Waterford trapshooting team brings home national titles

It's a story widely-known among competitors in the nationwide Scholastic Clay Target Program.

And it's a reputation well-earned.

Boiled down, it's like this: the SCTP trapshooting programs of southeastern Wisconsin are elite.

It's sometimes just a matter of which one will come out on top.

This year the lion's share of accolades were won by the Waterford Wolverine Shooting Team.

Competing at the 2022 SCTP National Championships July 9-16 at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, Waterford took four team trapshooting titles and one individual crown.

"It was a culmination of a year-long effort by a core group of our kids," said Mike Ciezki, Waterford head coach. "Just amazing to see them set their sights on a goal and achieve it."

The Waterford Wolverine team members are elementary through high school students from the Waterford Union High School District. They participate in the SCTP format, which features rookie, intermediate entry, intermediate advanced, junior varsity, varsity and collegiate divisions, and includes conference, state and national competitions.

Waterford proved its strength earlier this summer by taking the Wisconsin varsity trap crown.

Then 39 of its members traveled to Ohio earlier this month to test their mettle against the best in the nation. More than 3,000 SCTP members participated in shotgun disciplines including trapshooting, sporting clays and skeet.

Waterford put on a dominating performance at the Cardinal Shooting Center, winning trapshooting team titles in varsity trap squad, high school trap squad, senior division trap and junior varsity trap squad.

The varsity trap squad is arguably the most prestigious team title at the event. The Waterford team of Cole Anderson, Riley Cammers, Jaden Hoppe, Eli Watral and Angie Wolfert broke 981 of 1,000 clay pigeons, besting a field of 127 five-member teams.

Each competitor was presented 200 targets over two days.

Watral broke all 200 and, in addition to contributing to the team title, tied for first in the men's individual competition. He ended up with the silver medal after a shoot-off with Michael Lemberg of LeClair, Iowa. The two were the only trapshooters to shoot perfect scores through the regular rounds.

Ciezki attributed much of Waterford's success to the four seniors (Anderson, Hoppe, Watral and Wolfert) and one junior (Cammers) that eventually won the national title.

"After last year, they said they really wanted to go out on top after the 2022 season," Ciezki said. "They asked if, instead of shutting down for the coming months, if they could keep practicing all year-long."

So with the help of assistant coaches and parents, including Mark Anderson, Chris Cammers, Tim and Becky Watral and Kim Wollfert, they practiced together at least once a week.

The team uses the trapshooting facility at Burlington Conservation Club as its home grounds. But in some of the coldest weather last winter, they also practiced in heated 5-stand facilities at other southeastern Wisconsin clubs.

Ciezki said the core group was also joined by several other team members through the off-season.

The 2022 results show the extra work and dedication paid off.

In addition to the team titles, Courtney Wolfert won the ladies junior varsity trap title, breaking 196 of 200 targets.

And in an "extra-curricular" event, Waterford's Ava Downs won the ladies division of "last competitor standing."

Mason Kluss of the Mukwonago Shooting Team took first in the men's division of the event.

Among other southeastern Wisconsin wins, the Muskego Warriors took first in the junior varsity doubles trap squad and junior varsity handicap trap.

And Jessica Strasser and William Stuart were part of the Hillsdale College team that took the collegiate trap title. Strasser is a graduate of Waterford High School and Stuart of Marquette University High School. Strasser broke 193 of 200 targets and Stuart hit 197.

More than a dozen other Wisconsin teams and individuals earned top five results at this year's national championships.

The results of this year's southeastern Wisconsin trapshooters follow SCTP national wins by other teams and individuals from the region, including: the 2011 Burlington High School Demons varsity trap title, the 2016 Central Falcons (Kenosha County) high over all (HOA) titles in both varsity and high school divisions, as well team titles in high school skeet, varsity skeet, high school sporting clays and varsity double skeet: and the 2018 individual trapshooting titles by Jordan Hintz of Burlington in collegiate and Jack Meixelsperger of Kettle Moraine in high school varsity. Both recorded perfect 200s.

Ciezki said he's stepping down as head coach of Waterford after this season, his sixth year of leading the program.

"I think it's important ever so often to let someone else take the reins and get new ideas and leadership," Ciezki said. "This has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined, and I give the credit to the kids, parents and assistant coaches."

For complete 2022 SCTP national results or to learn more about the program, visit ​mysctp.com.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waterford trapshooting earns titles in Scholastic Clay Target Program