Trap shooting is a unique, untraditional, but challenging activity. For many years, students have been given the opportunity to participate in this event.

It is a spring event for students; the team has all their practices at Oakdale gun club, along with some competitions there as well. Trap shooting is one person shooting at a time, shooting at a total of 25 clay discs. The score they receive is the amount out of those 25 they hit. Score is both as a team and individual. Usually contestants use a .12 or .20 gauge shotgun.

It is a bit different compared to a regular school sport, but the students still get the same sense of comradery. Each practice they are working together to improve everyone’s individual skill. It is all about repetition, making sure they can locate the disc after it has. been launched and get their gun up to it in time.

“I’ve made a lot friends in the past 2 years of trap shooting,” junior Brice Hafemeyer said. “It’s a little tricky when you first start doing it, but after a while you get the hang of it and it’s not too bad.”

Stillwater’s trap team usually goes to a few tournaments throughout the season. Each tournament has multiple teams competing, and at the end of the season there is a state tournament for the top individuals and teams. Stillwater has competed in state multiple times and an individual placed third last year.

“It’s always exciting to actually be competing, because there is only a few meets throughout the season, but the state tournament is that much better,” junior Clay Vizenor said. “We have a lot of experience on this team so it’d be very cool to go and get to compete at state again.”

The club has been gaining popularity over the years, with lots of new members. According to stillwaterschols.org, the biggest jump was in 2013, when the club went from 18 students to over 75. Once people started hearing about the club, and what it is they wanted to join. Even now there are students, like junior Amit Kumra, who want to be in it but just are not sure if they have the time.

“Trap shooting is very interesting to me because I like to hunt and this is kind of the same skill set,” Kumra said. “I have a busy schedule but I am hoping I’ll be able to fit trap in, because this is something I would love to be a part of.”

It is a club that not many are aware of, but has been growing every year. The team has had a good amount of success the past few years, and looks to keep building of that in the years coming, Hafemeyer said, “The main goal is to get as many people as possible interested in trap shooting, and continue building a strong club in Stillwater.”