Collegiate Shotgun Teams to Vie for National Title
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Collegiate Shotgun Teams to Vie for National Title





SAN ANTONIO -- In most sports, the story of Lindenwood University would be a classic David-and-Goliath saga: little school from St. Charles, Mo., chops down giants more than twice its size -- Texas A&M, Mizzou, Kentucky, Purdue and others -- on its way to a national title.

But in shotgun sports, it is Lindenwood who stands as the titan.

With three consecutive national championships, including a daunting performance last year when the Lions broke 1,546 out of 1,600 fast-flying clay targets, and with a deep and talented team loaded with big-match experience, Lindenwood would seem to have another collegiate title clearly in sight.

Coach Joe Steenbergen, however, downplays his team's chances as well as past accomplishments.

"A dynasty? I don't think so. Hard-working athletes? I would agree with that!" he exclaimed. Turning serious, he added, "I think it's anybody's game. I really don't think there's a favorite."

Steenbergen and his Lions aim to continue their impressive run at the upcoming ACUI Intercollegiate Clay Target Championships, April 4-8, at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio.

Standing in their way are shotgun teams from over 25 colleges and universities: Blinn College-Bryan, Central Missouri, Colorado State, Des Moines Area Community, Eastern Kentucky, Fort Hays State, George Mason, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisiana-Lafayette, Maine, Midland, Mississippi State, Missouri-Columbia, Missouri-Rolla, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Purdue, Radford, Rice, Texas A&M, Trinity, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Western Ontario, Wyoming and Yale.

The championship will consist of five events, or disciplines, including international trap and skeet, American trap and skeet, and 5-stand sporting clays.

Last year, Lindenwood won four of the five events. Texas A&M won one, but the Aggies more often found themselves sharing second- or third-place slots with the Missouri Tigers. A&M finished with 1,528 targets; Mizzou with 1,505.

Individual awards, such as men's and women's high overall shooters, plus scholarships and invitations to join Olympic shotgun development teams, will be presented along with team medals.

ESPN U will televise the competition at a future date, with major sponsorship from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

The Association of College Unions International (ACUI) conducts the championships. NSSF, National Rifle Association, Olin/Winchester, Amateur Trapshooting Association and Hall of Fame, USA Shooting, National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association provide support.

Trap, skeet and sporting clays in recent years have emerged among the fastest growing sports for young people, especially girls. Nationwide, the number of female participants age 12-17 rose 56 percent over a five-year period ending in 2004, according to a National Sporting Goods Association report.

Feeding this growth is NSSF's Scholastic Clay Target Program, a national shotgun league for students in grades 12 and under. The program last year featured some 9,000 youth shooters and a national trap championship nearly 700 percent larger than it was when launched in 2001.

A number of today's collegiate competitors came up through NSSF's Scholastic Clay Target Program.

ACUI event info

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