Schoolcraft students excel four years after starting clay target team

SCHOOLCRAFT, Mich. (WOOD) — Clay target shooting is the fastest-growing high school extracurricular activity in the country, according to USAClayTarget.com. It’s also becoming a popular option for students at Schoolcraft High School.

“When we started, we only had about 25 students, and only two of them had ever competed before. It was really a lot of new folks to get going and introduced to the sport,” said Wade Rutkoskie, the assistant coach for the middle and high school’s clay target team.

It started four years ago with a couple of students who wanted to take an activity they loved and introduce it to their friends and classmates.

Caden Fritts was one of those students. He has been shooting since he was a young boy.

“You have 25 shots per round. There is a house that shoots a target out of it. You have to shoot that target from one of each of the five stations,” said Fritts.

Hitting all 25 targets in a round is a goal every shooter hopes to achieve at some point. Coach Rutkoskie has watched his team members do that each year. His team has had three state championships and multiple athletes who have gone on to compete at the college level, with scholarships.

“We’re shooting against like-sized teams all over the state. We always shoot at the same place, but we virtually compete against them. Our scores are compared head-to-head on a weekly basis, and that way we get to measure ourselves. It still cuts down on travel costs and a lot of the logistics,” said Rutkoskie.

The team is open to high schoolers and middle schoolers, like JJ Nagy, who is now in eighth grade but joined last year.

“I got introduced by my papa to trap shooting. He really wanted me to try it, so I tried it. I just loved it,” said Nagy.

Keaton Westfall, who is in the seventh grade, has enjoyed learning about the sport.

“It’s pretty fun actually to be able to try and shoot something out of the sky. One of the main things is safety though,” said Westfall.

Carter Bolles, a freshman, echoed that sentiment.

“It’s a lot of fun to be able to go somewhere every day now and just be able to shoot without getting in trouble and doing it safely,” said Bolles.

While safety is one running theme, reaching goals is another. Addison Smith is a junior this year and has quickly improved her shooting skills since joining the team.

“This past year, I got my first 25, and I also got one of the top for marking for the women’s division,” she said.

Their coach loves to see the athletes reach those goals and use the lesson in other parts of their lives.

“Setting goals and achieving them out of the target range is one thing. We say, let’s go take that and do it in the classroom. Let’s go set up what you want to do for your future life, with your career,” said Rutkoskie.

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