NORTH PLATTE, Neb. – In battling the likes of rivals Fort Hays State University and Midland University, the Concordia University Shooting Sports team landed in third place high overall (HOA) when the dust settled on the 2024 Prairie Circuit Conference Championships. Four Bulldogs earned individual conference awards while leading the way at Lincoln County Wildlife Gun Club in North Platte, Neb., for the three-day event (Sept. 27-29). Concordia busted 2,331 targets towards the HOA team leaderboard.
This marked the third straight season that Head Coach Dylan Owens’ squad has placed third in the conference. The two squads that placed in front of the Bulldogs were Fort Hays State (2,406) and Midland (2,403).
“The theme of the weekend is that every target counts,” Owens said. “Every little thing makes a huge difference when you’re looking at things from the widest scope possible. The event was a long one. You’re outside and you’re going the whole day. We shot skeet on Friday and came out with a 492 that tied our school record. We lost a team shoot-off for second place in skeet and that started off a weekend with a lot of close scores. We ended up taking third place HOA, which I’m happy with. Our weakness was sporting clays this weekend.”
As a change for the 2024 conference championships, each individual shot 500 targets (instead of 400) while being tested in the disciplines of trap, trap doubles, skeet, skeet doubles and sporting. In starring individual efforts, the four Bulldogs who emerged with awards were Sam Blevins as the men’s doubles trap champion, Katie Welker as the women’s doubles trap champion and women’s all-conference honoree and both Trevor Burch and Carter McKenna as all-conference freshmen. The La Grange, Ky., native Blevins also shot the team’s top overall score of 469, one target outside of a top 10 HOA finish.
Every team in the field had to navigate challenges that arose with the course throughout the weekend. Concordia did some of its best work in skeet while equaling the school record of 492 in that event. Both Breyer Meeks and Buchannan Tietjen shot 99s in skeet. As a team, the Bulldogs tied for second in skeet and placed third in trap doubles (460), third in doubles skeet (471), fourth in trap (480) and fourth in sporting (428). Officially, Concordia placed behind Midland in skeet after being beat out in the shoot-off.
In doubles trap, Blevins shot a 95 and held off four other competitors in a shoot-off to take the event title. On the women’s side, Welker shot a 94 in doubles trap and won the title outright. In that same event, Kaylee Hinton shot 92 and lost a shoot-off for second place. Also notable, Cael Washburn ran the first 50 in skeet before finishing with a 98. Mason Ward and Brennen Stones also shot 98 in skeet.
Burch (Louisburg, Kan.) and McKenna (Belle Fourche, S.D.) have made a significant impact as freshmen. McKenna tied for the fourth highest HOA score (452) on the team and was the No. 3 overall freshman at the Prairie Circuit Conference Championships. Meanwhile, Bruch shot 442 as the fifth best freshman competitor on the weekend.
Blevins (469) was followed in the team pecking order by Devin Harris (460), Meeks (458), McKenna (452) and Ward (452). There were 20 athletes that represented Concordia in North Platte, Neb., where seven teams made up the competition. For this year’s conference championships, only four-year schools and junior colleges were separated in the team scoring.
Said Owens, “All in all, I’m really happy. Having 14 people in the 90s in skeet is a great thing for our team. We had similar things in American trap. It was a good weekend. It was nice to see us come away with some individual awards. Trevor didn’t know he made all-conference freshman until I handed him the belt buckle.”
Special Awards – 2024 Prairie Circuit Conference Championships
· Sam Blevins – Men’s Doubles Trap Champion
· Trevor Burch – PCC All-Freshman Team
· Carter McKenna – PCC All-Freshman Team
· Katie Welker – Women’s Doubles Trap Champion; Women’s PCC All-Conference Team
Up next, the Bulldogs will compete at the Hastings College Bronco Invitational this Saturday and Sunday. Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Neb., will serve as the venue for the invite. Concordia placed third at the 2023 Hastings Invite.