Exeter-Milligan-Friend Trap Team Season

 

Back row from the left:  Head Coach Justin Harre, Coach Shane Bristol, Laura Casper, Tucker Simms,  Kynli Combs, Andrew Lunt, Cori Combs, Andrew Vavra, Dayton Kremer, Draven Payne, Kierra Papik, Lily Jeffries, Savana Krupicka, Aiden Vavra, Tyler Due, Devin Harrison and Coach Doug Motis.

Second row from the back pictured from the left:  Coach Travis Combs, Kain Combs, Coach Jeff Combs, Trenton Naber, Noah Schilz, Mikey Bartu, Daysan Staskal, Preston Knollenberg, Ben Bartu, Cade Kresak, Will Vyhnalek, Josiah Oceguera, Jake Opfer, Casper Mertz, Cohen Harre, Chase Paulsen, Coach Cory Engert.

Second row from the front from the left:  Grady Bresson, Will Kallhoff, Vincent Cox, Deacon Erdkamp, Ty Svehla, Jaxson Brandt, Charlie Hoarty, Carver Kanode, Brett Kallhoff, Gavin Jensen, Zach Spohn.

Front row from the left: Rylan Bartels, Conner Uffelman, Hudson Linabery, Wyatt Hoffman, Jacob Behrends, Levi Jurgensen, Kynnedy Bristol, Sydney Engert, Cheyenne Krupicka, Carly Uffelman and Jacob Spohn.

Not pictured: JA Soukup

 End of season conference winners from the left:  Andrew Vavra, Trenton Naber, Kynli Combs, Kain Combs, Cori Combs, Cohen Harre, Jaxson Brandt, Rylan Bartels and Carver Kanode.

 

The Exeter-Milligan-Friend Trap team had another successful year as a part of the Central Nebraska Trapshooting Conference.

The team had 51 students participating this year. The team is divided into Juniors (age 12 through 8^th grade) and Seniors (9 – 12^th grade).  They competed with around 160 other shooters every Saturday morning at Crooked Creek club near Aurora. 

This year the team included 26 juniors and 25 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 out of 50 in the first round they would be at the 23 yard line for handicap).

Harre, along with additional coaches Travis Combs, Shane Bristol, Corey Engert, Doug Motis and Jeff Combs keep busy observing the team and monitoring their shooting during practices and at the meets.  They spend the entire day outside no matter what the weather and this year there were gale force winds on many of those Saturday mornings.

At the end of the conference season, awards were passed out with Cori Combs as team captain of the all-conference first female team and Kynli Combs also on the first team female. Cade Kresak was on the all-conference first male team and Andrew Vavra along with Trenton Naber were on the second male team.

Receiving Junior team honors were first male team members Kain Combs, and Cohen Harre. Jaxson Brandt was on the second team and Carver Kanode and Rylan Bartles were on the third junior team.

The conference also sells raffle tickets for a gun and part of that fundraiser goes to fund scholarships. This year EMF team member Cori Combs received a $500 scholarship from the Central Nebraska Trapshooting Conference.  The Rainwater Basin Pheasants Forever Chapter made a generous $1500 contribution towards scholarships for this years 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 seven area schools this year.

This makes the Cornhusker State Trap competition more challenging for the coaches as the team members at the state shoot must all be from the same school.  This was the 52^nd year for the event sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks.

The lone EMF Trap member to bring home hardware from the Cornhusker national shoot was Cori Combs who finished out her final year in fourth place in the ladies division breaking 72 out of 75 rocks.

Combs and Ben Bartu are the only two seniors that will leave the team as they graduated this year.  Harre is encouraging his team members to participate in shooting sports all year long to make next year’s team even better.

We owe a big thank you to all of the surrounding communities that helped the kids raise money for their entry fees and practices,” said Harre, “We had another fun year with a great group of kids and parents. We had so many great coaches and parents that it really showed with the kids and how much they improved throughout the year. 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.”

 

Summer Reading Program to start soon

There will also be a STEM extension program on June 14, 16, 21, 23, 28 and 30.  Summer reading programs will be the same date in June.  In July dates are 12, 14, 19, 21 and 26.  Contact the library for more information!

Exeter-Milligan Class of 2012

 

The Exeter-Milligan Class of 2012 hosted the Exeter/Exeter-Milligan Alumni Banquet.  Pictured from the left are Jalen Maxson, Brady Bristol, Rebecca Vossler Pair, Blake Mark, Nate Bigelow, Michael Schoop and Shauna Meyer (Meyer did not graduate with the class but attended Exeter-Miligan with the class until 10^th grade).

Throwback Thursday 05/27/2012

 

05/27/2022

 

Memorial Day services at the Exeter Cemetery will be held Monday, May 28th at 10 a.m.  Tim Wilbeck will open the service with the Exeter-Milligan School Band playing the National Anthem.  Invocation will be by Rev. Ginny Adams and Claire White will read the "Gettysburg Address."  The band will perform several numbers and Brady Bristol will present "In Flanders Field."  Wilbeck will present the address and the Exeter American Legion Post #218 will make its annual "Salute to the Dead." Blake Papik will play "Taps," with the Taps Echo by Amber Pribyl.  A vocal selection, "In Flanders Field," will be performed by the high school choir at the Legion Hall during the coffee hour.  In case of inclement weather, the service will be held at the Exeter-Milligan High School Gym.  The American Legion Auxiliary will be serving coffee and rolls until 11:30 a.m. at the Legion Hall following the service at the cemetery. 

