Although it was the shooting team’s first year in existence, the members still managed to make it to the state tournament this past June in San Antonio. The JV trap team placed first and the overall trap team placed second. The Youth Target Foundation, Scholastic Clay Target Program and the Midway USA Scholastic Shooting Foundation awarded the team $12,500 in endowments for their win.

“I thought that our first year was going to be a dud,” junior Nolan Baker said. “I never dreamed that we would have taken state. [It] was pretty exciting when we won. It’s just a great feeling.”

The team played against high schools from around Texas, including Coppell, Marcus and Argyle. Senior Warren Scott scored a 97 out of 100 in the 100 Bird American Trap event, placing third in the overall trap team individual. Junior Matthew Wright was just one point behind. In the 100 Bird Sporting Clays event, Baker and Wright both scored an 85. Junior Tyler Trinastich scored an 83 and junior Cameron Mehmken followed with an 82.

“We were very excited to win,” coach Jason Anderson said. “Anytime you win anything, you’re excited. We were really impressed with ourselves.”

Classroom practices were held during the first semester last year at Lowery to teach the members about safety and handling a shotgun, as well as the basic concepts of the sport. In February the team began practicing twice a week at Elm Fork, a range in Dallas, where they shot trap, skeet and sporting clays. Sophomore Jonathan Moore said that shooting takes more mental focus than skill.

“You can get down the basics, but everything after that is up in your head, [such as] saying that you don’t think you can do it,” Moore said. “So you have to get past that mental block, and then you’ll be set.”

Some of the members had never shot a gun before and others joined the team to compete. After going to a few competitions, they had the chance to see how skilled their competitors were.

“[The kids] saw that they had some competition,” Anderson said. “They had to work a little harder, and they definitely did.”

Most of the team was eligible to go to the 2013 Texas Scholastic Clay Target Program State Championships in June. Moore said he remembers heading to San Antonio and seeing how large everything was at the tournament.

“We drove up and just like every shooting place, if

you don’t look for it, you’re not going to see it,” Moore said. “[When we got there], I saw all these fields in front of me, and I was like, ‘Whoa, that’s big. That’s a big field.’”

Allen came out on top with high scores in the 100 Bird American Trap event. In American Trap the shooter must shoot a clay target that comes out of the trap house in front of them. It shoots out targets 44 degrees to the left, right or straight out in front of the shooter.

“We knew that if we kept practicing, we could win state,” Anderson said. “We knew that we had a good chance. I was very happy for the kids.”

The members are now back on their practice routines. The team has expanded and practice is starting five months earlier than it did last year.

There are around 95 members total with 22 coming from middle schools. Anderson said that with more members, the team is ready to win something bigger than state.

“We’re preparing for regionals and state, but we’re really preparing for nationals,” Anderson said. “When you go to nationals, it’s a whole different ball game. We would be the only team from Texas to place [at the national level] if we did. We would like to be that team.”

story by Layal Zalkout // staff writer