Wellman

You have probably heard of trapshooting, a sport offered in many communities across Iowa. One of the area teams is the Golden Hawks Shooting Club.

The club began in 2021 and has competed for about five years. Coach Clint Whetstine recently explained more about the team and how the sport works.

Although the participants attend Mid-Prairie and compete under the Golden Hawks name, the club is not officially associated with or sponsored by the school district. Instead, it operates as an independent team.

Whetstine said some of the teams they compete against are sponsored by their school districts, including Sigourney.

“We chose not to because there are a lot more regulations and red tape involving funding, practices and everything else,” Whetstine said. “I know Sigourney is a school-sponsored sport.”

Whetstine, a farmer from Wellman, has been involved with the club since its first season. His son, Case, competed when the program began, while his daughter, Allie, participated during the past few years.

The upcoming season will be Whetstine’s first without one of his children on the team.

“This will be my first season without one of my children competing, so it will be a little different for me,” Whetstine said. “I used to stand behind my daughter and take it personally whenever she missed. Now that I don’t have a child competing, I can take some of the emotion out of it.”

The team normally practices at the VFW Post in Riverside, but that location is not always available. To give the team another option, Whetstine built a shooting range on his farm with help from fellow coach Joey Patterson.

“Basically, I built this because my daughter was a senior last year and her squad was scheduled last,” Whetstine said. “I wanted to make sure they could still get some shooting in on Thursday nights while there was daylight.”

Whetstine also allows team members and others from the community to use the range when they want additional practice.

“I’ve told many of the parents that they’re welcome to come out and practice here,” Whetstine said. “Several people from the community have also used it. I just tell them to bring their shells and targets and have fun.”

The club’s season lasts approximately three months, beginning in March and concluding with the state tournament in June.

“We hold our first practice during the first or second week of March and wrap up by the second week of June,” Whetstine said.

Several volunteers help operate the club. Its coaches include Whetstine, Patterson, Preston Myers and Karl Andre. Casey Peck, Megan Jorgensen and Valerie Sieren serve in administrative roles.

Students in fifth through 12th grade can participate, although Whetstine said most do not join until junior high.

“Although the organization allows fifth graders to participate, we haven’t had many join,” Whetstine said. “Most participants begin in junior high.”

Participants must also complete a hunter safety course.

“We want them to have hunter safety completed, and fifth grade is about the earliest they can take care of that requirement,” Whetstine said.

Once students join, they must complete the standard registration process required for independent clubs participating in the Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program.

Peck helps register new participants in the SHOT system, which maintains the team’s official records.

“When we get new shooters, she registers them in what is called the SHOT system,” Whetstine said. “It provides an official record of everyone on our team and every competition.”

Participating in the program can cost approximately $800 per student. However, Whetstine said high school competitors may have opportunities to continue the sport in college and potentially receive scholarships.

“It gives students an opportunity to compete, and at the high school level, they may also qualify for scholarships and collegiate programs,” Whetstine said.

Two members of last season’s team, Tate Bombei and Maddie Sieren, are now competing at Kirkwood Community College.

“We have two former shooters from last year who are shooting with Kirkwood this year,” Whetstine said. “I don’t know what kind of scholarships they received, but those opportunities are available.”

The club previously held fundraisers to help cover the cost of equipment and tournaments. It now primarily asks each participant to find a business sponsor.  

“Most of the fundraising involves having each participant find a business sponsor,” Whetstine said. “If a business donates $500, its name will be printed on the back of our T-shirts, providing additional advertising at competitions.”

Last season’s team was the largest Whetstine could remember, with approximately 26 participants and a nearly even number of boys and girls.

“Last year, I think we had 26 kids,” Whetstine said. “In previous years, we were at 17, so last year brought in a large group.”

Near the end of the interview, Whetstine demonstrated how the target launcher and other equipment worked before giving me an opportunity to shoot. It was my first time trapshooting, and I managed to hit one of three targets.

The Golden Hawks Shooting Club hopes to build on last season’s growth and enjoy another successful year.