Welker plans to continue shooting career in college; Chamberlain sweeps trap, skeet titles

Shooting is something that Katie Welker has been doing since she was 9.

And it's paying off.

Welker was the regular season average leader in trap in the South Dakota High School Clay Target League heading into the state tournament at the Aberdeen Gun Club over the weekend. Her average of 24.7 was just ahead of teammate Jack Anderson, who had an average of 24.5.

On the first day of the state meet, Welker competed in the skeet competition, where she earned her first perfect score of 25 during her second round. In the first round, she shot a 21.

During the spring season, Welker had an average of 23.1 in skeet. Stanley County's Wyatt Mortenson had the best average in the state at 23.7.

"It's pretty exciting. The first round was OK. I was happy with the 21, so pretty good. That's about what I average," Welker said.

She finished with a 93 in the skeet event, which was good for fourth place. Mitchell's Trell Kaupp won the event with a 97.

In trap, Welker shot a 99 to place second in the 1A competition behind Jena Kopp of Hot Springs, who had perfect 100.

Welker said she doesn't get much practice in skeet since the closest club to Winner/Colome is about an hour and a half away in Pierre.

Last season, Welker led the Winner/Colome trapshooting team to the Class 1A state title. She is no stranger to the state tournament. This was her fifth appearance, it it would have been her sixth had COVID-19 not canceled one state meet.

Winner/Colome was unable to capture another team title, but still took fourth in trap in 1A.

Welker has plans to continue her shooting career in college.

She plans to attend Concordia University in Seward, Neb., a private Lutheran school. Welker said the team she is joining has roughly 30 participants. The activity is covered under the athletic department, meaning the school will cover Welker's expenses, including hotels and travel fees, she said.

Britton-Hecla learning skeet as they go

While Britton-Hecla has fielded a clay target team for five years now, it hadn't competed in the skeet division until this year.

Britton-Hecla Head Coach Ray Effling said the team has about 28 kids, with seven competing in skeet.

In the skeet event, clay targets are shot from a trap to simulate a bird.

Effling, who is in his fifth year as coach, said that this year, the skeet event has been a learning process.

"We're getting better. We're going in the right direction ... We're learning, even as coaches, we're learning and we're trying to get the kids better. We're just trying to do what we can to make them a better team, so yeah it's learning," he said on Friday, the opening day of the state meet.

The team, like most teams with spring seasons, was affected by the cold weather that lingered, forcing rescheduled practices, which often interfered with other events that the kids participate in. The team practices south of Britton

"(It's) been a tough spring because of the weather. It's just tough to get kids shooting. Other than that, we can't really complain a little bit other than the weather was beating us. But kids are shooting well, and we're having fun," Effling said.

This year has served as an experience builder for some shooters. He said the team is about split half and half between younger kids and upperclassmen.

"We're where we expect, not where we want, but we'll get there. We're about a year out ... I figure we're about a year or two out, and then hopefully things keep progressing and we'll be up there with the top guys, but we're learning," Effling said.

Britton-Hecla placed eighth in skeet and fourth in trap.

Chamberlain wins skeet and trap team titles

Chamberlain claimed both the 1A skeet and trap team titles at the South Dakota High School Clay Target League State Tournament during the weekend. Yankton won the 2A trap division.

More than 900 competitors visited the Aberdeen Gun Club to participate in the three-day event.

In 2A trap, Yankton's Payton Silvernail won top honors with a 98, while Mitchell's Maddy Henkel earned the top female honors with a 94.

In 1A trap, Kopp's perfect score was good for the championship, well Welker was second with a 99.

In skeet, Chamberlain also won in 1A, while Mitchell's Trell Kaupp had the best score of the event with a 97.

There is only one trap team division.

Final trap results

2A team scores

1. Yankton 474; 2. Mitchell 469; 3. Pierre Riggs 469; 4. Platte-Geddes 457; 5. Brookings 453; 6. Brandon Valley 453; 7. Harrisburg 449; 8. Milbank 443; 9. Bowdle 440; 10. Kimball 439.

2A individual top 10

1. Payton Silvernail, Yankton 98; T-2. Jadon Petersen, Platte-Geddes 97; T-2. Chase Eitemiller, Mitchell; T-4. Kale Kriese, Dakota Valley 98; T-4. Braxton Pulse, Kimball 96; T-4. Keagan Holmstrom, Yankton 96; T-4. Tanner Becker, Yankton 96; T-8. Lucas Johnson, Milbank 95; T-8. Jonah Dancsisin, Harrisburg 95; T-8. Shawn Van Liere, Pierre TF Riggs 95; T-8. T-8. Nathan McCormick, Mitchell 95; T-8. Peter Dammen, Brookings 95; T-8. Lucas Jones, Pierre TF Riggs 95.

1A team scores

1. Chamberlain 480; 2. Hot Springs 479; 3. Britton-Hecla 473; 4. Winner/Colome 472; 5. Groton Area 469; 6. Belle Fourche 469; 7. Wall 455; 8. Sioux Valley 453; 9. Aberdeen Roncalli 449; 10. Webster 435.

1A individual top 10

1. Jena Kopp, Hot Springs, 100; T-2. Colin Mayer, Chamberlain, 99; Katie Welker, Winner/Colome, 99; T-4. Jude Sargent, Winner/Colome, 98; Zane Backous, Aberdeen Roncalli, 98; Tina Zoellner, Groton, 98; Tyna Bennett, Britton-Hecla, 98; T-8. Brayden Carbajal, Belle Fourche, 97; Aiden Petersen, Wall, 97; William Kuhl, Hot Springs, 97; Chris Hornick, Sioux Valley, 97; Landen Hartman, Canton, 97; Mya Priebe, Chamberlain, 97.

Skeet

Team scores

1. Chamberlain 433; 2. Belle Fourche 441; 3. Brookings 435; 4. Winner/Colome 421; 5. Mitchell 416; 6. Pierre TF Riggs 412; 7. Yankton 404; 8. Britton-Hecla 373; 9. Deuel 369.

Individual top 10

1. Trell Kaupp, Mitchell, 97; 2. Carter McKenna, Belle Fourche 95; 3. Wyatt Mortenson, Stanley County 94; 4. Katie Welker, Winner/Colome 93; T-5. Christian Fees, Chamberlain 92; T-5. Brayden Carbajal, Belle Fourche 92; T-5. Jansen Konechne, Chamberlain 92; 8. Tanner Becker, Yankton 91; T-9. Carter Effling, Britton-Hecla 90; T-9. Payton Jackson, Belle Fourche 90; T-9. Colin Mayer, Chamberlain 90.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Chamberlain sweeps skeet trap south dakota high school