Sports team celebrated the first conference championship in program history. The Bulldogs outgunned a field of nine teams at the Prairie Circuit Classic Fall Championship that played out at Lincoln County Wildlife Gun Club in North Platte, Neb., Sept. 25-27. Concordia cracked 2,277 targets while holding off second-place Midland (2,257) and third-place Connors State College (2,155).
As part of the successful weekend, Head Coach Scott Moniot’s squad broke school records in skeet and double trap. Individually, graduate student Erin Lokke won the high overall (HOA) competition (including men and women). She is the first Bulldog to ever claim the individual conference title.
“We put this plan in motion from the get-go as far as how we wanted to put a team together,” Moniot said. “We’ve been putting all the pieces together and developing this young talent. We changed our training last week and the kids executed the plan extremely well. We came away with a pretty resounding victory. I think everyone understands now why we’re training the way we are. They see how this is working and they see where it can go when we work as a team. We’re pretty excited about it.”
A fire from the next county to the west made for smoky conditions that reduced visibility in North Platte. The accomplished Lokke cut through the smoke by hitting 479 of 500 total targets. That put her five targets in front of Midland’s Jace Garza for the championship. Across the five disciplines, Concordia took first in trap, skeet and double skeet and second in sporting clays and double trap. The new school records were 493 in skeet and 484 in double skeet.
The Bulldogs continue to be utterly dominant in terms of female shooters. Concordia swept the women’s all-conference awards with Lokke being joined on the honor roll by Rebecca Tierney (442), Sarah Schwacher (441), Nicole Breese (441), Monica Dale (435) and Emily Rasmussen (428). On the men’s side, Colten Uitermarkt (462) and Wyatt Hambly (453) achieved all-conference accolades. The event also recognized a group of all-conference freshmen with Bulldogs Jessie Ciezki, Claire Kee, Abby Kepplin, Breyer Meeks and Jack Nelson each landing on the list.
Concordia’s top shooters in the disciplines that it placed first in as a team were as follows:
Trap (486):
· Erin Lokke (99)
· Jack Nelson (98)
· Wayne Moore (97)
· Colten Uitermarkt (96)
· Mack Origer (96)
· Wyatt Hambly (96)
Skeet (493):
· Colten Uitermarkt (100)
· Erin Lokke (99)
· Wyatt Ericksen (99)
· Wyatt Hambly (98)
· Five tied with 97
Double Skeet (484):
· Rebecca Tierney (98)
· Colten Uitermarkt (97)
· Sarah Schwacher (97)
· Erin Lokke (97)
· Claire Kee / Tommy Soso (95)
The field of competitors also included shooters from Eastern Oklahoma State College, Hastings, Jamestown, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, Northwest Kansas Technical College and Wayne State College. The perennially strong Fort Hays State University (Kan.) program has not competed this fall. The Prairie Circuit includes teams from a seven-state region.
“We didn’t leave a whole lot of targets out there,” Moniot said. “What Erin did was unbelievable shooting. She just shot lights out. It was pretty fun to watch. It’s fun to be grouped in with Midland (as two of the best teams in the nation). I don’t think we’re going to catch anyone by surprise anymore when they see the numbers we’ve put up the last few weeks. We’re a team that others are going to have to get through.”
The Bulldogs now get set to host the Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational this Saturday and Sunday at Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard, Neb. Action is slated to get started at 9 a.m. CT both days.
Concordia looks to defend home range
October 2, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – After winning its first conference championship in school history, the Concordia University Shooting Sports team will be hosting the Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational this weekend. The two-day invitational will take place on Oct. 3-4, at Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard, Nebraska. Start time is scheduled for 9 a.m. CT on both days.
In last week’s conference championships, the Bulldogs cracked 2,277 targets edging out second-place Midland by 20. History was also made when graduate student Erin Lokke won the high overall (HOA) competition. She is the first Bulldog ever to claim an individual conference title.
Across all five disciplines, Concordia took first in trap, skeet and double skeet while finishing second in both sporting clays and double trap. Lokke led the Bulldogs in the trap discipline as she carded a 99 and finished with a 99 to place second in skeet. Junior Colton Uitermarkt shot a 100 to lead Concordia in Skeet while senior Rebecca Tierney was the top finisher in Double Skeet with 98.
