Statesmen Battle with Best, Place Third at ACUI Nationals
San Antonio, Texas–The William Penn shotgun sports team moved up to the highest division and gave the nation’s top programs a run for their money as it competed at the ACUI National Championship last week.
WPU finished third in Division I with 2,882 targets, while perennial powerhouses Lindenwood (Mo.) and Texas A&M tied for the title at 2,919. Lindenwood ended up winning the crown, taking the shoot-off 165-162.
The navy and gold were at a significant disadvantage, competing with just 28 individuals, while the top two squads nearly doubled WPU.
William Penn finished in the top four in all six divisions, highlighted by placing second in Trap and Doubles Skeet.
WPU finished with a team score of 496-for-500 in Trap with Russell Malterud (Grad., North Branch, Minn., Master’s of Organizational Leadership) leading the way with a perfect score of 100. He entered a shoot-off and took second overall in the Open class.
The quintet of Colten Uitermarkt (Grad., Otley, Iowa, Master’s of Organizational Leadership), Morgan Hodge (Fr., West Liberty, Iowa, Nursing), Brianna Thompson (Sr., Campbellsport, Wis., Psychology), Lane Arrowood (Jr., Newton, Iowa, Biology), and Hunter Block (Sr., Eldridge, Iowa, Business Management) all posted scores of 99-for-100 to also score for the navy and gold. Hodge and Thompson reached a shoot-off in the Open class on the women’s side with Hodge taking second and Thompson ending up third.
In Doubles Skeet, William Penn tallied a score of 489-for-500 with Colten Uitermarkt guiding his squad with a perfect 100-for-100. He lost in the shoot-off to end up second in the AA class.
Nikolle Kussatz (Fr., Leighton, Iowa, Biology) was next at 99-for-100 to win the women’s A class title in a shoot-off. Mathew Brindley (Jr., Earlham, Iowa, Industrial Technology) posted a score of 98-for-100, while Tanner Muff (So., Lincoln, Neb., General Accounting) and Block both finished at 96-for-100.
Brindley took second in the men’s Open class, while Block and Muff tied for fourth in the same class. A 94 for KayLynn Sieber (Jr., Marshall, Minn., Biology) helped her to fourth in the Open class.
The program tied for third in the Skeet competition at 492-for-500, but fell to Lindenwood in the shoot-off. Colten Uitermarkt’s 100-for-100 was one of 15 in the AA class; he finished eighth in the shoot-off.
Five other Statesmen managed scores of 98-for-100, including Brindley, Kussatz, Jaxon Smith (Fr., Yuba City, Calif., Industrial Technology), Dryden DeKoning (Jr., Newton, Iowa, Business Management), and Holly Boeke (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Biology). Brindley, DeKoning, and Smith all tied for third in the Open class, but it was Brindley who won the shoot-off to take the bronze. DeKoning was next in the shoot-off.
Kussatz, in the women’s A class, won the shoot-off for the title. Boeke claimed second in the women’s Open shoot-off, while Emily Uitermarkt (Jr., Otley, Iowa, Elementary Education) tied for fourth at 97.
Bronze was claimed in Doubles Trap at 468-for-500 with Block topping his crew at 95-for-100. Connor Gittings (Jr., Kansas City, Mo., Biology) followed him at 94-for-100, while Colten Uitermarkt, Malterud, and Cole Henning (Fr., Wilton, Iowa, Industrial Technology) all recorded scores of 93-for-100.
WPU also took third place in Super Sporting at 481-for-500, finishing just three shots behind Texas A&M and Lindenwood for the discipline crown. Headlining the finish were a trio of 97-for-100 scores from Malterud, Carver Van Zee (So., Pella, Iowa, Industrial Technology), and Wyatt Kresser (Fr., Independence, Iowa, Business Management).
Colton Heintz-Kuderer (Fr., Mabel, Minn., Biology) managed to go 96-for-100, while the duo of Muff and Emily Uitermarkt figured into the team score as well at 94-for-100.
A five-person shoot-off for the title ensued in the men’s Open class (including Malterud, Van Zee, and Kresser) and Kresser came out on top. The field featured opponents who represent Team USA.
Emily Uitermarkt won her shoot-off to place second in the Open class, while Sieber (92-for-100) and Angie Wolfert (Jr., Waterford, Wis., Nursing) (91-for-100) were fourth and fifth respectively in the class.
The Sporting Clays discipline was by far the most difficult for WPU as the squad placed fourth at 456-for-500. Noah DeBoef (Jr., Leighton, Iowa, Industrial Technology) was first for the Statesmen at 94-for-100, while Malterud took second at 93-for-100. DeKoning and Colten Uitermarkt were both 90-for-100, and Cade Bowie (So., Benton, Ark., Business Management) went 89-for-100.
In the Skeet/Double Skeet combined event, Colten Uitermardt was perfect at 200-for-200 and won the shoot-off, while Kussatz placed second in the women’s division at 197-for-200.
Among the 587 total male shooters, Colten Uitermarkt (568-for-600) and Malterud (567-for-600) guided William Penn as they placed inside the top 25 for High Overall Athlete. Muff was inside the top 50 as well at 563-for-600.
In the 152-shooter women’s HOA field, Sieber was 28th overall (531-for-600) and Boeke was 33rd (530-for-600).
“In my 17 years of coaching, this is the most driven, respectful, and talented team I have ever been around,” Head Coach Steve Heaton said. “They went up against the best and proved they belong. I am so proud of everything they accomplished this year and how they handled themselves. If it was not before, this program is definitely now on the map.”
