Minnesota Clay Target League Trap Shooting Championship runs June 15-23 in Alexandria

Alexandria, Minn. — Thousands of youth trap shooters from across Minnesota will compete at the Alexandria Shooting Park starting next week with a chance to qualify their team for a final state tournament.

This year’s Minnesota State High School Clay Target League Trap Shooting Championship, dubbed the world’s largest shooting sports event, will run June 15-23.

Everyone in the spring league is invited to shoot at the event in Alexandria. More than 8,000 student-athletes representing over 350 schools are expected to attend.

Each class level gets its own day to shoot as schools compete against programs of similar size based on the number of shooters in the program.

MORE COVERAGE FROM MINNESOTA OUTDOOR NEWS:

Minnesota DNR Fisheries’ leader Brad Parsons to retire after 40 years

More ducks settled in Minnesota this spring

Despite brief Apple wait, Minnesota DNR kicks off new Electronic Licensing System; license sales lag behind 2025

Class 1A teams (the smallest programs) open up the championship on June 15, while the biggest programs (Class 9A) wrap things up on June 23. Athletes compete against others of similar ability level in novice, junior varsity and varsity divisions.

The top five individual scores from each school make up the team score. Each athlete shoots 100 targets – 50 during a morning session and 50 more in the afternoon.

Competition begins each day at 8 a.m. An awards ceremony recognizing top teams and individuals wraps up each day at approximately 5 p.m.

The championship shoot in Alexandria is also a qualifying event for the Minnesota State High School League’s state tournament. The top 40 teams from the nine days will qualify for the state tournament that takes place at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake on June 26.

Approximately 100 individual athletes, based on the averages from regular season competition, will also compete for an overall title at the state tournament on June 26. Hunter Zahn of Ortonville was the top shooter in the state from the regular season with a perfect average of 25.

Zahn is one of five student-athletes from Ortonville who finished among the top 10 shooters in the state through the spring season. Teammates Dawson Evje (tied-second, 24.9), Martin Verheul (t-second, 24.9), Michael Verheul (t-sixth, 24.7) and Saixus McTighe (t-10th, 24.5) are also part of a talented Ortonville program that is scheduled to shoot with the Class 3A teams at the championship on June 17.

The top female shooter from the regular season this spring was Mylie Piekarski of Fergus Falls who finished with an average of 24.3.

Visit the Minnesota Trap Shooting Championship webpage for more information and to find the leaderboard where you can follow along with results during the nine-day event in Alexandria.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

June 15 – Class 1A

June 16 – Class 2A

June 17 – Class 3A

June 18 – Class 4A

June 19 – Class 5A

June 20 – Class 6A

June 21 – Class 7A

June 22 – Class 8A

June 23 – Class 9A