Congratulations to Quinten Loontjer and Rebecca Vossler as they were chosen as members of the All-Area Academic Team by the York News Times.

The Exeter Care Center celebrated their annual Balloon Liftoff and release to honor those lost during the year.

 

Each year they take an afternoon to remember those who passed away while they were residents at the Exeter Care Center.  Staff member Bob Pagel led the service stating they wanted to “honor family and friends who had passed away in the last year.”

 

Exeter community members and guests remembered the fallen at the Exeter Cemetery on a beautiful Monday morning.

 

Members of Exeter Legion Post 218 formed the color guard, posted the colors and stood at attention while the Exeter-Milligan band played The Star Spangled Banner.

 

After an invocation from Pastor Ginny Adams and a reading of the “Gettysburg Address” by Claire White, the Exeter-Milligan band played several patriotic tunes and Brady Bristol read the poem “In Flanders Field.”

The featured speaker Tim Wilbeck opened with the thought, “Any American would feel honored today to speak about what our nation’s armed forces members have done for us.”

 

Wilbeck went on to talk about some of the members of our armed forces who have lost their lives recently reminding the crowd that, “sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance.”

 

He encouraged the crowd “to help a Vet because it’s the right thing to do. Take care of their families, take care of them, those who made our way of life possible.”

 

After Wilbeck spoke the Legion members gave a salute to the dead, Taps was played by Blake Papik and Taps Echo was played by Amber Pribyl.  The crowd was dismissed to enjoy coffee and rolls waiting at the Exeter Legion home. 

 

At the coffee, the Exeter-Milligan chorus performed an arrangement of “In Flander’s Field” by Shane Whitford, who joined chorus members Kimberlin Ruhl, Ashley and Meghann Miller in performing with guitars and voices.

 

Pack 218 Cub Scouts spent Thursday afternoon with the residents at Exeter Care Center playing Bingo.  The scouts brought the snacks, including homemade cookies, called Bingo and assisted any residents with watching their cards.

 

The Exeter Ball Association recently received a very generous donation. In honor of Lori Ruhl Walford and Gary Ruhl, their families have donated a beautiful new scoreboard which was recently mounted at the ballfield.

 

Speaking for the family, Jerry Walford, Lori’s widower explained that, “We wanted to honor the memory of Lori and her dad, Gary.”

 

“A couple of years ago Lori and I were watching Cayden (grandson) play ball and I remembered her making the comment that you could barely see the sign out there and she was the one running the scoreboard.”

The new scoreboard is much larger than the old one – from a 3 x 9 to a 5 x 10.  Instead of regular light bulbs the new sign has LED lights in it which should, Walford hopes, make it easier to see and maintain.  The new scoreboard is also wireless.

 

The Exeter/Exeter-Milligan held their alumni banquet on Saturday evening in the Exeter site gym.  Many classes were represented.

 

 

Exeter Honors Fallen at Memorial Day Program

Exeter honored those who gave their lives to defend their country in a service at the Exeter Cemetery on Monday morning.

The flags were standing tall down the avenue of flags with the strong winds on the Nebraska prairie as the color guard presented the colors to open the program.

Tim Wilbeck, master of ceremonies, introduced the Exeter-Milligan band who performed the “Star Spangled Banner.”

Pastor Murry Johnston gave the invocation before Braden Capek read the “Gettysburg Address.”  The Exeter-Milligan band then played “America.”

Ben Bartu read “In Flanders Fields,” and the band played “The Grand Old Flag/America, the Beautiful,” before Wilbeck gave the address.

He reminded the audience that they were there to remember the sacrifices those in service gave.  He spoked about the qualities of those who gave their lives exhibited, including “courage, pride, determination, and selfless dedication . . .they were called to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”

Wilbeck spoke of ten young men and women who gave their lives in Afghanistan while serving this country.  “They represent the best of the generation.”

They were from all over the United States and ranged in age from 20-31, “a diverse group of men and women forever in our hearts . . .with a common goal to serve America.”

He spoke about the heart of a Korean War era airman, Major George Davis, whose “indomitable fighting spirit exemplified valor at its highest.”

Davis, a fighter pilot, came across 12 Chinese MIG and took out two of them before he was shot down.

Wilbeck reminded the audience that over one million Americans have made “the supreme sacrifice, to represent the things we love, God, country and family.”

He encouraged the audience to take care of the loved ones who have been left behind with emotional and financial support.

“Memorial day is not about picnic and parades, although there is nothing wrong with them.  It’s about gratitude and remembrance.  The reason we can gather in peace.”

The Exeter American Legion Post #218 gave the salute to the dead before Kierra Papik played “Taps,” and Carter Milton “Taps Echo.”

The American Legion Auxiliary served coffee and rolls at the Legion hall following the service at the cemetery.

 

 

Remember on Memorial Day