Written by Coach Chris Grewe

The High School Trap Team has put another season in the books.  We have shot in five tournaments as well as several weeks of practice around the Michigan High School Trap league’s 5-week season.  The team started off the season with a second place at the Memphis hosted Winterfest tournament held at B&BS gun club.  The team followed up with a win at the Spring Fling tournament held in Mason where Nick Palombo won Top Gun with 98/100.  The team was invited to the inaugural BWAC tournament hosted by Imlay City, held at the Lapeer County Sportsman Club.  The team did suffer a heartbreaking second to Armada, but the tournament is projected to be an annual event giving us a chance to claim a new trophy for the wall next year.  The team won their conference in the Michigan High School Trap League.  Nick Palombo, Wyatt Bowers, and Evan Grewe finished in the top 10 of the State.  The Team had 9 total athletes on the “State’s All State Team”.  The event formally known as R.L.A.M. has been rebranded to the Richmond Trap Invitational (RTI) with the addition of New Haven Trap Team to the list of schools competing.  The event hosted over 100 shooters at our own Richmond Sportsman Club location.  The Team did win this event by 1 bird over Armada to keep the “Jug”, the event’s traveling trophy, on the wall at RSC where it belongs. 

The annual Michigan State tournament is held each year on Father’s Day weekend in Mason Michigan although we had high expectations, we fell short finishing the day with a 481 for 5^th place.  The weekend was a fun time as well as good experience for the team leaving our shooters hungry for a win there next year.

The season wrapped up back in Mason at the USA Clay Target League Trap National competition.  Hundreds of schools from 28 different states traveled to Mason to take part in the 4-day event.  The event started on Friday and there were 264 teams shooting to determine the top 80 finalist.  Richmond squads 1 & 2 both qualified for the Sunday Final.  Saturday was individual qualifying, to find the top 400 of 1800 shooters.  The Team had 19 athletes shoot, of which 6 qualified for the final.  A 96/100 was needed to qualify for the finals.  Sunday morning team final squad #1 finished 8^th overall with a 491/500.  Squad #2 finished 28^th with a 481. (The winning score this year was 494).  Sunday afternoon we had two athletes in the shoot off where Wyatt Bowers finished 4^th over all and Lilly Keller finished 8^th Female.  The other individuals did very well too, Nick Palombo finished 25^Th, Evan Grewe and John Fanone finished in the top 150.  This year was the Team’s best National’s performance to date.  The weather was great, and the competition was tough.  Last year the National Competition was won with the score of 487.

The Team will be losing 4 seniors this year, but there is a lot of talent that cannot wait for next season to start.