By Marisa Dawson, Courtesy Photos

The Bennington Trap Team wrapped up another successful season last week with an end-of-year family fun shoot and barbecue at the Valley Trap Range, celebrating months of competition, personal growth and camaraderie among student shooters.

The club, which was re-established in 2019, has continued to grow since a small group of families brought the program back after Bennington’s original trap team from the 1980s dissolved. “We started with eight kids,” said team president Kerry Huntley. “My daughter started in sixth grade and that was 2019, and we’ve been doing this ever since.”

Today, the organization includes approximately 37 shooters between the junior and senior divisions. Huntley and vice president Jim Musel continue to help lead the club despite no longer having children in the Bennington school system. “We’re hoping to find some replacements for us and keep the team going,” Huntley said.

The season runs for more than four months, beginning with practices in January before official competitions begin in March. Teams compete in six weeks of regular competitions before advancing to conference and state shoots.

This year, Bennington shooters found success at the Cornhusker State Shoot, despite facing intense competition from across Nebraska and neighboring states. “We had a couple kids medal at state,” Huntley said. “We had one kid medal ninth place for his handicap, which is an 18-to-19-yard category, which is a pretty good feat.”

According to Huntley, the state competition featured more than 1,500 senior shooters and roughly 900 junior shooters. “There was a lot of competition,” he said. “The top score was 75 and the 20th-place score was 74.”

Although the team did not bring home any large state trophies this season, Huntley said the focus of the program extends far beyond awards. “We’re having a good time doing it,” he said. “That’s really all we care about. The medals and trophies are just bonuses.”

The season-ending celebration reflected that philosophy. Families gathered at the Valley Trap Range for a relaxed afternoon of shooting, awards and food. “Today is a family fun shoot, just our end-of-season celebration,” Huntley said. “We give out some different awards and celebrations and just have a fun shoot.”

Unlike regular practices, where shooters typically pay for their own clay targets, the club covered the cost for the event so families could simply enjoy the experience together.

Throughout the season, Huntley said one of the program’s biggest priorities is firearm safety. “The biggest skill, I believe, is firearm safety,” he said. “You have 1,500 kids there on Friday at state, and not a single ambulance around to take care of anybody.”

Huntley said the team emphasizes responsibility, discipline and professionalism from the first day athletes join the program. “We do expect the kids to act professional while we’re out here,” he said. “Not run around and mess around because we are with firearms.”

He explained that shooters are taught to always treat firearms as loaded and to keep shotgun actions open except when actively preparing to shoot on the line.

Above: 2025 First Place Lady team handicapped & HOA (high overall all)

In addition to safety, Huntley believes trap shooting helps students develop mental toughness and maturity. “It’s kind of a mental game too,” he said. “When you shoot a perfect 75, you have 20 other kids that did it too. Now you’re up there doing a shoot-off. So you have to have your mental game on.”

Huntley also highlighted the inclusive nature of the sport. Unlike many traditional school sports programs, the Bennington Trap Team is a no-cut team that welcomes students of all experience levels. “Anybody can compete,” he said. “It’s skill, hand-eye coordination and mental thought.”

He noted that trap shooting provides opportunities for students who may not feel comfortable in more traditional athletic settings. “We have some shooters that really didn’t feel comfortable doing other sports,” Huntley said. “Here, they’re all equal.”

The sport also accommodates a wide range of physical abilities. “At state a couple years ago, we had a girl that was in a wheelchair and she wheeled up and did it just fine,” he said. “Even though maybe you can’t walk, you can still shoot.”

Huntley encourages interested families to keep an open mind and not become discouraged during the learning process. “Don’t get discouraged if you’re not in first place,” he said. “You will grow into it. You will get better.”

For many students, trap shooting can continue beyond high school. Huntley said both his daughter (Emma Huntley) and Musel’s daughter (Katie Musel) recently completed their first year competing on collegiate shooting teams. “This is really just the start of the shotgun sports,” Huntley said. “There’s tons and tons of shooting opportunities if that’s what you want to do for a sport and even for a career.”

While the Bennington Trap Team’s competitive season has concluded, members will return to the Valley Trap Range later this year to volunteer during summer shooting events before preparations begin again in January for the 2027 season.