The Ellsworth Community College trapshooting team competed in their conference meets every week from August through October.

"Our conference meets every week, even though they were held virtually, we were in direct competition and it is usually held at the same day and the same time at another location," coach Dale Stockdale said.

Members of the Panther trap team include Max Wilson of Johnston, IA; Bryce Solem of Brooklyn, IA; Jalissa Moore of Hampton, IA; Macy Grein of Wesley, IA and Jayda Nehl of New Hampton, IA.

Four members won medals. Solem took home third place at the Southeastern meet; Moore was second; Grein was first and third and Nehl earned a first, two seconds, and two third-place finishes.

"We were slow getting started because I don't think that everybody that is on the team knew that we were actually going to have a team. The team itself, we are last place in the conference because we didn't shoot every week," said Stockdale. "Obviously by all the medals they got, we won every time (they competed). We did really good."

Two were also named academic all-region. Nehl was named to the first team and Moore was a second-teamer.

The group is preparing to compete at the Spring Nationals in Tuscan, Arizona February 17-21. On April 17 the Panthers will be hosting the State meet for the third year in a row at the Stockdale Gun Club. The hope is that everyone on the team comes away with a trophy.

As an emerging NJCAA sport, Stockdale just hopes to continue to grow the program.

"I don't have a real target of where we want to be. The good thing is having one coach for every five athletes, that's really a great ratio for learning," Stockdale said. "The part I like is where you take someone that can maybe break less than half of them and then by the end of the season they are breaking almost all of them."