The event was held in Talladega, Alabama, March 10-13. The team’s second year of winning also marked its second year of being an official team, meaning it has won nationally every year since its founding. Hillsdale defeated military academies such as Westpoint and Texas A&M’s Corp of Cadets Marksmanship Unit.

“The really competitive programs require military service, and we’re just some kids who wanted to shoot,” senior Zac Ailes said. “It’s cool that we’ve been able to come this far under our own steam.”

The winning A Squad was composed of seniors Greg Clement, Will Galsterer, Zac Ailes and junior Zechariah Steiger.

Besides winning first in the centerfire division, the team also won second in the 1911 pistol division. Senior Greg Clement took first place for men’s overall, and junior Zech Steiger placed second. In the women’s division, senior Sarah Wagoner won first place in the 1911 division, and third in the centerfire division.

For the centerfire pistol competition, the athletes shot sponsored Springfield Armory XDM Elite 5.25” 9mm pistols. In the 1911 division, they used Springfield Armory Emissary 9mm 1911s.

“Leading up to nationals I was focused on preparing my mind and body for the task,” Clement said. “I was focused on staying hydrated, eating well, and visualizing the perfect match as many times, and in as much detail, as possible. I was aiming to put down a consistent match, not necessarily my fastest match. A bad stage hurts you far more than a good one helps.”

According to Ailes, the team has come a long way these past two years. Last season, the team was not authorized to shoot at the John Halter Shooting Sports Education Center, but had to practice at Lost Nation Shooting Range in Pittsford, Michigan. 

“This team was my baby for a long time, so in my final year to be on the team that won the trophy, is a great way to leave the program,” Ailes said. “From not even being allowed to practice at Halter to being one of Hillsdale’s most successful teams and winning the nationals, that was a big deal.”

As one of the founding athletes, Ailes attributes the win to not just the students. Head coach Adam Burlew has taught the team from the beginning, and Ladies for Liberty coordinator Gena Grant initiated the sponsorship between the college and Springfield Armory.

“I give credit to Adam, and Gena as well,” Ailes said. “She has done a lot. She facilitated the relationship with Springfield. The guy who ran the team before me from the student side, Elias McConnell, did a lot of the initial legwork to get the program up and running. I think a lot of it has been Adam’s very serious attitude. He will get mad at you if you miss practice. That kind of thing goes a long way. We’ve taken the program very seriously and that reflects in the scores.”

Burlew also said discipline was key to the team’s performance.

“I’m very picky as to who I have on the team because I know what it takes to shoot at the level that I’m asking them to perform,” Burlew said. “Most people could shoot much better than they do but won’t put the time in. On our team, ‘fast’ is also known as the ‘F-word.’ Anytime anyone wants to go fast, they forsake the process and only care about the outcome. This almost always results in a lot of misses and a terrible score. It’s because they got greedy.”

The college won by 17 seconds against Texas A&M in the centerfire division, and received second place in the 1911 competition by only 5 seconds.

“It was nerve racking for a bit there after we competed, because we could see Texas A&M’s scores,” Ailes said, who competed in both divisions. “We could hear their cadences and we knew that whatever it was going to be, it was going to be very close.”

Senior Will Galsterer, one of the four Hillsdale men from the winning A squad, emphasized the importance of a team mentality.

“Focusing on individuality is fine during practice as being very self aware of your own flaws is vital to your effectiveness on the range. When it comes time to compete as a squad, and as an extension of the whole team, it is very important to compete at a consistent and controlled pace,” Galsterer said. “We don’t go into competitions with the goal of setting personal records, that is done in practice.”

As five athletes graduate this spring, the action shooting team is looking for new pistol shooters for the fall. Spring tryouts may be announced soon.

“I’m looking for shooters who want to shoot better and are willing to break habits and acquire new ones,” Burlew said. “In terms of an individual versus team sport, I don’t see it as being all that different from other sports. If every player on a team wants to get better as an individual, then the team benefits from that.”