SWCC sport shooting, growing, succeeding

Sport shooting has been a sport that has been rapidly expanding at the high school level in Iowa and across the nation.

Its popularity is extending to the college level. Now almost every community college in Iowa has a sport shooting program.

As it expands at a fast pace at the college level, more and more young people have the opportunity to compete in it at the college level.

Southwestern Community College has taken advantage of that.

The Spartans are enjoying plenty of success out on the range.

Coach Marc Roberg’s program fared well at a pair of recent competitions.

The Spartans placed sixth in their division at the ACUA shoot in San Antonio, Texas, in early April. Then, in late April, the Spartans enjoyed a solid day at the state SCTP College Championships in Ackley.

The team started with 31 members this season.

“It’s becoming real popular,” Roberg said. “There are more kids to choose from. There’s a lot of good shooters that are sitting out there. There’s so many high school programs.”

Roberg noted that Iowa has approximately 3,500 high school students participating in sport shooting, while Minnesota has over 12,000.

When Southwestern started its program a few years ago, it was one of the first college sport shooting programs in the state. Now every two-year college in Iowa either has a program or is in the process of starting a program.

The heart of the sport in Iowa is in northeast and eastern Iowa, Roberg noted.

Even then, there are still quality shooters in the region. The roster consists of almost exclusively of young people from southern Iowa.

It has kept Roberg and assistant coach Steve Malzahn busy during practices at the High Lakes Outdoor Alliance Range near Afton.

The team has been practicing twice a week.

Over the course of the fall, winter and spring, several shooters have made dramatic improvements.

Shooters shoot two rounds of 50 birds, for a 100 round total. They are scored on the birds they hit.

“We had two people at the beginning of the year that were shooting in the 70s out of 100 and have moved into the 90s. That’s a big improvement over where they were shooting,” Roberg said. “That’s nothing but hard work on their part.”

Whether the conditions have been nice, or not, they have been on the range refining the skills.

“They’ve all worked hard getting better,” Roberg said. “The more you shoot, the better you get. Most of these guys have worked hard to get better, try to figure out why they’re missing targets. I can give them a few pointers, but it’s up for them to practice. They’ve been pretty good at it. I’ve seen a big improvement.”

At the shoot in Texas, Southwestern was sixth in Division Four in skeet, trap and sporting clays and third in five stand.

In trap, only seven birds separated second through sixth in the division. Overall, Southwestern was 30th out of 85 teams.

Sophomore Trevor Elwood, from Stanton (Griswold High School) shot a personal best of 98 to place 38th out of 398 shooters in the open class in the shoot at the National Shooting Sports Complex in San Antonio.

Elwood’s skill led to an invitation to shoot at the Olympic Training Center in Tillar, Arkansas.

Tanner Howard and Smith excelled in the long shot competition, each making $200 for the sport shooting endowment, which helps fund the program.

Prior to going to Texas, the team practiced in trap and five stand. They had never shot sporing clays, while a couple had shot skeet.

The team practiced those in Texas.

Conditions in San Antonio were far different than what the team had practiced in all spring. Roberg noted it was the first time they had not shot while wearing winter coats on.

The warm conditions, and winds that came up in the afternoon in Texas’ Hill Country made things challenging.

“When the wind came up, it really played havoc with them, but we still got sixth,” Roberg said.

In trap, Elwood shot a 98, a personal best. Smith tied a personal best with a 97. Hunter Anderson and Hunter Albers each shot a 93. Nate Woosley also shot a 93, tied for a personal best. Jessica Aupperle hit 91 out of 100 targets, a personal best. Aupperle was 37th, out of 83, in the open class for women.

It was the first time Southwestern had won an award at a national shooting competition.

At the state SCTP shoot, Southwestern was second in the 200 bird competition, fourth for high squad and third in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference standings. Dale and Elwood each shot a 183, while Smith posted a 182 and Anderson and Howard matching 181s.

The team of Anderson, Albers and Howard tied for second in the E-skeet league. Anderson was runner-up high men’s award in the skeet league.

The Spartans won four of the five matches. However, Roberg noted due to an error on his part in understanding the scoring rules, Howard and Albers were shorted 50 birds each. The Spartans were 60 birds out of first, but shot 100 fewer birds.

Conditions for the state SCTP shoot weren’t good, Roberg noted, with temperatures in the 40s and winds in excess of 25 miles an hour in Southwestern’s final shoot of the season.

“Everyone performed really well with the tough conditions,” Roberg said. “All in all, it was a great way to cap off a good shooting season.”

Roberg and Malzahn have relied upon experienced shooters such as Blade Smith and Clayton Dale to provide key leadership.

“Me and Steve Malzahn can’t sit there and coach 31 people,” Roberg said. “Individually, they’ve taken upon themselves, the more experienced shooters to look at things, make suggestions. We look at the more experienced guys to take the lead on that.”

Smith and Dale are this season’s captains.

“They’ve been like right arms,” Roberg said. “They’re the way I keep in touch with all the kids in practice, with schedules. They’ve been real helpful out on the range. I can’t say enough about them. I wish I had 15 more like them.”

Due to various circumstances, the roster was down to 13 at season’s end, Roberg noted.

The 13 left are young people Roberg has a high amount of respect for.

“They’re top notch, hard working kids,” Roberg said. “They’re good students. They’re really good shooters.”

The shooters on this year’s team have an eye for the sport.

“Without a doubt, I love being around them,” Roberg said. “I’ve just enjoyed the heck out of this year.”