Concordia had a plethora of shooters garner all-conference honors. On the women’s side Erin Lokke, Rebecca Tierney, Sarah Schwacher, Nicole Breese, Monica Dale and Emily Rasmussen earned all-conference status. Colten Uitermarkt and Wyatt Hambly achieved all-conference accolades for the men.
The invitational field is abbreviated compared to years past, as some teams cannot travel out of state due to COVID-19 protocols. Teams competing are Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Northwest Kansas Technical College, Iowa Western Community College, Doane and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. In addition to the college shoot, Concordia will be hosting a shooting tournament for high schools.
After competing in the Bulldog Invitational, the Concordia Shooting Sports team will finish their fall slate at the Hastings Bronco Invitational on Oct. 10-11. The shoot is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT on both days.
Dale, Uitermarkt win titles, Bulldogs place second while hosting invite
October 5, 2020
BRAINARD, Neb. – For the fifth year in a row, the Concordia University Shooting Sports program put on the Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational. The 2020 edition of the invite took place this past weekend (Oct. 3-4) at Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard, Neb., and featured nearly 100 collegiate shooters from seven different institutions. The Bulldogs placed second behind rival Midland by hitting 1,316 targets.
Head Coach Scott Moniot’s squad has enjoyed a budding rivalry with Midland. A week earlier Concordia beat out the Warriors for the Prairie Circuit Classic conference championship. Midland won this time around with a total of 1,355.
“Midland and Fort Hays State (University) have been dominant forces in division 2 (breakdown at the ACUI national championships) for the last eight-to-10 years,” Moniot said. “Anytime you get a chance to go up against one of them you know it’s going to be a tough battle. Between us and Midland you’re talking about two teams that could be duking it out for a national championship. It’s fun to go head-to-head. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of rivalry and that kind of competition. It shows us where we can expect to be.”
Several individuals contributed to the second-place team finish while competing in the disciplines of super sporting and sporting clays. Bulldog junior Colten Uitermarkt topped all shooters at the event with a high overall (HOA) total of 276. When factoring in females only, Concordia’s Monica Dale (253), Sarah Schwacher (251) and Nicole Breese (249) went 1-2-3 atop the overall leaderboard.
Broken down by category, Bulldogs also claimed No. 1 spots via Dale (top super sporting female – 90), Wyatt Hambly (top super sporting overall – 97) and Schwacher (top sporting clay female – 176). The individual leaderboards continue to show the dominance of Concordia female shooters. Bulldogs went 1-2-3 on the female lists for both super sporting and sporting clays.
Uitermarkt placed second HOA among Bulldogs at the conference championships. He continues to raise his game. Said Moniot, “Colten started hitting his stride towards the end of last season. He threw up a couple 100s last year – one in skeet and one in trap. He’s really putting his game together. It’s pretty exciting to see how much growth he’s had in this past year. He’s taken the game from checkers to chess and he’s starting to master the game.”
Moniot also gives credit to Dave Miller for enhancing the level of his team. The Guinness World Record holder for most sporting clay targets shot in one hour, Miller (more than 20 years of experience in competitive shooting) provided the team instruction early in the fall semester. It’s made a big difference, particularly in the discipline of sporting clays (which used to be a weakness).
Nine Bulldogs hit at least 250 targets at the Concordia Sporting Invitational: Uitermarkt (276), Hambly (270), Russell Malterud (259), Jack Nelson (258), Blake Greckel (254), Wyatt Eriksen (254), Dale (253), Mack Origer (251) and Schwacher (251). The team’s top competitor at the Prairie Circuit Championship, graduate student Erin Lokke did not shoot at this event.
Concordia will finish the fall portion of its schedule this Saturday and Sunday with the Hastings Bronco Invitational in Grand Island, Neb. Action is slated to begin at 9 a.m. CT both days. The next event following this weekend will be the Missouri Tundra Shootout in Columbia, Mo., slated for Feb. 20-21.
Bulldogs finish fall by claiming Hastings Invite title
October 12, 2020
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – This fall has left no doubt that the arrow is pointing upward for the Concordia University Shooting Sports program. For the third time this season, the Bulldogs have claimed an event title. They knocked out 1,983 targets over the weekend (Oct. 10-11) while beating out a field of six teams at the Hastings Bronco Invitational. The event was staged at Heartland Shooting Park in Grand Island, Neb.
Head Coach Scott Moniot’s squad also earned first-place finishes at the Midland Ice out Invitational (Sept. 19-20) and the Prairie Circuit Classic Fall Championship (Sept. 25-26). The Bronco Invite put a bow on the fall competitive season for Concordia. This was it for a select group of seniors that will not return for the second semester.
