Trap is the fastest growing sport in the USA, but yet it is one of the least common here in Cannon Falls. As stated by Kendahl Zimmerman, “I wish more people knew about trap shooting. It’s such a fun sport and I feel it’s not recognized like other sports because we don’t practice in town.” Trap is clearly an overlooked and relatively unknown sport here in Cannon Falls. Trap shoots every Sunday at the Wanamingo Shooting Range. Cannon Falls High School has offered trap for the past eleven years, with it becoming a club five years ago.
Last year the team sent seventeen people to the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League Trap Championship located in Alexandria, Minnesota. Over the course of nine days, over eight thousand students were estimated to compete at the championship. While there the team’s lowest score was fifty and the highest was ninety-five (out of one hundred). Thirteen of seventeen scored seventy-five or better. The high scores were ninety-five by Jerek Gappa, ninety-three by Jaden Litschke, eighty-nine by Ray Jeseritz, and eighty-five by Riley Iverson. Gappa tied for sixteenth place (on men’s varsity), only four exploded clay pigeons behind first. Iverson got fourth (on women’s JV), three exploded clay pigeons behind first.
Zimmerman is a senior who has shot trap since her freshman year. She was one of the seventeen people to go to Alexandria last year and shot seventy-nine, taking home eleventh on Women’s JV. Her goal is to get a perfect twenty-five and become part of the twenty-five straight club. So far with just three practices and two “competitions,” her highest score is a twenty out of twenty-five.
So far into her second year, Hilari Palodichuk has managed to get a seventeen. After ending last year with a low shoot, Palodichuk hopes to hit twenty out of twenty-five clay pigeons. She enjoys this sport. She said, “All the student’s parents and coaches are fun to be around.” While she may not have scored high at Alexandria last year she still tied for twenty-sixth place.
One of the newest shooters this year is Will Jeseritz. Jeseritz is a freshman and joined this year because he had watched his older brother and sister compete and thought it looked fun. As Will demonstrates, trap also includes homeschooled kids. So far this year, Jeseritz’s best score is thirteen, which is good for someone who is just learning how the sport really works. Jeseritz enjoys this sport because he gets to go out and shoot with his dad’s shotgun.
This year trap is undergoing a leadership change. Gregg Twedt chose to hand down the head coach spot to Jim Kiffmeyer. When asked about his coaching Jim replied, “I was the Range Safety Officer and assistant coach for Kenyon-Wanamingo for six years. This is my first year as Head Coach for Cannon Falls.” Jim has one main argument on why people should join trap: Trap is the fastest growing sport in America with almost fifty thousand registered shooters in the state of Minnesota this year, and no reported injuries since 2001 when it started, thus making it one of the safest high school sports. Jim’s favorite part about trap is that anyone can participate.
Overall Trap is an underrated sport here in Cannon Falls. With thirty-six athletes participating in Cannon and over fifty thousand across America, trap is a fast-growing sport. Anyone joining must have their firearms safety and a firearm to shoot. With many great and supporting coaches and athletes, trap is an amazing place to spend Sundays. Many people enjoy this sport, like coach Jim Kiffmeyer who said, “I enjoy helping with the youth. It makes me feel great when I see the smiles on their faces when they shoot new personal best, near perfect, or perfect scores.”
