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The Mabel-Canton trap team finished among the top third of the field at the 2026 USA Clay Target League National Championship on July 8-12 at Mason, Michigan. Christian Bjerke of Spring Grove was highest-finishing individual among Journal-area shooters and one of only 23 senior marksmen nationwide to qualify for the national tournament for six consecutive seasons. Kingsland had two individual qualifiers; LeRoy-Ostrander had one qualifier competing.
The Cougars had the 16th best qualifying score – 476 out of 500 – on Friday, but in the finals on Sunday, they hit 20 fewer – 456 to finish 73rd among the 234 teams that competed. The team score was the total of five teammates each aiming at 100 flying clay targets.
Spring Grove was only other Journal-area team to qualify for national tournament. However, the Lions, with a 456/500 on Friday, did not finish among the top 400 teams to advance to the Sunday finals. They finished 115th among the 234 teams.
There was a separate competition for individuals, who like the teams, qualified with their season averages. For the first time, Spring Grove had as many as 11 individuals qualifying for national. On Saturday, 1,752 qualifying individuals fired 100 shots each, vying to be among the top 400 to advance to the Sunday finals. Four Lion marksmen advanced.
Christian Bjerke, who had hit 95 birds during the team round on Friday, connected with 96 birds on Saturday and then 98 in the finals to finish 56th overall (top 3%). He closed his high school career by hitting his last 77 shots. Bjerke has qualified for the national shoot-off every year since the seventh grade.
Izaak Morken hit 97 on Saturday and then 98 in the finals to place 68th overall (top 4%). Tyler Turner (97 team score) hit 95 targets on Saturday and then 97 on Sunday to place 109th (top 6%). Karson Betcher (93 team score) hit 95 clays on Saturday and 93 in the finals to finish 300th among 1,752 shooters (top 17%).
Other Lions competing in the first round were: Carter Van Minsel 93, Mylee Thorson 85, Logan Hammel (85 team score) 85 again, Autumn Petersen 80, Lynden Morken 79, Roland Bjerke (85 team score) 79 and Callie Petersen 76.
Photo submitted
Photo submitted
Conversely, Mabel-Canton did not enjoy as much success in the individual round as it had during the team competition. None of the six Cougar individuals advanced from the Saturday round to the Sunday championship.
Mason Swenson, who had team highs in both Mabel-Canton team rounds with 98 Friday and 97 Sunday, hit 92 birds in the Saturday round for individuals. Kale Tollefsrud, who had 97 and 90 team rounds, scored 93 in individual competition.
Carter Hershberger had 97 and 92 team rounds and hit 91 clays on individual day. Shawn Swenson had 96 and 92 team scores and 90 during individual competition. Hunter Kelly scored 88 and 85 for the team and hit 88 birds as an individual. Team alternate Owen Swenson competed only as an individual, connecting with 85 clay targets.
With at least 95 required to advance to the finals, Kingsland’s Bryce Oeltjen hit 92 clay birds and Dan Lund 74. From LeRoy-Ostrander, Brayden Schaefer blasted 89 birds out of the air.
In the qualifying round, 17 individuals had perfect 100 scores. In the finals, 16 were perfect. Nevyn Hengel of Sibley East High School (Arlington, Minnesota) won the 16-competitor shoot-off. Fall River (Wisconsin) claimed the team national title by one bird with 485 targets out of 500. Four teams had 484.
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