“It was a bittersweet weekend,” Moniot said. “This was the last shoot for a couple of our seniors who are graduating in December. I think the emotions kind of hit us while we were there. There were a lot of good times, we had a lot of smiles and there were some tears shed by some of the kids, parents and teammates. We went out (this fall) on top, which is always fun. We had to be on our game.”
The Bronco Invite awarded recognition to the high overall (HOA) male and female of the event. The Bulldogs swept those honors thanks to juniors Colten Uitermarkt (404) and Sarah Schwacher (372). They played a big role in Concordia beating out their competitors in the form of Iowa Western Community College (second), Doane (third), Hastings (fourth), Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (fifth) and Wichita State University (Kan.).
Uitermarkt was also the champion of the Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational a week earlier. Uitermarkt paced Concordia in the events of skeet (98), skeet doubles (90) and sporting clays (75) on his way to a total of 404. Four other Bulldogs also shot a 98 in skeet: sophomore Blake Greckel, senior Mack Origer, Schwacher and junior Damien Stewart. Concordia leaders in the other disciplines were senior Monica Dale and junior Russell Malterud (96 apiece) in trap and Greckel and Origer in super sporting (48 apiece).
The Bulldog top five in terms of HOA were Uitermarkt (404), junior Wyatt Hambly (392), Malterud (387), Stewart (375) and Schwacher (372). Senior Rebecca Tierney (365) placed second HOA among females, behind only Schwacher.
From a team perspective, the Bulldogs outshot the opposition in each category other than skeet doubles (defeated 435-428 by Iowa Western). The team totals in each of the additional disciplines were: 475 in trap, 490 in skeet, 355 in sporting clays and 235 in super sporting.
The momentum continues to build for Concordia Shooting Sports as it ends the fall season. The Bulldogs will soon have an on-campus training room to go along with their home range of Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard, Neb. The idea is for Concordia to reach its peak at the ACUI National Championships in the spring.
Says Moniot, “We started off a couple years and switched from a club into the athletic program. We’ve made strides every year. The kids are growing and getting better. They’re attitudes this year have been fantastic. I think they realized that they were fortunate for Concordia to make a commitment to put a full season in with all the unknowns. We shot just as many competitive targets this fall as we ever have. I think our kids are pleased to be on this team, and they’re going to continue to work hard … now the focus is on getting ready for nationals in the spring.”
The next event on the schedule is the University of Missouri Tundra Shootout slated for Feb. 20-21, 2021, in Columbia, Mo. The Tundra Shootout will be one of two spring semester events prior to the national championships in San Antonio, Texas.
Bulldogs win SCTP virtual competition
October 19, 2020
SCTP Fall College Virtual Competition Results
SEWARD, Neb. – In a unique event, the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) sponsored a virtual competition for colleges across the nation. The event required no travel or fees to compete. The Concordia University Shooting Sports team took first place in both trap and skeet in the Division I breakdown of the SCTP Fall College Virtual Competition. Winners were announced on Thursday, Oct. 16.
Head Coach Scott Moniot’s squad posted team scores of 610 in trap and 618 in skeet while beating out Schreiner University (second place in both categories). Concordia’s individual winners included Erin Lokke in women’s trap (119) and women’s skeet (121), Russell Malterud in men’s trap (120) and Colten Uitermartk in men’s skeet (125). The Bulldogs swept the top three placements in each of the aforementioned individual categories.
The achievement added to the list of accomplishments this fall for Concordia, which won the Midland Ice Out Invitational, the Prairie Circuit Classic Fall Championship and the Hastings Bronco Invitational. The 2020-21 season will resume Feb. 20-21 at the University of Missouri Tundra Shootout.
SCTP features Bulldog charity work
November 19, 2020
The following blog post was written by Concordia University Shooting Sports Head Coach Scott Moniot for publication on the Scholastic Clay Target Program website. View the SCTP posting here: https://mysctp.com/sctp-team-volunteers-helps-raise-over-84k-for-ronald-mcdonald-house-charities/.
