Minnesota High School Trap Shooting Championships This Week

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League 2016 Trap Shooting Championship begins Tuesday and goes for eight days in Alexandria. It is the world's largest trap shooting competition.

Student athletes from 284 Minnesota high school teams will compete for team and individual achievements in Novice, Junior Varsity and Varsity classifications.

This year, 6,913 student athletes are scheduled to compete at the Alexandria Shooting Park. Five years ago there were 200 athletes in the competition.

This event is also the team-qualifying event for the 2016 State Tournament presented by the Minnesota State High School League.

One hundred individuals qualify based on on their performance throughout the season and 38 teams will compete at the Trap Shooting Championship on June 25 at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake.

The Minnesota State High School League was the first and is still the only state high school interscholastic athletic association in America to recognize trap shooting as a high school sport.

More than 10,000 student athletes representing 319 high school teams participated in the 2016 spring season.

There are eight classes and they don't go by school size.

Class A begins Tuesday with an opening ceremony at 8AM and competition beginning at 8:30AM.

Rochester John Marshall and Lourdes compete at 8:30 Tuesday morning. Winona shoots at 11AM and Stewartville 10:30AM.

Class 2A is Wednesday and at trap 1A Goodhue shoots at 8:30AM and Zumbrota-Mazeppa follows at 11AM.

Randolph is at trap 7A beginning at 11AM.

At trap 9A, Medford competes at 10AM and at trap 9B Kenyon-Wanamingo goes at 8:30AM.

In Class 3A Thursday, Lake City is at trap 1A beginning at 8:30AM and Rochester Century at trap 1B the same time.

Triton is at trap 3A beginning at 8:30AM.

Maple River and Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton at at trap 6A and shoot at 11AM and noon respectively.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown is at trap 9A at 11AM.

Friday Class 4AA competition includes Bethlehem Academy at trap 4A at 8:30AM. United South Central also competes at that time at trap 3A.

Apple Valley has teams shooting at 8:30AM at traps 6A and 6B and Cleveland shoots at that time at trap 8B.

Kasson-Mantorville's team is at trap 1A at noon

Saturday it's Class 5A competition with Cannon Falls starting at 10:30AM at trap 4B and Byron beginning at noon at trap 5B.

In Class 6A on Sunday, Pine Island shoots at 10:30AM at trap 5B and two teams from Rosemount shoot at traps 6A and 6B at 11AM.

Monday, June 20, Faribault's two teams area at traps 7A and 7B beginning at 10:30AM.

Austin is at traps 3A and B beginning at 11AM and New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva begins at 8:30AM at trap 9B.

Class 8A goes Tuesday, June 21, with New Prague, Northfield, Farmington and Lakeville South setting up at two traps each.

At trap 3A Eastview shoots while New Prague is at 3B and 4A, Northfield at 5B and 6A. Lakeville North at 6B and Lakeville South at 9A and 9B at 8:30AM.

Farmington shoots at traps 5Aa and 5B at 10AM.

Without a doubt, Minnesota's fastest growing high school activity is trap shooting.