Locked on Target

Hillegas, North top individuals; Comets 2nd at South Winneshiek Trapshooting Invitational

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

NEW HAMPTON — What do you do after firing off a perfect 50-of-50 round and find yourself in a shoot-off with two other perfect shooters for individual honors?

Just keep doing what you’ve been doing.

At least that’s how Luke Hillegas approached his challenge at the South Winneshiek Invitational, Saturday at the Fredericksburg Sportman’s Club.

“I just go out there and try to do the same thing I’ve been doing all day,” the Charles City junior said after recording his first perfect round of the season, and then besting Christian Schwickerath of New Hampton and Derik Emerson of Osage in the subsequent shoot-off.

Schwickerath and Emerson finished second and third, respectively.

Hillegas has shot 50-of-50 before, and he has had past success in shoot-offs. Going into the School Clay Target Program State Shoot, June 9-12 at the Iowa State Trap Association Homegrounds, June 9-12 in Cedar Falls, Hillegas has a lot of confidence in himself as well as his teammates.

“We shoot real well as a team … especially now,” Hillegas said as Charles City Team One consisting of him, Izzy Worrall (47), Jacob Greenzweig (46), Aaron Wright (46) and Nick Wegner (44) shot a combined score of 233 — the second-highest of the year for the Charles City/Nashua-Plainfield team — while placing second to New Hampton Red (238), which was paced by Schwickerath.

Charles City senior Sydney North almost got her first perfect score of her trapshooting career, but was foiled by a tricky bird.

“It was a delayed bird and I shot over it,” North said of her only miss during her 49 score, which earned her top girls honors over Kennady Nie and Anna Holschlag of New Hampton, and Shelby Berlow of Osage, who finished second, third and fourth, respectively, after all recording 48 scores and competing in the shoot-off for placings.

“I thought about calling it back, but I took the shot instead,” said North, who plans to shoot for one of several club teams while continuing her education at the University of Northern Iowa.

Leading CC/N-P with three perfect rounds this season is Charles City junior Jacob Greenzweig, who recorded two of those perfect scores in back-to-back meets.

“I just try to be consistent,” Greenzweig said. “Even when I’m not perfect, I try to keep my scores in the low to upper 40s and stay up around there.”

When CC/N-P coach Tim Laube talked to his team about travel plans to Cedar Falls, he stress the importance of arriving early to secure premium parking spots.

As for the latter juncture of the season, Laube is glad that his team didn’t arrive too early — rather they’re right on time.

“The kids are peaking at the right time,” Laube said. “That’s what we hoped for this season.”

Trapshooting

South Winneshiek Invitational

At Fredericksburg Sportsman’s Club

May 28

NEW HAMPTON RED (238) — Christian Schwickerath 50, Zach Heying 46, Austin Schmidt 47, Ryan Denner 48, Kevin Burgart 47.

CHARLES CITY 1 (233) — Nick Wegner 44, Izzy Worrall 47, Luke Hillegas 50, Jacob Greenzweig 46, Aaron Wright 46.

SOUTH WINN. BLACK (227)

SOUTH WINN. GOLD (225)

CHARLES CITY 2 (220) — Rebecca Tierney 46, Dan Swartzrock 37, Bryce Hamm 43, Sydney North 49, Carter West 45.

NASHUA-PLAINFIELD (204) — Chaska Hunt 41, Marrisa Fuerstenberg 41, Nick Bucknell 47, Ashton Lamborn 39, Dominique Griffen 36.

CHARLES CITY 3  — Brenden Kvernevig 47, Bailee Bortz 40, Hunter Koebrick 40, Evan Schmidtke 45.

CHARLES CITY JV (172) — Dylan Bilharz 29, Shau Landt 40, Kaleb Osier 37, Devin Alton 39, Brody Jepperson 27.

CC/N-P INDIVIDUALS — Ciana Sonberg 44, Tyler Lantz 37.

Top Girls

1. Sydney North (CC) 49, 2. Kennady Nie (NH) 48*, 3. Anna Holschlag (NH) 48* 4. Shelby Berlow (Osage) 48*.

Top Boys

1. Luke Hillegas (CC) 50*, 2. Christian Schwickerath (NH) 50*, 3. Derik Emerson (Osage) 50*.

* Placings determined by shoot-off.