Exeter-Milligan-Friend Trap Team Wraps Up Season

E-M-F Trap 2016 - Front row from the left:  Ben Bartu, Noah Lambercht, Kaden Bristol, Broc Steuben, Wyatt Motis, Isaac Melton.Second row from the left:  Evan True, Kriby Soukup, Brayden Olsen, Blake Steuben, Kate Jansky, Joey Bartu, Clint Oldehoeft, Zane Mc Coy, Tommy McCoy. Third row (on the railing) from the left:  Max Zeleny, Peyton Pribyl, Trever Zelenka, Blaze Miller, Sidney Steyer, Bailey Steuben, Jaiden Papik, Shayla Miller, Cori Combs, Trenton Naber, Mel Anne McCoy, Chelsea Hornbacher, Coach Justin Harre. Fourth row from the left:  Derek Axline, Hunter Worrell, Spencer Papik, Peytan Brandt, Spencer Pribyl, Trevor Naber, Ryan Sharp, Zac Hornbacher, Tara Mueller, Coach John Steyer. Not pictured:  Cammie Harrison,Trystan Brandt, Coach Lisa Soukup

 Conference team placing was recognized at the final conference shoot for the Exeter-Milligan Friend Trap Team.  Front row from the left Tara Mueller, Sidney Steyer and Kate Jansky all placed on the First team for the women’s senior division.  Back row from the left Max Zeleny was a member of the second team for junior boys and Blake Stueben made the Senior boy’s third team, Kirby Soukup received a scholarship.

The Exeter/Milligan/Friend Trap team had another successful season.

The team continued to grow this year welcoming students from McCool Junction again this year along with students from Fairmont and Geneva.

The team which is divided into Juniors (age 12 through 8^th grade) and Seniors (9 – 12^th grade).  They competed with around 250 other shooters every Saturday morning at Crooked Creek club near Aurora.

The E/M/F team had 15 Juniors and  23 Seniors this year.  Each Saturday the Seniors would shoot 50 clays to start the day at the 16 yard line followed by the juniors who shot 50.  In the afternoon, each Senior would shoot handicaps, shooting at the line which was half the distance of their score in the first round (i.e. if they shot a 46 in the first round they would be at the 23 yard line for handicap).

Each year the team holds a soup and sandwich lunch in Exeter along with a labor auction.  Coach Justin Harre was very thankful for the backing the team receives, “Once again we had tremendous support from the community at the fundraiser soup luncheon and auction.  This pays for all of their entry fees at conference and at the state shoot along with all of their practice clays.  The majority of the cost of their team coats is paid for also.”

Harre, along with Lisa Soukup and John Steyer, keep busy coaching during practices and at the meets.  They spend the entire day outside no matter what the weather and with the season starting in mid-March there always seems to be snow and rain for those Saturday mornings.

The team also participates in a gun raffle statewide.  Since the gun raffle has gone so well they were able to lower the entry fees for the conference.  Most of the raffle proceeds go toward scholarships for the club members.

The season went well according to Harre, “Our girls were pretty dominant.  Our boys had some good weeks with a lot of personal bests.”

The girls on the team continued their dominance at the end of the season in the overall conference with Sydney Steyer bringing home the top female/team captain of the first team with Kate Jansky right behind her in the second spot on the first team.  Tara Mueller also earned a spot on the first team.

On the boys side of the bracket Blake Steuben was a member of the third team of senior boys while Max Zeleny made the second team for junior boys.  Throughout the season three members of the boys team shot 25 straight including Noah Lambrecht, Max Zeleny and Brayden Olsen.  Kirby Soukup received a $500 scholarship from the Central Nebraska Trapshooting Conference.

Coach Soukup noted, “We had a lot of 24’s during our conference shoots.  I definitely saw a lot of improvement from our senior team.  Every week we were just under placing at conference.”

The season culminated with the team participating in the 47^th Annual Cornhusker National Jr/Sr High School Shoot sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks and held in Doniphan each year.  Over 2500 students participated this year.

While the E/M/F team didn’t bring home any hardware at the state meet this year Harre was pleased with their performance, “We had some good scores but the weather was unfavorable with lots of rain and cool temperatures.  I thought the kids shot really well for the conditions that they were shooting in.”

Brock Steuben shot a 93 out of 100 in the Junior boys division at State. While his brother, Blake, had a 73 out of a 75 on the first day of the senior shoot at the 16 yard line.  His teammate Blaze Miller shot a 136 out of 150 placing him in the top 40 overall out of 1600 seniors. 

It’s not just about being a good shot according to Harre, “I think it is being mentally prepared to focus on each rock despite the weather.”

Harre couldn’t leave the conversation without commenting on the assistance from the parents, “We had a lot of help from the parents this year and I want to thank them for supporting the team again this year.”