EMF Trap Team Competes in Conference Shooting

EMF Senior Trap team pictured from left: (front row) Travis Combs, Vincent Warner, Jacob Spohn, Evan Brahmstedt, Brett Kallhoff, Cohen Harre,Kain Combs,Rylan Bartels, Jaxson Brandt, Justin Harre, Shane Bristo; (back row) Mike Miller, Tucker Simms,Carver Kanode, Zach Spohn, Chase Paulsen,Mikey Bartu, Will Vyhnalek, Aidan Vavra, Kynli Combs, Lily Jeffries, Kierra Papik and Cory Engert.  Not pictured are Laura Casper, Andrew Vavra, Devin Harrison, Grady Bresson and Cheyenne Krupicka.

EMF Junior Trap team, from left: (front row) Cory Engert, Archer Kanode, Archer Engert, Kolt Songster, Kensingtyn Bristol, Axel Erdkamp,Tommy Kallhoff, Blake Bruntz, Brock Bruntz, Bennett Buresh, Ethan Bartels, Tripp Probasco, Shane Bristol; (middle row) Jeff Combs, Travis Combs, Rylee Rohren, Addison Foutch, Kynnedy Bristol, Braxton Harre, Gage Boyer,Jake Hoffschneider, Levi Jurgensen, Brenson Brandt, Grady Arp and Justin Harre; (back row): Mike Miller, Carly Uffelman, Conner Uffelman, Hudson Linabery, Wyatt Hoffman, Ty Svehla, Bob Milton, Deacon Erdkamp, Will Kallhoff, Charlie Hoarty, Wyatt Durflinger, Doug Motis. Not Pictured: Charlee Stutzman, and Crosby Oldehoeft.

The Exeter-Milligan/Friend Trap team had an extremely successful season this year with the culmination of their success at the National Cornhusker State Trap Shoot the first weekend in May.

The team, comprised of seniors (9th-12^th graders) and  juniors (5^th-8^th graders) began practicing for the season in early February and started their Central Nebraska Trapshooting conference shooting in Aurora in late March.

They competed with around 200 other shooters every Saturday morning at Crooked Creek club near Aurora. The seniors would start the morning shooting 50 rocks from the 16 yard line.  The juniors would come later in the morning and also shoot 50 rocks. 

In the afternoon, each senior would shoot handicaps, shooting50 more at the line which was half the distance of their score in the first round (i.e. if they shot a 46 out of 50 in the first round they would be at the 23 yard line for handicap).

 

Head coach Justin Harre, along with coaches Travis Combs, Jeff Combs, Doug Motis, Shane Bristol, Cory Engert, and Mike Miller kept busy observing the team and monitoring their shooting during practices and at the meets. 

 

This year’s conference season was full of medals and trophies for the junior and the senior team.  EMF had the high junior female every single week with Carly Uffleman earning this honor five of the six weeks.  Rylee Rohren was runner-up female every week and Addison Foutch was the high junior female one week. Uffleman and Rohren captured the high junior ladies team every week with Kensingtyn and Kennedy Bristol as junior ladies runner up one week.

One of the conference weeks Conner Uffleman was the high junior male runner up and he along with his sister Carly, Deacon Erdkamp, Braxton Harre, and Bob Milton earned the high junior team the second week of shooting.

Seniors Cohen Harre and Kynli Combs saw their names highlighted multiple times at conference weekly awards.  Harre was male runner up, male overall runner up, high overall (twice), male handicap champion (twice) and senior high male.  Kynli Combs won the female handicap champion and runner up for overall, high senior female (twice), and high overall runner-up.

Combs was also part of the senior ladies champion team and runner up team along with Kierra Papik, and a member of the team high score and high overall team (twice) with Kain Combs, Harre, Carver Kanode and Tucker Simms.

Carver Kanode also won the male handicap champion and high overall runner up one week.  He won the 22-23 handicap yard line.  Rylan Bartels won the 22-23 yard line one week and Mikey Bartu won the 20-21 yard line and his team which included Brett Kallhoff, Zach Spohn, Aidan Vavra and Will Vyhnalek won the high handicap score.

Other handicap winners included Cohen Harre at the 24-25 yard line, Brett Kallhoff at the 18-19 yard line and Jaxson Brandt at the 20-21 yard line.  Will Vyhnalek was the male handicap champion one week.

When all of the scores were tallied for the conference season the EMF team had plenty of hardware to take home.  Cohen Harre was captain of the all-conference senior male team.  Carver Kanode and Kain Combs were members of the second team and Mikey Bartu was on the third team.

Kynli Combs was on the first senior female team and the all-conference junior female first team had four spots filled by EMF shooters.  Carly Uffleman was the captain with Rylee Rohren, Kensigntyn Bristol and Addison Foutch filled the spots.

Junior male first team honors went to Conner Uffelman and fifth grader Braxton Harre earned a spot on the junior male second team.

The conference also sells raffle tickets for a gun and several other items and part of that fundraiser goes to fund scholarships. This year EMF team member Kynli Combs received a $1000 scholarship from the Central Nebraska Trapshooting Conference.  The Pheasants Forever made a generous $2000 contribution towards scholarships for this year’s seniors competing in the Central Nebraska Trapshooting Conference.

