Bemidji High School trap teams place 28th, 51st at national championships
Jul. 18—MASON, Mich. — The Bemidji High School trap shooting team had a fun and productive trip down to the USA High School Clay Target League National Championship in Mason, Mich.
The Lumberjacks plied their wares against teams from across the country from July 7-9, and the BHS group acquitted itself well nationally. Bemidji brought two teams to the event — one finished in 28th place out of 240 competing teams, while the other took 51st.
The leading Lumberjack group, composed of Blake Kehoe, Avery Kehoe, Eric Bittmann, Sawyer Corcoran and Wyatt Stout, combined for a team score of 474 targets out of 500. The Jacks' other team of Caleb Hall, Taylor Kehoe, Kayden Nipp, Corbin Hadrava and Dalton Borg scored a composite 468.
Bittmann had the best individual finish in the team event for Bemidji, notching a perfect score of 100.
"I'm really proud of all of them," head coach Jeff Krona said. "They went down there and they shot well."
A number of Lumberjacks also competed in the individual competition. Senior Taylor Kehoe had the best solo finish for BHS, posting a 99 out of 100 with a reverse run of 99 to place in a tie for 20th. Corcoran and Bittmann were next up with 97s to place 117th and 120th, respectively.
Nipp (95, 204th) also competed for the Jacks, finishing off his performance in style with a reverse run of 50 straight targets.
Krona singled out the performance of senior Kehoe as a highlight while also praising the extant abilities and potential of some of the Lumberjacks' younger competitors.
"I have no doubt in my mind (that) for the next four years, they'll be making that same trip," Krona said. "We're deep, we're solid. We've got great kids. ... Eric and Sawyer had really, really good tournaments. And they're young. Kayden is another one who's young, and he's just a phenomenal shooter."
The 13-plus-hour, multi-day trip down to Michigan wasn't without its perks, either. Bemidji's entrants took time to bask in the sights along the journey.
"They go down and they stop (on the way), and they cliff-jump into (the Great Lakes)," Krona recounted. "They go down and have fun as a team. And as they get down there and they practice on Thursday, it's all business Friday, Saturday and this year (on) Sunday.
"Different families make vacations out of it. They'll stop at Mackinac City, look at the stuff there and the bridge. They had a lot of fun. They really do."
For Krona, who will be stepping down after this season due to health issues, the Lumberjacks' performance as nationals as well as the
state meet
is an enjoyable capstone to his two seasons in charge of leading the program.
"I'm not 100% sure what's going to happen," Krona said. "We've talked about it a little bit. The coaching staff that they have right now is really, really good there. We've got some great coaches. So any one of them could step up and take it, for sure."
Bemidji will now prepare for its summer league, which begins on July 26 at the Bemidji Trap & Skeet Club.
