The Hillsdale College Shotgun Team competed in two events near the end of October: the Michigan College Tri-State Shoot on October 25 in Hillsdale and the National Sporting Clays Association's National Championship from October 19-22 in San Antonio, Texas.
 
At NSCA Nationals, the team earned a handful of individual accolades along with finishing as the 3^rd place 5-Man Collegiate Team in the Main Event. The shoot, held over the course of more than an entire week, is open to any members of the NSCA and featured 2573 competitors. The Chargers' highest scorer in the Main Event was freshman David Texas Ardis who broke 260 out of a possible 300 targets. Senior Leif Andersen was next with 246/250. Also composing the team score were junior Madeline Corbin (228), senior Davis Hay (223), and senior Kyle Fleck (214). Andersen finished in 5^th place in AA Class, Corbin was the top A Class Lady as well as 15^th overall in the class and junior Alex Hoffman earned 6^th in B Class. Sophomore Taylor Dale won 1^st place Lady in B Class and sophomore Marin McKinney was both 12^th in C Class and 2^nd C Class Lady.
 
The Michigan College Tri-State Shoot featured nearly 70 athletes from Michigan and Indiana. Colleges with athletes in attendance included University of Olivet, Grace College, Mid Michigan College, University of Southern Indiana, Montcalm Community College and Ferris State University. Competitors shot 100 each of American Trap, American Skeet, and Sporting Clays all contributing to the top prize of High Overall.
 
The Chargers scored 494/500 in Trap taking first place above Olivet and Grace. Freshman  Zach Hinze shot the sole 100-straight of the event to lead the team. Hay and Corbin each hit 99 targets and the final two scores were 98s shared by the trio of Andersen, Hoffman, and McKinney. Hinze earned 1^st place in the men's category with 2^nd going to Hay and a third-place shootoff between Hoffman and Andersen ending with Hoffman taking bronze. Corbin won the women's gold and McKinney earned silver.
 
Again winning first place over Olivet and Grace, Hillsdale hit 492/500 in American Skeet. Hinze and Fleck each broke 99/100 targets and after shootoffs were awarded gold and silver respectively. Hay took 3^rd with 98 after a tiebreaker with an Olivet competitor. Corbin's 98 earned her women's 1st place and junior Ava Downs's 97 got her 3^rd.
 
With 443 out of a possible 500 targets broken, the Chargers took 1^st place in Sporting Clays over Olivet and Grace. Andersen (92), Hay (88), Dale (88), junior Luke Johnson (88), and a tie between Fleck and Hinze (87) composed the team score. Andersen paced the field by 2 targets over the 2^nd place finisher from Olivet. Hay and Johnson shot off for 3^rd with Hay taking the medal. Dale's 88 earned her women's 1^st with Corbin (85) in 2^nd. Both Downs and sophomore Lucci Kern hit 82 targets and the former earned 3^rd after a tiebreaker.
 
The Chargers swept the men's High Overall podium with Andersen's 287 taking the top prize followed closely by Hinze (286) and Hay (285). Corbin and Dale shot 282 and 277 respectively to take 1^st and 2^nd in Women's High Overall. Downs and Kern both were just 1 target shy of 3^rd. Hillsdale's total score of 1429 was the highest team score ahead of Olivet's 1343 and Grace's 1290.
 
"It was a long day for us. Our athletes started very early and worked the shoot to help it run smoothly. It can be difficult to perform even at home under these conditions, not even to mention the cold and the lighting," said head coach Jordan Hintz. "I'm proud of how we did across the board despite these circumstances. It's great to finish off the semester's intercollegiate competition with a showing like this."
 
The team next competes in an NSCA-registered event at the Halter Center on November 8^th. Then, members of the Chargers travel to Tucson to shoot in USA Shooting's Selection Match.
 
 
 
Michigan College Tri-State Shoot results: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uP2gzr1REeUwOZd3-YQ9CuKL_1OEgTIZPD890Lw-EDk/edit?usp=sharing
 
High Overall
1^st Team HOA – 1492/1500
Leif Andersen – 1^st Men's HOA 287/300
Zach Hinze – 2^nd Men's HOA 286
Davis Hay - 3^rd Men's HOA 285
Madeline Corbin – 1^st Women's HOA 282
Taylor Dale – 2^nd Women's HOA 277
 
Trap
1^st Team – 494
Zach Hinze – 1^st M 100
Davis Hay – 2^nd M 99
Leif Andersen, Alex Hoffman – t-3^rd M 98
Madeline Corbin – 1^st W 99
Marin McKinney – 2^nd W 98
 
Skeet
1^st Team – 492
Zach Hinze, Kyle Fleck – t-1^st M 99
Davis Hay – 3^rd M 98
Madeline Corbin – 1^st W 98
Ava Downs – 3^rd W 97
 
Sporting Clays
Leif Andersen – 1^st M 92
Davis Hay, Luke Johnson – t-3^rd M 88
Taylor Dale – 1^st W 88
Madeline Corbin – 2^nd W 85
Ava Downs, Lucci Kern – t-3^rd W 82
 
 
NSCA Nationals results: https://app.scorechaser.com/tournament-OOB0DZPGHF0JWc
 
Main Event
3^rd Collegiate 5-Man Team
Leif Andersen – AA5
Madeline Corbin – A15, A1 Lady
Alex Hoffman – B6
Taylor Dale – B1 Lady
Marin McKinney – C12, C2 Lady