Fresno State Gun Club’s trap and skeet team placed third in its first-ever tournament in February against 14 other teams, including Arizona State University and University of Arizona.
On the team were Fresno State senior Abel Corona, sophomore Yordan Coss, sophomore Sam Lord-Huff, and freshmen Grayson Stewart and Steven Garcia.
The team competed for the first time together Feb. 22-23 in the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Lower West Coast Conference Championship Shot Gun Bowl Series against 14 other teams of five. The team practiced trap shooting once a week for a few weeks at the Kingsburg Gun Club leading up to the tournament.
Each team member shot 100 rounds at a distance of 16 yards.
Coss said all team members were fairly new to shooting trap, so the experience was good for the team.
“We got to see a lot of competitors and how they shoot,” he said.
Lord-Huff shot so well that he went on to compete in the individual shoot off. His final score was 91/100, tying for third place. Lord-Huff placed fifth overall out of 125 people.
Though Lord-Huff said he grew up around guns and going deer and dove hunting with his dad, he only began shooting trap a few weeks before the tournament.
“I was super stoked because I was not expecting to do that well at all,” he said.
“There were schools there that had more experience, so I was super excited that I did well,” Lord-Huff said.
More than anything, Lord-Huff said the tournament was a good bonding opportunity.
“The team didn’t really know each other, so we definitely came home with some good friends,” he said.
The trap and skeet team will participate in another tournament this month in San Antonio, Texas.
There, Lord-Huff said the team’s main goal is simple: to shoot better.
Lord-Huff hopes to improve his personal score by one or two.
Coss said since the club is fairly new, it’s nice to see it doing well.
“The club is just starting to take off, and it’s exciting to see the school embracing the team,” he said.
The club will also host a hunters safety course March 15 in Lab School 134. For more information about the event, contact Nate Chang at (408) 204-9048.
