Minnesota All-State Area Shooters

A number of KDHL/POWER 96 and KRFO/KAT KOUNTRY 105 area athletes achieved 2023 All-State status for their shooting prowess.

Trap Shooting All-State

Hayden Ferguson                Zumbrota-Mazeppa                24.6 Season Average Score
Zale Bushlack                      United South Central              24.6
Jacob Cihak                         Tri-City United                        24.4
Joshua Klotz                        Farmington                             24.4
Henry Kuiters                       Albert Lea                               24.3
Reid Wildgrube                    Medford                                  24.3
Cody Laskowske                 Albert Lea                               24.2
Hunter LenzMeier               Jordan                                     24.2
Hunter Conrad                    Bethlehem Academy               24.2
Kate Kuiters                        Albert Lea                                24.1
Dylan Fox                           Tri-City United                          24.1
Joshua Estrem                   Kenyon-Wanamingo                24.1
Jack Stevens                      Albert Lea                                 24.0
Travis Wittwer                    Rochester Mayo                       24.0
Tanner Green                     Albert Lea                                 24.0
Jack Drill                            Lakeville North                         24.0
Taylor Busho                     Owatonna                                 23.9
Marshall Donahue             Faribault High School               23.9
Nathan Martinson              Austin                                       23.9
Ivan Schweim                   Lakeville South                         23.8
Samuel Decker                 New Prague                              23.7
Gavin Gillespie                 New Prague                              23.7
Kaden Dietz                     Tri-City United                          23.7
Kymin Morsching            Waterville-Elysian-Morristown   23.7
Zachary Lambrecht          New Prague                             23.7
Zac Luhman                     Goodhue                                   23.7
Branko Schoenbauer       Tri-City United                          23.7
Marcus Berger                  LeSueur-Henderson                 23.7

Skeet:

Gavin Gillespie                 New Prague                            23.6
Tadd Stanton                    Northfield                                23.3
Patrick Mergens               Northfield                                23.1
Riley Bjorgaard                New Prague                            22.9
Sean Cameron                Lakeville South                        22.8
Samuel Decker               New Prague                             22.8

5-Stand:

Preston Schlichter           Austin                                      22.5
Brody Seim                    Stewartville                               22.4
Thomas Root                 Stewartville                               21.5

Sporting Clays:

John Lenzmeier              Jordan                                     45.8

Kira Wolf, senior, Detroit Lakes got the first-ever state championship in the Girls Division by hitting 99 of 100 targets to edge two other competitors by one target.

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Board of Directors approved a proposal to add a Girls Division to the field that includes an Open Division.

There were 100 individuals that qualified for the Open Division and 28 that qualified for the Girls Division.

Girl participants have the option to compete in the Open Division with the boys, but none did so in the inaugural year of the option.

Wolf said after winning she had never hit 99 targets before, "And to do so in this setting, with this opportunity, is just something I never imagined could happen.  It will take a while to realize just how big this is."

The rest of the top five in the Girls Division included:

• Kerra Ramsey   Fertile-Beltrami
• Taylor Reinhardt   Spring Grove
• Saijal Slafter          Mabel-Canton
• Taylor Busho        Owatonna

In the Open Division there was a three-way tie for the individual championship.  United South Central's Zale Bushlack. Spring Lake Park's Mason Meyer, East Ridge Alex Krska all had perfect scores of 100.

Tri-City United's Dylan Fox was fourth followed by Stillwater's Lucas Berry and Glencoe-Silver-Lake's Hunter Gens tying for fifth.

United South Central captured the team title by hitting 484 of 500 targets. The Rebels were 12th last season.

Fairmont placed second with a 482 along with Roseau and Wayzata.

After tie breaking criteria was applied Fairmont was second, Roseau third and last year's champions Wayzata 4th.  Sibley East finished fifth with a 480 score.

In addition to Bushlack other members of the state championship team are William Allis, Hunter Bruckhoff, Braxton O'Rourke, Michael Shepherd Jr.

USC Head Coach Darin Magnuson said he believed a state title was within their reach coming into the season.  "We had all the right pieces returning.  We had great seniors and talented younger shooters.  All that was needed was to put in the time and effort to make it a great season.  These kids worked hard and deserved this."