Here's an update on the Pine City Trap team from Coach Johnson.
In a season characterized by rain, snow, gusty winds, and cold temperatures, the Pine City High School Trap Team finally caught a break. Sunday’s weather was beautiful with sunshine, calm winds, and temperatures in the upper 60’s. Targets were much more consistent in flight, and Dragon scores showed marked improvement. The team was led by junior Brady Johnson and freshman Evan Doenz, who both scored 43 hits. Ryan Carl maintained his position as a top gun, hitting 40 targets. Six individuals tied for fourth with scores of 38: Milo Rydberg, Evan Benolken, Cody Patzoldt, Billy Brown, Maddox Wiener, and Bryer Berube. Tyler Mohr and Wyatt Nowling both scored 37, followed by Ethan Doenz and Zach Watts at 36. Season high scores were achieved by a majority of the athletes on the team, from 7 th graders to seniors. Head coach Brendt Nelson said, “Our shooters have dealt with a lot of bad weather this year, which is not great for scores. It was nice to have a normal day to show us how good they are and how much they have improved.” A total of 29 shooters will be going to the state tournament in Alexandria on Tuesday, June 20. This Sunday is the final week of competitive shooting for the team. It’s picture day so coaches
are hoping the good weather will continue. The team is also selling raffle tickets to raise money to fund the team, which at 77 athletes is one of the biggest in the state and the nation. Ammunition costs for one season alone total over $16,000. The team is considered a club sport and is a part of the Community Education program, so it is not funded by the school district like regular sports. Tickets are available at the team shoot of Sunday, at NAPA, or at Rick’s Auto.
