WPU Wins Three Disciplines, Earns Team Runner-Up Trophy at SCTP Nationals

Marengo, Ohio–The Statesmen shotgun sports teams did not only take home respect, but also plenty of hardware, as it competed at the SCTP Nationals last Wednesday through Sunday.

Battling in its first-ever national event, the second-year program placed second in the team standings with 2,890 made targets out of 3,000 total (96.3%). The Statesmen were just 32 conversions behind champion Jacksonville, an NCAA Division I program.

Of the five disciplines that were contested, William Penn was at or near the top in all of them, including claiming three titles and tallying two runner-up finishes.

The week began Wednesday with the International or Olympic games of International Skeet and International Bunker Trap. International Skeet served as the team’s first crowning achievement with a winning score of 359-for-500.

Mathew Brindley (Fr., Earlham, Iowa, Industrial Technology) led the way at 83-for-100, while Christopher Berkshire-Lewis (Jr., Kansas City, Mo., Business Management) was team runner-up at 73-for-100. Dominick Ver Meer (Fr., Pella, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering), at 72-for-100, Jake Campbell (Fr., Norwalk, Iowa, Industrial Technology), at 70-for-100, and Hunter Lucas (Jr., Washington, Iowa), at 61-for-100, also posted scores for William Penn.

The Statesmen doubled their national gold total in the second International event as they took the Bunker Trap title at 378-for-500. The depth of the navy and gold showed as nearly all of the squad’s top scorers were different from the Skeet competition with Brindley being the only individual to score in both outings.

Bryon Baca (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Dryden DeKoning (Fr., Newton, Iowa, Business Management) shared first for William Penn at 78-for-100. Brindley was one target behind then at 77-for-100, while Lane Arrowood (Fr., Newton, Iowa, Biology) went 75-for-100 and Raylee Bishop (Fr., Ankeny, Iowa, Engineering Technology) ended up 70-for-100.

The American disciplines that made up the SCTP team scoring began on Thursday with American Skeet; the event was run over two days as it concluded on Friday. The Statesmen fell just shy of their third crown, going 972-for-1,000 and taking second, one shot behind Jacksonville.

Noah Seelye (Fr., Pella, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering) headlined WPU’s efforts at 198-for-200, including a perfect 100-for-100 on the first day. Ver Meer was next at 196-for-200, while Brindley and Bishop followed at 193-for-200. Noah DeBoef (Fr., Leighton, Iowa, Industrial Technology) rounded out the scoring at 190-for-200. The team tied NCAA Division I Alabama and beat 14-time national champion Lindenwood, as well as NCAA Division I Clemson.

American Sporting Clays wrapped up Friday and went into Saturday and the Statesmen were again just behind Jacksonville for first place. William Penn finished second with a score of 944-for-1,000. Bishop topped the list at 191-for-200 with Brindley right behind at 190-for-200. Seelye’s 189-for-200 was in the mix, as were the scores of 187-for-200 by both Baca and Berkshire-Lewis.

The tournament concluded Saturday into Sunday with another 1,000-shot competition. The navy and gold departed the Buckeye State with a triumphant showing as they claimed the American Trap title at 974-for-1,000. WPU believed it had finished second, but a clerical issue led to a tie with Montreat, which led to a back run (counting backwards how many consecutive targets were hit by each team) and the Statesmen won the tiebreaker to pick up championship #3.

Kade Dunkin (Fr., Hamilton, Iowa) got on the leaderboard at 197-for-200, which included his first-ever perfect 100-for-100. Dryden DeKoning and Maclane Heinen (So., Pella, Iowa, Business Management) were second at 195-for-200, while Bishop (194-for-200) and Baca (193-for-200) wrapped up the team scoring.

“The team performed very well throughout the week, even though we fell off in what I think were two of our strongest disciplines,” Head Coach Steve Heaton said. “I know being on a big national stage at this point of the season was a lot to ask from some young team members, but this showing proves to me what this team is capable of now and in the future. This team is amazing and full of talent.”

Next Up: The Statesmen travel to Waukee next Saturday to compete in the Simpson Clay-Coming.

Posted by on Oct 15 2021. Filed under College Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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