The 2023-24 Hillsdale College Shotgun Team. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Departent

The Hillsdale College shotgun team overcame multiple trials at the Association of College Unions International/Scholastic Clay Target Program Missouri Regional, placing second highest overall.

The last tournament before nationals took place from March 1-3 in Columbia, Missouri, where the team finished just behind rival Lindenwood University of St. Charles, Missouri. Despite facility troubles, strong winds, and two Hillsdale athletes competing for Team USA in the Dominican Republic, the Chargers still pulled through.

“I don’t really feel like that has a demoralizing effect on us,” head coach Jordan Hintz said. “I actually think that as a whole I really don’t feel like we shot poorly given the circumstances. People were a little frustrated with some issues at the time, but I feel like once everything is said and done, everyone has a pretty good attitude about it.”

The team as a whole earned 2123/2250 potential points, with freshman Madeline Corbin winning second women’s HOA (404/450), freshman Ava Downs third women’s HOA (398/450) and junior Josh Corbin winning third men’s HOA (428/450).

“This ACUI regionals was an improvement on last year,” sophomore Leif Andersen said. “My skeet shooting and sporting shooting has improved drastically. I left some on the table this past weekend though, and I know I can shoot better scores.”

The team placed second in doubles skeet with an overall score of 242/250. Junior Kyle Fleck placed second in the men’s category with a score of 50/50. Madeline Corbin placed second in women’s with a 48/50, while Downs closely followed with a 47/50.

The team placed second in doubles trap with a 231/250, and senior Jessica Strasser took second in the women’s category with a 45/50.

The team also placed second in skeet with a score of 490/500. Madeline Corbin placed third in the women’s division with a 98/100.

In sporting clays, the Chargers took second again with a 456/500. Strasser placed first in women’s with an 87/100, while Josh Corbin earned second in men’s with a 94/100.

The team placed third overall in trap, with a collective score of 486/500.

The Chargers took third in super sporting, with a 218/250. Madeline Corbin won second in women’s with a 42/50, while Downs took third with a 40/50.

“To prepare for the end of the season, we have practiced three times a week,” Andersen said. “We have traveled to multiple regional shoots to compete and get experience under our belts. Over spring break, we will shoot 250 shells a day during practice.”

Some members of the team are already driving southwest to Tucson, Arizona, where the USA Shooting Olympic Trials will take place from March 11-17. If they score high enough, it will earn them a place with Team USA in Paris 2024, putting Hillsdale College athletes in the Olympics.

Following Olympic Trials, the team will then travel eastward to San Antonio, Texas, to finish the season at the ACUI/SCTP Nationals. Last year, the team placed fifth highest overall.