Sports : RedTail Sports Shooting Earns Fifth Trap-Singles Title at Nationals

Blaedyn Benscoter shot a perfect 100 and finished seventh among the 584 Trap-Single shooters.

Members of the Hawkeye RedTail Sports Shooting team who competed at the National College Championship in San Antonio, Texas.

Trap-Doubles Team (L to R): Connor Crooks, Devan Myers, Zach Erpelding, Blaedyn Benscoter.

Hawkeye RedTail Sports Shooting claimed numerous awards, including team titles in Trap-Singles and Trap-Doubles, and High-Over-All Runner-Up at the 2023 ACUI/SCTP College Nationals held March 20-25, at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas.

"We shot really well for this being these RedTails first time at the National Shooting Complex," said head coach Troy Emley. Some 770 student-athletes representing nearly 75 teams from 29 states competed across six days, including 11 RedTail student-athletes. 

The RedTails claimed their fifth national Trap-Singles team title, setting a new school record at nationals with 492 targets. The five-person Trap Singles team was led by Blaedyn Benscoter, whose perfect 100 helped rank him seventh among the 584 Trap-Single shooters. Braden Brown and Colton Crooks each scored 99, with Britlynn Klaas and Mathew Rippel each hitting 97.

The Trap-Doubles team title resulted from a shoot-off with Connors State College after both teams hit 433 targets. In the shoot-off, Hawkeye hit 77, putting them two shots ahead of Connors and clinching the championship. The RedTails also placed third in Sporting Clays (348), Doubles Skeet (446), and Super Sporting (424),  and came in third in American Skeet (462). 

Trap-Singles (First)

Blaedyn Benscoter 100

Braden Brown 99

Colton Crooks 99

Britlyn, Klaas 97

Matthew Rippel 97

Trap-Doubles (First)

Colton Crooks 92

Zachary Erpelding 90

Devan Myers 88

Connor Ehlert 82

Blaedyn Benscoter 81

Trap-Doubles (First)

Devan Myers  88

Matthew Rippel 87

Haley Starmer 84

Colton Crooks 84

Zachary Erpelding 81

Sporting Clays (Third)

Devan Myers 77

Zachary Erpelding 71

Matthew Rippel 70

Colton Crooks 65

Haley Starmer 65

American Skeet (Third)

Devan Myers 98

Colton Crooks 95

Haley Starmer 93

Braden Brown 91

Matthew Rippel 85

Doubles Skeet (Second)

Colton Crooks 97

Devan Myers 89

Haley Starmer 87

Zachary Erpelding 87

Matthew Rippel 86

In High-Over-All, which includes scores from American Skeet, Doubles Skeet, Sporting Clays, Super Sporting, Trap Singles, and Trap Doubles, the RedTails hit a combined 2,605 targets to earn the number two spot. Myers led the totals at 536, followed by Crooks (532), Zachary Erpelding (507), Rippel (504), and Brown (469).  

"Our upperclassmen shined throughout the championships," Emley said. "Our future looks bright from the performances of our underclassmen."

National Championship Roster

Blaedyn Benscoter, Freshman, Conrad, Iowa BCLUW

Braden Brown*, Sophmore, Dike, Iowa Dike-New Hartford

Colton Crooks, Freshman, Charles City, Iowa Charles City

Connor Ehlert, Junior, Bricelyn, Minnesota, United South Central

Zachary Erpelding, Freshman, Aurelia, Iowa, Alta Aurelia

Britlynn Klaas, Sophmore, Beaman, Iowa, BCLUW

Devan Myers*, Sophmore, Preston, Iowa, Easton Valley

Matthew Rippel, Sophmore, Mt. Auburn, Iowa, Vinton-Shellsburg

Gavin Sims, Freshman, Decorah, Iowa, Decorah

Samuel Singewald, Freshman, Lawler, Iowa, New Hampton

Haley Starmer, Freshman, Harvey, Iowa, Pella