The EMF team members pay no registration fees because each team member raised funds selling raffle tickets for a gun. Harre was encouraged to see more team members this year. The team has students from six area schools this year including Exeter-Milligan, Friend, McCool, York, Meridian, and Centennial.

Graduating seniors on the team include Andrew Vavra, Devin Harrison, and Kynli Combs.

Exeter/Exeter-Milligan Alumni Weekend celebrated

Allison (Michl) Bitz shares about changes during her keynote speech at the Exeter/Exeter-Milligan Alumni Banquet.

The Exeter/Exeter-Milligan Alumni celebrated together on Saturday, May 25 in the Exeter gymnasium.

The program was hosted by the class of 2014 and was part of a three day event starting with live music and a taco bar (hosted by the Exeter Fire Department to raise funds for a new ambulance) downtown Friday night at the Twisted Wrench.

Saturday's events, in addition to the banquet, were a golf tournament won by Wade Sluka and Darren Engle, tours of the school,  a social time and dance with a silent auction at the Exeter Legion.

On Sunday there was a road rally and a fat penny tournament in Milligan.

At the banquet Kylie (Briske) Schoenholz gave the welcome and talked about the few years she spent away from home. She shared how people were shocked when they heard how small her high school graduating class was but she always responded "being raised in a small town is one of my life's greatest blessings.  The community support we received was unmatched."

After the welcome Deidre (Stevens) Boyle facilitated the business meeting noting that next year the banquet attendees will need to vote on what to do with the alumni association in light of the approaching consolidation with Friend.

Becky (Harre) Erdkamp gave the Exeter-Milligan Foundation report noting that the Foundation was able to give $12,000 in scholarships this year.

Before eating, Logan Zeleny gave the blessing and classes took their group photo before lining up for a meal.  

Allison (Michl) Bitz, a member of the class of 2001, gave the keynote speech.  A doctor of psychology and counselor in Lincoln, Bitz released her first pre-teen novel in 2023 and her second pre-teen novel will be released this fall by Harper Collins.

Bitz talked about the many changes she experienced with the Exeter school district when she was in high school when they co-oped classes and some sports with Fairmont and then a temporary arrangement with Milligan until it became permanent just before she graduated.

With the upcoming consolidation Bitz reminded the crowd of the Zen proverb, "Let it go or be dragged."

After the speech Boyle returned to the podium and passed the microphone out to the honor classes to share memories and introduce their attendees.  During the class of 1974 introduction they noted that their second grade teacher (Mrs. Lois Pribyl) was the spouse of one of the members of the class of 1954.

After the introductions there was an open house reception at the Exeter American Legion Post 218.

Exeter Remembers and Honors the fallen

Perfect weather chose to honor the Memorial Day program in Exeter Monday morning.

The large crowd was welcomed to the program by American Legion Post 218 Commander Mark Beethe after the color guard marched in with the flags.

Beethe noted that in addition to honoring "all of those service members that made the ultimate sacrifice" he wanted to remember the 103 fallen from Fillmore County and more specifically the "12 that called Exeter home."

The Exeter-Milligan Band performed three numbers including the "Star Spangled Banner," "America," and "Salute to Freedom."

The invocation was led by Rev. Murry Johnston, Troy Kallhoff read the Gettysburg Address  Draven Payne read "In Flanders Field."

Tim Wilbeck gave the address and began by asking the audience if "a veteran would recognize our country today?"

He encouraged his listeners to reflect on that but didn't want to dive into politics on a day that is about remembering "those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country."

Wilbeck reminded those in the audience that "more than one million died in defense of our country. . .think for a moment what our life would be like if they hadn't fought for our freedom."

Instead of remembering the fallen in sorrow Wilbeck encouraged the attendees to use it as a call to action and "honor the dead by serving the living."

He gave an example of one veteran, Lou Conter, the last living USS Arizona survivor who died recently.  Conter balked at being called a hero,  “We’re not the heroes. The 1,177 who went down with the ship are the heroes. You have to remember we got to go home, get married, have children and grandchildren, and we’ve lived a good life. Those who didn’t get to do that should be called the heroes.”

WIlbeck encouraged all to always remember them.

The program ended with the 21 gun salute to the dead and the playing of Taps and Taps echo by Kierra Papik.

The audience was welcomed to the Exeter American Legion home where the auxiliary was serving rolls and coffee.

Memorial Day

 Services will be at the cemetery in Exeter at 10 am

Exeter-Milligan update: Senior Mailboxes

As Bon Jovi says:

“There’s only one place left that I want to go,

WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T GO HOME!”

 

This was the message the Exeter Area Community Foundation and the Exeter-Milligan School Foundation expressed to the 2024 graduates at Exeter-Milligan.  Each graduate received a personalized mailbox, reminding them that they will always have a home at Exeter-Milligan and are always part of the pack.  It may not be on the graduates radar now, but in five or ten years, when they have a family of their own and are looking for a place to raise that family, the hope is that little voice will be telling them, “Who says you can’t go home!”

 

Pictured front L-R: Draven Payne, Taylor Pribyl, Savana Krupicka, Malorie Staskal and Trista Adams

 

Back row: Devin Harrison, Trenton Vossler, Josh Meyer, Andrew Vavra, Tyler Due, Dravin Birkes, and Troy Kallhoff