Coach Scott Moniot:
As a team, we look forward to volunteering our time to help with the RMHC Kids & Clays each year at Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard, NE. This event always takes place in the midst of our fall season…and we could make the choice to attend a collegiate event…but we don’t. The reason is that our Shooting Sports program is not just about shooting, but about character development and learning to serve others in tangible ways. The Kids & Clays event is the main fundraising opportunity for the Omaha/Lincoln RMHC, and to know we get to have a hand in helping fund the NE Ronald McDonald Houses is pretty special. Is it hard work and a couple of long days…absolutely…but knowing that the funds we help raise will go to help families who are facing a huge life crises helps to put some perspective on life, and the daily choices that can be made if we are willing to think of others and the circumstances they face. Our athletes served as the S/C referees as well as the side game and Concordia University challenge staff. Our athletes also cleaned up the 15 station course at the end of each day, that is always a big task.
Last year our team had 482 volunteer hours in helping RMHC Kids & Clays raise more than $87,000.00 during their Kids & Clays event at Oak Creek. This year with all the Covid-19 fear and caution the number of teams that attended were down considerably, but a truly inspiring thing happened! The teams that were able to participate dug deep and gave more of their financial resources to make it a big success. When the dust settled from all the side games and broken clays the CUNE Shooting Sports team recorded 453 volunteer hours and the RMHC raised over $84,000.00 to help hurting families….truly a win-win in my book.
Bulldogs make return to action, place third at Lindenwood Invite
March 1, 2021
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – For the first time since October, the Concordia University Shooting Sports team competed in an official event. While in action at the Lindenwood University Invitational over the weekend (Feb. 27-28), the Bulldogs placed third high overall (HOA) amongst the eight teams present at a windy Gateway Gun Club in St. Charles, Mo. Scores were tabulated from three separate shooting disciplines.
Head Coach Scott Moniot’s squad hung with traditional national powers in host Lindenwood (1,228) and Midland (1,220). Concordia cracked 1,218 targets while placing just behind those two rivals. The Bulldogs came away believing they can be better next time out.
“It was a long layoff since the fall,” Moniot said. “We felt really good about getting outside and do some shooting. We didn’t know for sure where we would be at. In all honesty, we are capable of performing better than we did. We weren’t that far off – we were only 10 targets down after three events. We’ve come a long way. We have very high expectations because of the level we’ve been shooting at. I think this will light a fire under us and show we really have to show up and do our jobs to compete with the best teams.”
A strange occurrence on the second day of the shoot prevented the fourth shooting event from being completed, preventing the Bulldogs from having the opportunity to catch Lindenwood or Midland. On the individual leaderboards, Concordia dominated the women’s side with four of the top 10: Erin Lokke (second), Rebecca Tierney (fourth), Sarah Schwacher (fifth) and Emily Rasmussen (ninth). On the men’s side, Wyatt Hambly (sixth) and Colten Uitermarkt (seventh) were the team’s top shooters.
In other noteworthy efforts, freshman Wayne Moore hit 99 out of 100 in trap. Meanwhile, senior Rebecca Tierney ran a perfect 50 out of 50 in doubles skeet as the only female competitor to be perfect in the event.
The Bulldogs will be back in action this weekend (March 6-7) at the Doane University Tiger Invitational. The event will take place at Lincoln Trap & Skeet Club in Lincoln, Neb.
Lindenwood Invitational Results
*Three events scored
Team HOA
1. Lindenwood University (1,228)
2. Midland University (1,220)
3. Concordia (1,218)
4. Fort Hays State University (1,209)
5. Iowa Western Community College (1,202)
6. Missouri Valley College
6. Hannibal-LaGrange University
8. Missouri University of Science and Technology
Top HOA Women
1. Katie Peterson, FHSU (243)
2. Erin Lokke, CUNE (242)
3. Ashleigh Painter, Lindenwood (242)
4. Rebecca Tierney, CUNE (240)
5. Sarah Schwacher, CUNE (234)
6. Chrissy Byrd, Lindenwood (234)
7. Jolene Dawson, Lindenwood (234)
8. Heather Gordon, FHSU (232)
9. Emily Rasmussen, CUNE (230)
10. Gigi Mitchell, Lindenwood (230)
Top HOA Men
1. Kaleb Scherer, Midland (246)
2. Michael Blazek, Lindenwood (245)
3. John Deford, IWCC (244)
4. Ryan Loveless, Lindenwood (244)
5. Dalton Wilcox, Midland (244)
6. Wyatt Hambly, CUNE (243)
7. Colten Uitermarkt, CUNE (243)
8. Hank McVeigh, FHSU (243)
9. Weston Zolck, IWCC (243)
10. Ethan Boyer, Lindenwood (242)
Schwacher wins HOA female title; Bulldogs place third at Doane Invite
March 8, 2021
LINCOLN, Neb. – In its second competition of the spring semester, the Concordia University Shooting Sports program again went toe-to-toe with traditional powers Fort Hays State University (Kan.) and Midland University. The Bulldogs placed third as a team at the Doane University Tiger Invitational while cracking 1,404 targets. They were 20 targets off first-place Fort Hays State (1,424) and six off second-place Midland (1,410). The shoot was held at Lincoln Trap & Skeet Club in Lincoln, Neb.
