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North Crawford trap team has season underway
NC Trap Baumeisster 25 Straight
NORTH CRAWFORD SOPHOMORE Chase Baumeister holds the patch he earned for shoot-ing a 25-Straight in week one of competition shooting.

NORTH CRAWFORD - The North Crawford Trap Team has carried the momentum forward from their first season in the spring 2018 season of the Wisconsin State High School Clay Target League. In the fall 2018, the team has fielded 14 returning athletes.

The team is coached by Dave Benzing, owner of Outback Shotgun Sports in rural Seneca, and Jimmer Chellevold. The team’s safety officer is Jeff McCullick.

The team includes seniors Gabe McCann, Gavin Schell, Riley Chellevold, and Sandon McClurg; junior Paxton Swiggum; sophomores Chase Baumeistr and Thomas McCormick; and freshmen Faye Brassington, Kaeden Chellevold, Keegan Bender, Wyatt Jones, Deyton Blaha, and Satchel McClurg.

The team shoots on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. “The kids who are not also in other spring sports come and shoot at 4:30, and then the kids who are in other sports come a little bit later,” Chellevold explained.

Team record

North Crawford finished in fifth place in Conference Seven, with a total of 5,834 total points. Denmark High School again won in the conference with a total of 10,8

North Crawford sent 13 athletes, includ-ing Chase Baumeister, Kee-gan Bender, Riley Chellevold, Kaeden Chellevold, Matt Cody, Caleb Johnson, Gabe McCann, Satchel McClurg, Sandon McClurg, Gavin Schell, Grant Smith, Cam-eron Steyer, and Paxton Swiggum.06.5 points.

North Crawford’s Chase Baumeister and Gabe McCann both shot a ’25 Straight,’ in the competition. Baumeister got his ’25 Straight’ in the first round, and McCann in the second.

State averages for North Crawford shooters were Chase Baumeister, 23.75; Keegan Bender, 19.25; Kaeden Chellevold, 19.25; Riley Chellevold, 17; Matt Cody, 19.25; Caleb John-son, 18.75; Gabe McCann, 23.75; Sandon McClurg, 21; Satchel McClurg, 19.5; Gavin Schell, 22.25; Cam-eron Steyer, 20.25; and Pax-ton Swiggum, 18.

Fall 2018

In the Fall 2018 season, North Crawford is competing in Conference 2, where they are currently in third place with 496 points. The conference includes Denmark High School (750), Ashland High School (516), Elmwood High School (461.5), Mineral Point Unified High School (438), Marinette High School (285), and Turtle Lake High School (245.5).

Significant practice time, as well as weeks one and two of reserve competition were missed by the team this year due to historic flooding in the Kickapoo Valley.

Scores in Week One and Two were:

Gabe McCann 21/22, 24/21

Gavin Schell 19/17,                19/23

Riley Chellevold 18/13, 12/17

Sandon McClurg 0/0, 21/20

Paxton Swiggum 20/19, 20/22

Caleb Johnson 23/33, 24/20

Chase Baumeister 23/25, 23/24

Thomas McCormick 22/21, 22/20

Faye Brassington 16/19, 0/0

Kaeden Chellevold                   20/21, 16/14

Keegan Bender 17/23, 22/19

Wyatt Jones 12/12,                 12/11

Deyton Blaha 12/3,                 0/0

Satchel McClurg 0/0, 17/15

Sophomore Chase Baumeister shot a ’25 Straight’ in round two of the Week One competition.

Other area school competing in the fall 2018 season include:

Boscobel High School, Conference 5, currently first place with 4,644.5 points

Kickapoo High School, Conference 4, currently in first place with 1,437.5 points

Seneca High School, Conference 1, currently in fourth place with 203 points

Wauzeka-Steuben High School, Conference 3, currently in fourth place with 866 points

Coach Chellevold described the team’s strength as lying in the fact that most team members come from hunting families.

“The more they shoot trap, the better the shot they’ll be when they’re out hunting,” Chellevold observed.

The team goal, according to Chellevold, is for all the athletes to see weekly improvement in their scores, skill and confidence.