It was cold, it was rainy, and it was windy, but the NRHEG clay target team would not be driven from the range as they started competition in the MN Clay Target Spring League last week.
The team is fielding 65 shooters this spring, which like the state is an all-time high. Having a large team means they are going up against some well known large schools from across the state. But the size of the school can mean little when weather is your opponent. Scores across the board for the NRHEG shooters were down a bit, but overall they were still competitive enough to put the team in second place behind the team from Faribault
"Statistically, it's a dead heat," said coach Dan Sorum. "With just 698 points difference there is no clear leader for the first week."
The team was led by NRHEG students Collin Christiansen and Carter Hagen who each shot a 47/50 targets. This places both students in the top 100 in the state for week one. The top 100 is a significant goal for the athletes as it is the students with the top 100 averages at the end of the season who will qualify for the MSHSL State Individual Tournament. If both shooters can hold out for the season it would be Christiansen's second trip and Hagen's first. For the conference, Waseca's Kyle Bartz, Evan Dobberstein (NRHEG), Alex Romer (Albert Lea), and Zachary Eustice (Waseca) were in the top 25 male shooters and Morgan Phillips (Albert Lea) was in the top 25 female shooters. Week 2 of 5 total competition weeks starts on May 1st. The NRHEG team shoots on Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. at the Owatonna Gun Club south of Hope. Spectators and fans are welcome.
Class 7A - Conference 3
Team Name Points
Faribault High School 13105
NRHEG High School 12407
Austin High School 11179
Park High School 10679.5
East Ridge High School 10604.5
Wayzata High School 10593.5
White Bear Lake High School 10052.5
Simley High School 8115