Head Coach Scott Moniot entered 33 competitors into the event that featured three disciplines: skeet, sporting clays and trap. Eight institutions from around the Midwest took part in the Doane Invite.
On an individual level, the top Bulldog shooters from a high overall (HOA) perspective were junior Wyatt Hambly (283), junior Russell Malterud (283), junior Sarah Schwacher (282), graduate student Erin Lokke (279), senior Monica Dale (277) and senior Rebecca Tierney (277). Schwacher won the HOA title on the women’s side. The native of Waterford, Wis., hit 97 targets in skeet, 87 in sporting clays and 98 in trap. Hambly and Malterud were 11 targets shy of the event’s overall champion from Fort Hays State (Hank McVeigh).
Concordia freshman Breyer Meeks nearly ran a perfect score in trap by hitting 99/100 targets. Tierney shot a 97 in the same event. In skeet, both Hambly and Schwacher both recorded 97/100. Malterud put forth the team’s best performance in sporting clays (92/100).
As a team, the Bulldogs posted totals of 487/500 in trap, 481/500 in skeet and 448/500 in sporting clays. Fort Hays State wound up beating out all opponents in each of those disciplines.
The last event of the 2020-21 season will be the ACUI National Championships coming up March 25-27 at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas. The national championships were wiped out in 2020 due to COVID-19. At the 2019 national shoot, Concordia placed fourth in the “Division 2” grouping.
Team HOA
1. Fort Hays State University – 1,424
2. Midland University – 1,410
3. Concordia University – 1,404
4. Iowa Western CC – 1,380
5. Hastings College – 1,348
6. Doane University – 1,325
7. Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture – 1,204
8. Wayne State College – 680
Bulldogs place seventh at National Championships; Lokke, Moore shoot perfect scores
March 29, 2021
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – After a year without a national championship event (due to COVID-19), the Concordia University Shooting Sports program returned to the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas, for the 2021 ACUI Collegiate Clay Target Championships. In competition that took place March 25-27, the Bulldogs broke school records in the disciplines of skeet, trap and super sporting while ultimately placing seventh out of 12 teams in the Division 2 breakdown of the national championships.
From an individual perspective, the highlights included graduate student Erin Lokke (skeet) and freshman Wayne Moore (trap) shooting perfect 100/100 scores. Lokke won the women’s skeet national title while Moore tied for first in trap with five others (lost the tiebreaker for first).
Officially, Concordia cracked 1,347 targets towards the final team standings. That total put the Bulldogs 50 targets behind Division 2 national champion Martin Methodist College (Tenn.). A rough performance in sporting clays on the final day of the event pushed the Bulldogs back to seventh. They had placed fourth at the national championships in 2019 (and 10th in 2018). The competition has gotten stiffer.
“It was a bit of an eye opener,” Moniot said. “All of the northern schools struggled in the sporting clays event. A lot of people had expected Fort Hays State to win it, but we knew Martin Methodist was a player when we found out they were in Division 2. It sounds crazy to say that we were disappointed when you break school records in three of the four events, but that just shows how competitive college shooting has become. We had two kids shoot perfect scores, something that has never happened for Concordia before. On one hand it looks like we killed it, but yet we finished seventh. It certainly lights a fire under us. We know what we’re up against.”
Concordia was edged out by rivals such as Fort Hays State University (1,386) and Midland University (1,351) in the team standings. Broken down by discipline among Division 2 teams, the Bulldogs placed fourth in trap (492), sixth in skeet (484), sixth in super sporting (436) and seventh in sporting clays (371). Previous school records were 482 in skeet, 484 in trap and 435 in super sporting.
