The Hillsdale College Shotgun Team participated in the 2026 Hoosier Fall Classic on October 17-18. The event featured 100 Trap, 50 23-yard Trap, and 100 Trap Doubles at Fulton County Gun Club in Rochester, IN, as well as 100 Skeet, 100 Sporting Clays, and 25 5-Stand at Kosko Shotgun Sports Complex in Warsaw, IN. Other teams in attendance included Purdue, Eastern Kentucky, Grace, Mid Michigan, University of Illinois, Indiana Wesleyan, Montcalm, and Huntington.
The event began with American Trap. Hillsdale broke 484/500 targets to take 1st place, anchored by a perfect 100-straight from junior Lucci Kern. She was both the top overall and female competitor. Also contributing were sophomore Zach Hinze (97/100), senior Ava Downs (96/100), senior Davis Hay (96/100), and sophomore Brayden Hoppa (95/100). Hinze was the top men's score for the discipline.
The Chargers also took 1st place in 23-yard Trap after hitting 222/250 targets. The team score was composed of Hay (46/50), Hinze (46/50), Downs (44/50), junior Nathaniel Meloro (43/50), and freshman Kinsey Duzan (43/50). Hay and Hinze shot off for 1st place and the award ultimately went to Hinze. Downs took 1st in the Women's category.
The top 5 scores from Hillsdale in Trap Doubles were Hay (93/100), Hinze (93/100), Downs (90/100), junior Taylor Dale (88/100), and sophomore Max Versluys (87/100). The team score of 451/500 was the top of any team in attendance. Hinze and Hay shot off for 1st place Men's after which Hay took 1st. Downs won the 1st place Women's award.
Day 2 consisted of Skeet, Sporting Clays, and 5-Stand. In Skeet, the Chargers broke a phenomenal 497/500. Perfect 100-straights were shot by Hoppa, Hay, Hinze, and freshman Cameron Roberts. Dale hit 97/100 to earn Women's 1st place. After an extended and intense shoot-off, Hay was awarded 1st place Men's Skeet. Hillsdale was the top score of any team.
In Sporting Clays, the Chargers scored 458/500, again taking 1st place team. Dale broke an incredible 97 targets out of 100 for the highest women's score as well as the top score of any competitor. The highest men's score was Versluys (93/100). Rounding out the team score were Hoppa (92/100), senior Alex Hoffman (88/100), and Downs (88/100).
The final event of the match was 5-Stand. Versluys hit the only perfect 25/25, taking 1st place overall. Downs and junior Marin McKinney tied for women's 1st with 23/25 and after a shoot-off, McKinney won the trophy. Also contributing to the team score were Hoffman (24/25) and Hay (23/25). The 118/125 team score was the top at the match.
Hillsdale scored a total of 2186/2375 on the weekend, the most of any team at the shoot. Dale hit more targets than any other female competitor, 439/475. Hay and Hinze tied for Men's 1st with 443/475. To determine the victor, the pair had a sporting shoot-off, after which Hinze took the top prize.
The Chargers' next intercollegiate match of the year is the MI-IN-OH College Tri-State Shoot at Hillsdale's own Halter Center on November 14th.
Results
High Overall
1st place Team
Zach Hinze – 1st Men's
Taylor Dale – 1st Women's
Trap
1st place Team
Lucci Kern – 1st Women's
Zach Hinze – 1st Men's
23-yard Trap
1st place Team
Zach Hinze – 1st Men's
Ava Downs – 1st Women's
Doubles
1st place Team
Davis Hay – 1st Men's
Ava Downs – 1st Women's
Skeet
1st place Team
Davis Hay – 1st Men's
Taylor Dale – 1st Women's
Sporting Clays
1st Place Team
Max Versluys – 1st Men's
Taylor Dale – 1st Women's
5-Stand
1st place Team
Max Versluys – 1st place Men
Marin McKinney – 1st place Women's
