Capturing is one thing that Katie Welker has been doing since she was 9. 

And it is paying off.

Welker was the common season common chief in entice within the South Dakota Excessive College Clay Goal League heading into the state match on the Aberdeen Gun Membership over the weekend. Her common of 24.7 was simply forward of teammate Jack Anderson, who had a median of 24.5.

On the primary day of the state meet, Welker competed within the skeet competitors, the place she earned her first good rating of 25 throughout her second spherical. Within the first spherical, she shot a 21.

Throughout the spring season, Welker had an common of 23.1 in skeet. Stanley County’s Wyatt Mortenson had one of the best common within the state at 23.7.

“It is fairly thrilling. The primary spherical was OK. I used to be pleased with the 21, so fairly good. That is about what I common,” Welker mentioned. 

She completed with a 93 within the skeet occasion, which was good for fourth place. Mitchell’s Trell Kaupp received the occasion with a 97. 

In entice, Welker shot a 99 to position second in the 1A competitors behind Jena Kopp of Scorching Springs, who had good 100.

Welker mentioned she would not get a lot follow in skeet for the reason that closest membership to Winner/Colome is about an hour and a half away in Pierre. 

Final season, Welker led the Winner/Colome trapshooting staff to the Class 1A state title. She is not any stranger to the state match. This was her fifth look, it it could have been her sixth had COVID-19 not canceled one state meet.

Winner/Colome was unable to seize one other staff title, however nonetheless took fourth in entice in 1A.

Welker has plans to proceed her taking pictures profession in faculty.

She plans to attend Concordia College in Seward, Neb., a non-public Lutheran faculty. Welker mentioned the staff she is becoming a member of has roughly 30 members. The exercise is roofed below the athletic division, which means the college will cowl Welker’s bills, together with inns and journey charges, she mentioned.

Britton-Hecla studying skeet as they go

Whereas Britton-Hecla has fielded a clay goal staff for 5 years now, it hadn’t competed within the skeet division till this 12 months.

Britton-Hecla Head Coach Ray Effling mentioned the staff has about 28 youngsters, with seven competing in skeet.

Within the skeet occasion, clay targets are shot from a entice to simulate a hen. 

Effling, who’s in his fifth 12 months as coach, mentioned that this 12 months, the skeet occasion has been a studying course of. 

“We’re getting higher. We’re moving into the correct course … We’re studying, whilst coaches, we’re studying and we’re making an attempt to get the children higher. We’re simply making an attempt to do what we are able to to make them a greater staff, so yeah it is studying,” he mentioned on Friday, the opening day of the state meet.

The staff, like most groups with spring seasons, was affected by the chilly climate that lingered, forcing rescheduled practices, which frequently interfered with different occasions that the children take part in. The staff practices south of Britton

“(It is) been a tricky spring due to the climate. It is simply powerful to get youngsters taking pictures. Aside from that, we won’t actually complain slightly bit apart from the climate was beating us. However youngsters are taking pictures properly, and we’re having enjoyable,” Effling mentioned.

This 12 months has served as an expertise builder for some shooters. He mentioned the staff is about break up half and half between youthful youngsters and upperclassmen. 

“We’re the place we anticipate, not the place we would like, however we’ll get there. We’re a couple of 12 months out … I determine we’re a couple of 12 months or two out, after which hopefully issues preserve progressing and we’ll be up there with the highest guys, however we’re studying,” Effling mentioned. 

Britton-Hecla positioned eighth in skeet and fourth in entice.

Chamberlain wins skeet and entice staff titles

Chamberlain claimed each the 1A skeet and entice staff titles on the South Dakota Excessive College Clay Goal League State Match in the course of the weekend. Yankton received the 2A entice division.

Greater than 900 rivals visited the Aberdeen Gun Membership to take part within the three-day occasion.

In 2A entice, Yankton’s Payton Silvernail received high honors with a 98, whereas Mitchell’s Maddy Henkel earned the highest feminine honors with a 94.

In 1A entice, Kopp’s good rating was good for the championship, properly Welker was second with a 99.

In skeet, Chamberlain additionally received in 1A, whereas Mitchell’s Trell Kaupp had one of the best rating of the occasion with a 97.

There is just one entice staff division.

Closing entice outcomes

2A staff scores

1. Yankton 474; 2. Mitchell 469; 3. Pierre Riggs 469; 4. Platte-Geddes 457; 5. Brookings 453; 6. Brandon Valley 453; 7. Harrisburg 449; 8. Milbank 443; 9. Bowdle 440; 10. Kimball 439. 

2A particular person high 10

1. Payton Silvernail, Yankton 98; T-2. Jadon Petersen, Platte-Geddes 97; T-2. Chase Eitemiller, Mitchell; T-4. Kale Kriese, Dakota Valley 98; T-4. Braxton Pulse, Kimball 96; T-4. Keagan Holmstrom, Yankton 96; T-4. Tanner Becker, Yankton 96; T-8. Lucas Johnson, Milbank 95; T-8. Jonah Dancsisin, Harrisburg 95; T-8. Shawn Van Liere, Pierre TF Riggs 95; T-8. T-8. Nathan McCormick, Mitchell 95; T-8. Peter Dammen, Brookings 95; T-8. Lucas Jones, Pierre TF Riggs 95. 

1A staff scores

1. Chamberlain 480; 2. Scorching Springs 479; 3. Britton-Hecla 473; 4. Winner/Colome 472; 5. Groton Space 469; 6. Belle Fourche 469; 7. Wall 455; 8. Sioux Valley 453; 9. Aberdeen Roncalli 449; 10. Webster 435. 

1A particular person high 10

1. Jena Kopp, Scorching Springs, 100; T-2. Colin Mayer, Chamberlain, 99; Katie Welker, Winner/Colome, 99; T-4. Jude Sargent, Winner/Colome, 98; Zane Backous, Aberdeen Roncalli, 98; Tina Zoellner, Groton, 98; Tyna Bennett, Britton-Hecla, 98; T-8. Brayden Carbajal, Belle Fourche, 97; Aiden Petersen, Wall, 97; William Kuhl, Scorching Springs, 97; Chris Hornick, Sioux Valley, 97; Landen Hartman, Canton, 97; Mya Priebe, Chamberlain, 97.

Skeet

Workforce scores

1. Chamberlain 433; 2. Belle Fourche 441; 3. Brookings 435; 4. Winner/Colome 421; 5. Mitchell 416; 6. Pierre TF Riggs 412; 7. Yankton 404; 8. Britton-Hecla 373; 9. Deuel 369. 

Particular person high 10

1. Trell Kaupp, Mitchell, 97; 2. Carter McKenna, Belle Fourche 95; 3. Wyatt Mortenson, Stanley County 94; 4. Katie Welker, Winner/Colome 93; T-5. Christian Charges, Chamberlain 92; T-5. Brayden Carbajal, Belle Fourche 92; T-5. Jansen Konechne, Chamberlain 92; 8. Tanner Becker, Yankton 91; T-9. Carter Effling, Britton-Hecla 90; T-9. Payton Jackson, Belle Fourche 90; T-9. Colin Mayer, Chamberlain 90.