Lokke’s success at the 2021 ACUI National Championships represented a continuation of her sterling career on the collegiate level. The native of Saint Francis, Minn., was the 2019 female national champion in the category of combined international open events. At the 2021 national championships, Lokke placed fourth among females in combined American events with a total of 273 (three targets out of first place). In that same category, teammate Sarah Schwacher placed ninth (264). Concordia’s highest men’s finisher in combined American events was Colten Uitermarkt at 84th (264). There were more than 100 females and more than 400 males that appeared on the individual leaderboards.
The top five Bulldog individuals in each event that counted towards the team high overall are listed at bottom. Lokke paced Concordia in sporting clays, in addition to skeet. While Moore was perfect in trap, Uitermarkt missed a perfect score by just one target in the same event. The top performers in super sporting were Uitermarkt (94), Mackenze Origer (89), Russell Malterud (85), Lokke (84) and Jack Nelson (84).
In order to satisfy COVID-19 protocols put into place by the ACUI, the national championships prohibited fans and also cut out two events that have been a strength for Concordia – double skeet and double trap. The inclusion of those two disciplines may have pushed the Bulldogs up in the team high overall.
Moniot’s program competed in eight separate competitions throughout the 2020-21 season. Some highlights from the fall included a conference championship at the Prairie Circuit Classic, team titles at the Midland Ice Out and the Hastings Invite and a second place claim at the fifth annual Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational. Lokke garnered the individual crown at the conference championships.
Said Moniot, “We hit our targets at a higher percentage than ever before in school history. It has created a whole new dynamic. It’s not just Erin carrying the team. Now we have other kids coming up alongside her and we’re ready to fill those shoes. Our future is looking bright for years down the road. In the fall and spring we were able to put people on the podium consistently. I’m excited to see what we can do to carry on the success of the program.”
Added Moniot of Lokke, who will become a police officer after this semester, “Erin went out with class. She got her job done and did it well.”
2021 ACUI NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
Top five Concordia performances, by event
Skeet
1. Erin Lokke – 100
2. Mackenze Origer – 98
3. Breyer Meeks – 96
4. Wyatt Hambly – 96
5. Jack Nelson – 94
Trap
1. Wayne Moore – 100
2. Colten Uitermarkt – 99
3. Rebecca Tierney – 98
4. Nicole Breese – 98
5. Wyatt Hambly – 97
Sporting Clays
1. Erin Lokke – 76
2. Russell Malterud – 75
3. Monica Dale – 74
4. Sarah Schwacher – 73
5. Wyatt Ericksen – 73
Division 2 Team Standings
1. Martin Methodist College – 1,397
2. Angelo State University – 1,388
3. Fort Hays State University – 1,386
4. Emmanuel College – 1,379
5. Midland University – 1,351
6. University of the Ozarks – 1,350
7. Concordia University – 1,347
8. Jacksonville University – 1,342
9. Clemson University – 1,331
10. Arizona State University – 1,288
11. Wichita State University – 1,232
12. West Texas A&M University – 1,225
Nelson earns spot on USA National Junior Team
April 16, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The future is bright for freshman Jack Nelson, a member of the Concordia University Shooting Sports team. Courtesy of his performances in trap in Kerrville, Texas, from April 7-11, Nelson has earned a spot on the 2021 Shotgun National Junior and National Development Team. Selections to Team USA are made by USA Shooting.
A native of Kimberly, Idaho, Nelson finished third in open trap among all entrants in a loaded competition by cracking 222 targets. The action took place at the Hill Country Shooting Sports Center in Kerrville. As a result, Nelson will be invited to compete with the National Junior Team in two prestigious shooting events:
· Almaty, Kazakhstan Junior World Cup; Aug. 26 – Sept. 6, 2021
· Las Palmas, Peru Junior World Championship; Sept. 25 – Oct. 10, 2021
Head Coach Scott Moniot’s Shooting Sports program has had others make waves on the national shooting landscape. Current graduate assistant Erin Lokke established herself as one of the top female shooters in the world having placed eighth in skeet at the Olympic Trials in 2019 (among other notable accomplishments). Another recent example was former Bulldog Emma Van Donsellar who earned a USA Shooting vest.
During the collegiate season, Nelson frequently showed off his prowess in trap. At the Prairie Circuit Conference Championships back in the fall, he hit 98/100 targets and was rewarded with recognition on the all-conference freshman team. At the ACUI National Championships this spring, Nelson posted a score of 95/100 in trap.
Back in 2019, Nelson made the junior finals of the USA Spring Selection Match National Championships with a score of 218. That effort qualified him for the Junior Olympics.