“I was pumped. I thought that it was a product of all the work we had put in during the fall and spring semester,” junior Ian Dupre said. “I think that it really showed our progress as a team because I felt like all the work we had put into training was validated in that moment.”
The team not only had the highest score in Division III, but the third best score of all teams at the shoot, beating out all D-II and D-I teams except each division’s respective winner, Texas A&M and Lindenwood University. The team shot better overall than they did last year as well, improving in key events which helped land them in the top three overall.
“I’m happiest with the positive team effort of individuals,” senior Joe Kain said. “You’re trying to encourage your teammates to shoot well and push that positive attitude onto your teammates, and that’s reflected in our improving scores.”
In addition to winning the team title by 54 targets over runner-up Schreiner University, three members of the team were named 2016 NRA All-Americans. Sophomore Drew Lieske is the first Hillsdale shooter to be named first-team All-American with his team-high overall score of 511 out of 550, and junior Ian Dupre and senior Joe Kain earned All-American second team status and honorable mention honors, respectively.
“It’s up to me as squad mate and team member to pick my teammate up if he’s shooting behind me and get him to shoot on my level. All of us did that during the shoot, and the scores are just an outcome of how well the team works together,” Kain said. “If we keep doing that, the scores will just keep getting better and better.”
The team agreed that their depth was the key to their victory. Junior Kie Kababik said this shoot was the first time the team could have eliminated a score out of the shoot and still won.
“We have a lot more depth this year,” Kababik said. “Shooters not having to think about putting scores up helped them compete without being psyched out. It was really a team event more than anything.”
Sophomore Drew Lieske added that the team’s ability to shoot well across all events is indicative of their hard work and passion for the sport.
“The depth and all-around skill present in our small team is what sets us apart from other schools and has allowed us to win at Nationals,” Lieske said. “Whether it was 70 and sunny or 10 degrees and snowing, we were outside on the range practicing or competing. The dedication and effort put forth by every member of the team was truly astounding.”
The team’s huge success across divisions has led members of the team to speculate at their future in D-III. Last year, after winning their second consecutive championship, the team voted to remain in D-III, but Dupre thinks their success might result in the team moving up for the next season.
“The feeling is that next year we’ll be D-II. Nothing is set in stone, but the team has an incredible amount of depth,” Dupre said.
Kababik, however, worries that a move up to D-II may be premature, especially considering the graduation of Kain and Anna Pfaff next year. Whatever the decision, the seniors are confident they are leaving the team in good hands.
“I get extremely emotional thinking about how the program has built, and I was happy to help being a part of that,” Kain said. “There aren’t better shooters or men in the country, and I am happy the team is going to them. I’ll be shooting with them ‘til the day we die.”
