The Hillsdale shotgun team brought home the highest overall team score Feb. 26 at the Lindenwood Spring Open in Saint Charles, Missouri.

Besides Hillsdale, 13 schools attended, including Grand Valley State University, Simpson College, and William Penn University.

The Chargers earned a total score of 1,403, only one point ahead of former NCAA DI champion Lindenwood University. Hillsdale’s skeet and sporting clay divisions ranked second highest overall, as well as third in trap.

“The system they used benefits us because the average overall skill level of our athletes is high,” head coach Jordan Hintz said. “We have been training toward nationals and this was a great warm up.”

Many shooters experienced personal successes as well. Sophomore Josh Corbin received men’s highest overall across all disciplines, while senior Ida Brown earned second place in women’s overall. Sophomore Kyle Fleck received men’s third place. Brown also placed second in women’s trap and third in women’s sporting clays.

“The location was nice, the weather was good, it was just a little windy the first day and overcast for the second day,” Brown said.

Sophomore Sophia Bultema said that shooting sports have allowed for travel and friendship.

“I saw this one kid who I shot bunker with a couple years ago,” Bultema said. “He was tiny and now I think he’s in high school. St. Louis was fun. We did really well because six of our members shot 99 in skeet and we even outshot Lindenwood by a target. I think the shoot was a good launch to nationals.”

The team will compete again next weekend at their practice location, the John A. Halter Shooting Sports Center, for the Hillsdale Invitational.

“This was a great stepping stone on our way to Nationals in a few weeks,” Hintz said. “It’s hard to think of a better way to start that path.”