Hillsdale sophomore and shotgun team member Joshua Corbin competed internationally at the World Cup in Morocco last month for USA shooting’s men’s skeet team. 

“Joshua is right on the brink of success internationally,” said head coach of the shotgun team Jordan Hintz. “If he continues on the same path he is currently on, there is no limit to what he will accomplish in the near future.”

Corbin competed for the United States at the International Shooting Sports Federation World Cup in Rabat, Morocco, Jan. 13-15. Participating in the World Cup may allow Corbin to qualify for Olympic trials for the 2024 summer Paris Olympic Games. 

“I was competing in fourth position for America at this World Cup, and only the top three people were competing for medals, so I couldn’t win a medal personally; I was just there for the ranking points,” Corbin said. 

Competing internationally requires immense mental preparation, according to senior Ida Brown, who participated in a 2022 World Cup. 

“Competing on the international stage is both physically and mentally demanding,” Brown said. “You spend days traveling and then you get off a plane and are expected to be ready to shoot. It takes a lot of mental strength to perform well in a place where you’ve never shot with very little practice.”

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During the 2022 National Championships at the John A. Halter Shooting Sports Center in Hillsdale, Michigan, Corbin placed sixth, making the national team for USA Shooting. 

“For this World Cup, they were going to take the top five shooters, and two of the top five decided not to go, so that opened up a position for me to be able to go,” Corbin said. 

According to Corbin, participating in the 2024 Olympics depends on the U.S. fulfilling quotas for international competition in trap, skeet, and individual ranking points. The U.S. is currently qualified in men’s and women’s skeet and men’s trap. The U.S. will need to place in women’s trap to participate in the Olympics. 

Once the U.S. is qualified to participate in the Olympics, Corbin must qualify for the Olympic team by scoring ranking points.

“I have to travel to at least one more shoot, such as a World Cup or World Championship, and then I have to place first or second within the country. It’s a whole process,” Corbin said.

In addition to competing internationally, Corbin continues to shoot with Hillsdale’s shotgun team. 

“Everybody has been great teammates for the two years I’ve been on the team,” Corbin said. “We all get along well, have good team chemistry, and push ourselves to shoot better; we’re working on improving as a team. Our goal as a team is to win nationals this year.”

Corbin is not the only shotgun team member with his eyes set on the Olympics. Senior Ida Brown, freshman Jordan Sapp, and assistant shotgun coach Caitlin Connor-Royer were awarded medals at World Cups in 2022. 

“Hillsdale pushes people to become the best version of themselves. This is true in our athletics as well,” Hintz said. “Our international athletes are given opportunities to hone their craft in practice and receive coaching from some of the best. We are not afraid to compete at all levels.”