Exeter History: First Car

The back of this picture reads, "Uncle George's First Car"
Also written is Lloyd McGlie in car

Exeter-Milligan-Friend Trap Season

E-M-F-Trap 2017 front row from the left:  Jaiden Papik, Kaden Bristol, Ben Bartu, Cammie Harrison, Devin Harrison, Dayson Staskal, Marcus Krupicka, Cori Combs, Cade Kresak and Blaze Miller.  Middle row from the left: Coach Justin Harre Tara Mueller, Peytan Brandt, Ryan Sharp, Trystan Brandt, Trevor Naber, Clint Oldehoeft, Spencer Pribyl, Zac Hornbacher, Derek Axline and Coach John Steyer.  Back row from the left:  Evan True, Isaac Melton , Joey Bartu, Trever Zelenka, Sidney Steyer, Kate Jansky, William Yokel, Noah Lambrecht, Chelse Hornbacher, Kynli Combs, Trenton Naber.  Missing from the photo are Coach Lisa Soukup, Mel Ann McCoy, Tommy McCoy, and Peyton Pribyl.

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

The team which is divided into Juniors (age 12 through 8^th grade) and Seniors (9 – 12^th grade).  They competed with around 200 other shooters every Saturday morning at Crooked Creek club near Aurora.

This year the team had a total of 33 shooters including 14 juniors and 19 seniors.  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).

There are no registration fees because each team member helps contribute to a soup and sandwich lunch in Exeter along with a labor auction.  The juniors and seniors that are seventh grade and up are on the auction block for eight hours of labor.

Each year Coach Justin Harre is pleasantly surprised at how the event goes, “The community support we receive at the fundraiser soup luncheon and auction is very much appreciated.  We are able to use the funds raised to pay for all of the teams’ 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 statewide gun raffle.  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.

Throughout the season the two members of the junior team who shot 25 straight were Kayden Bristol and Trenton Naber.  On the senior team William Yokel, Sidney Steyer (2), Kate Jansky (2), Trever Zelenka, Blaze Miller, Ryan Sharp (2), Evan True, Joey Bartu, and Noah Lambrecht all shot a perfect 25. Trystant Brandt received a $500 scholarship from the Central Nebraska Trapshooting Conference.

At the Conference level Blaze Miller placed seventh overall in the boy’s conference which put him on the second team in the second position.  Sidney Steyer was fourth overall on the girl’s conference team with Tara Mueller right behind her in fifth.  They were on the first conference team.

On the juniors side of things Kaden Bristol was sixth overall in the first position on the second team.  Cori Combs was third on the girl’s team and Jaiden Papik was fifth on the girl’s team.

The season culminated with the team participating in the 48^th Annual Cornhusker National Jr/Sr High School Shoot sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks and held in Doniphan each year in May.  Over 2500 students participated this year.

Trever Zelenka and Blaze Miller both received hardware from the State Tournament this year.  Zelenka placed eighth at the 20-21 handicap yard line and Miller placed tenth.

Coach Soukup emphasized that the team members gain so much from participating in trap, “Gun safety is the number one thing they learn.  You know it or you don’t go on the line.  For some who would not normally pick up a gun this is a huge opportunity to experience shooting a gun and competition.”

Harre added,“Trap shooting is an individual sport as well as a team sport so the participants learn that their team is dependent on them to be there.”

Tara Mueller, Blaze Miller, Sidney Steyer, Jayden Papik, Cori Combs and Kaden Bristol hold the hardware they received from the conference trap.

Exeter History: Smith Index Tag Employees

Written on back of photo (photo taken of original by Carolyn McCabe)
25 years of service to Smith Index Factory - 1935
L to R Back row - M. L. Rogers, Frank Lewis, Nesbit Whitmore, George McGhee and Clarence Kimberly.
Front row - Elula Smith, Belle Alexander, Nina Chambers and Ida Skinner.