42 Nebraskaland • May 2019
50 Years
at the Cornhusker
Trapshoot
By Julie Geiser
BELOW LEFT: Hall County. 2015
Cornhusker Trapshoot. Photo taken
during Saturday's competition.
ABOVE RIGHT: 38th Annual Cornhusker
High School and Junior High School
Trapshoot, held May 3-5, 2007, at
Doniphan, Nebraska.
BELOW RIGHT: Shooter at 2016
Cornhusker Trapshoot.
PHOTO
BY
JULIE
GEISER
PHOTO
BY
BOB
GRIER
ay 2-4 is the 50th year
for the prestigious
Cornhusker Trapshoot,
one of the nation's largest
youth trap shooting tournaments.
Around 2,500 high school and junior
high competitors from Nebraska and
across the nation along with their
family, friends and coaches will visit the
Nebraska Trapshooting Association's
home grounds in Doniphan, bursting
the small town's population of about
850 to almost 10,000.
The trapshoot began in 1970 as a duel
between Northeast Community College
and Chadron State College, which was
organized by Dave Wells of Norfolk and
Jim Carlisle of Chadron. In 1971 nine
colleges participated in the shoot.
Expanding in numbers over the
decades, today the tournament
consists of high school and junior
high divisions covering a three-day
event where schools, 4-H teams and
individuals shoot for top places, and
the all-around top high school shooter
receives the coveted Cornhusker Cup
award. "I can remember when I started
overseeing the tournament, we didn't
use all the trap houses. Now almost
every squad and trap is full," said Terry
Brentzel, conservation offi cer for the
Commission and tournament director.
This event has grown into one that has
made memories and lasting friendships
over the years. The camaraderie and
safety record displayed by these youth is
exemplary, and the sportsmanship they
exhibit is to be commended. "There are
lots of great stories from the trap shoot;
one special moment I have was when
I gave Maddie Spellman of Aurora her
medal. She was struggling with cancer
and shot from her wheelchair in 2016;
she passed away shortly after that,"
Brentzel stated.
The Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission along with the Nebraska
Trapshooting Association sponsor the
premier event and several directors
ensure the American Trap Association
rules of shooting are followed.
M