EMF Trapshooting Grows in Size, Skill, and Support

Juniors Team
Courtesy Photo: Leesa Bartu

The EMF Trapshooting team wrapped up an outstanding season this year, marking their biggest team yet and celebrating some incredible accomplishments on the range. Head coach, Justin Harre reflected on the season’s highlights and what makes this team, and the community behind it, so special.

One of the biggest changes this year was the team’s size, “We went from 52 kids last season to 70 kids this year,” Harre said. “The interest in the sport and our team has grown over the years, and that is very exciting. It’s a lot of work, but we have great coaches working with the kids, and the families have been great to work with.” Harre also credited the communities involved for supporting the team through fundraisers to help cover the costs of the season.

Above all trophies and titles, Harre said the team’s proudest accomplishments always starts with safety. “We taught a lot of new shooters how to properly handle a gun and enjoy the sport of trapshooting.” Returning shooters also saw great improvement, earning multiple weekly and team awards during conference shoots. By the end of the conference season, EMF had 12 team members named to the all-conference teams.

Senior Team

At the Cornhusker State High School Shoot in Doniphan, EMF shooters made their mark on the state stage. Braxton Harre took home the High Overall Junior Award, while Rylee Rohren earned High Overall Female Junior Award. The Friend Junior Team, made up of Rylee Rohren, Blake Bruntz, Brock Bruntz, Grady Arp, and Brenson Brandt, placed 2nd overall. Senior shooter Carver Kanode placed 13th out of over 1,500 competitors in the singles event, an incredible individual achievement.

For Harre, one of the most rewarding parts of the season is watching the kids grow from their first year and their second. “Second-year shooters always look so much more confident than their first year. You’d be surprised how some of these kids, who aren’t very big, can handle a shotgun so well,” he said. Beyond scores, the friendships made along the way are what really make the team special. “We have kids from eight different schools shooting on our team, so there are plenty of opportunities to meet new people. They support each other on and off the range, and even cheer on their friends from other teams.”

Of course, no Nebraska spring sport is complete without weather challenges. “The wind will always blow if there’s a shoot - guaranteed,” laughed Harre. The team always works through the unpredictable spring conditions and will still perform at their best.

One of the most exciting developments for the EMF Trapshooting Club this year was the addition of a new building. “We’ve been wanting a larger facility for years because of the growth of our club and the kids,” Harre explained. Thanks to generous donations from community members and surrounding towns, and the many hours of volunteer time and resources, the dream became a reality. Harre says the new facility opens the door for even more opportunities. “Having a larger facility will allow us to possibly do more events at the gun club and hopefully continue to grow.”

It’s clear that the EMF Trapshooting Team is more than just a team, it’s a community built on safety, hard work, and the support of families and friends who believe in the sport and in each other.

What's New on the Library Shelves? | Mystery/Thriller Edition

Each week new books will be featured by genre from the Exeter Public Library. Be sure to check out your next book.

The First Gentleman: A Thriller by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

A political–crime thriller set in an alternative present where the U.S. has elected its first female president. Her husband, a former NFL star, finds himself accused of a murder that took place 17 years ago—just as she embarks on a re‑election campaign. A pair of investigative journalists dig into his past, uncovering alarming evidence tied to a missing cheerleader and buried secrets, all while the White House braces for the scandal. Full of political sabotage, courtroom intrigue, and insider perspective drawn from Clinton, it’s a “[twisty] thriller…with plenty of inside jobs, political sabotage and many, many deaths,” according to USA Today pecheyponderings.wordpress.com+3

Badlands: A Nora Kelly Thriller by Preston & Child

Archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI agent Corrie Swanson are plunged into a supernatural mystery in New Mexico’s remote badlands. The skeletal remains of a woman are discovered clutching rare “lightning stones” once used by the Chaco people to summon gods. When an eerily similar second death is uncovered, they suspect that ancient rituals might have unleashed a terrifying power. What begins as a puzzling case soon crosses into the realm of ancient curses, ritual sacrifice, and dark forces awakened from slumber.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly

Detective Stilwell, a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department veteran, has been relegated to policing Catalina Island—a place meant to be low-key, but which quickly turns sinister. A body is found in the harbor, wrapped in plastic and weighed down, the only clue a purple dye streak in the victim’s hair. As Stilwell doggedly pursues the case—navigating local politics, departmental friction, and the isolation of island life—he begins to uncover a dark secret behind this seemingly idyllic tourist spot. A gripping launch to Connelly’s 40th novel and a promising new series.