Colfax Scholastic Action Shooting Team wraps up its season

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Colfax Scholastic Action Team wrapped up its 2019 season with pizza for members and their families and a fun match at the Dunn County/Colfax Shooting Sports Complex Sunday August 25.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was giving athletes the medals they’d earned at the Scholastic Action Shooting Program state match. But the ceremony was slightly dimmed when it was discovered that not all of the medals had been sent by the state organization.

Gavin Wenz’ awards for being the top .22 pistol shooter in the state and for being named to the all state team were notably missing. So to were the gold medals for the varsity squad’s first place finish with .22 pistol. Squad members who didn’t get their gold were Wenz, Nokomis Nosker, Trevor Rothbauer and Jack Kouba.

Those same varsity team members did get their bronze medals for taking third in the state in pistol caliber carbine competition.

Alex Johnson picked up his gold medal for winning the rookie .22 rifle division.

Members of the intermediate rifle squad received their silver medals for taking second place. Squad members were Arianna Pickering, Kimberly Krista, Dalton Sousek and Nathaniel Nosker.

Jim Krista, head coach, also gave out several award certificates that were agreed upon by all of the coaches. Wenz received both the Team Leadership and the Top Gun Senior Division awards. Krista explained the leadership award was because Wenz frequently assisted younger shooters and loaned equipment, such as his pistol caliber carbine, for team use, plus reloading ammunition for the carbine for team use.

Johnson received a Top Gun Rookie Award and an Ultimate Brass Picker Award. Sam Wenz, assistant coach, explained that Johnson avidly picked up 9mm brass from the range for reloading purposes, even though he doesn’t shoot 9mm. He said no other team members, including the ones shooting 9mm carbine, were so eager to pick up brass as Johnson was, or so fast at doing it.

Rothbauer received a Most Consistent award and a 2×4 Terror Award. Sam Wenz explained that the steel targets are mounted on 2×4 posts and that Rothbauer chewed the posts up with regularity. Kouba, who followed Rothbauer in the shooting order, then had targets fall over when he engaged them and there would be a delay while a new post was put in place and Kouba would have to shoot that string over.

Kimberly Krista also received a Most Consistent award for her division and Pickering received a Team Player award. Jim Krista explained that in state and national competition Pickering shot .22 pistol and rifle so that the team could have full squads, even though she only wanted to shoot rifle.

Nokomis Nosker received a Top Hat award, which also required an explanation. Krista said that at the national match a hat or cap was awarded to any athlete who shot every target every time at any of the stages. That meant the athlete had to go 25 for 25, which isn’t common when shooting fast. Nosker qualified for a hat four times.

Kouba received the most team awards. Krista explained that the varsity squad was short one member for state and national competition. Kouba, because of his significant improvement and demonstrated ability during weeks of practice, was asked to move up from intermediate division to varsity. Kouba had been shooting pistol, but along with that switch came the requirement to also shoot .22 rifle and personal caliber carbine. Kouba accepted the challenge, and the pressure, and was an integral part of the varsity winning the .22 pistol division at state and placing third in the pistol caliber carbine division. Because of that Kouba received awards for Top Gun Intermediate, Team Player and Most Improved.

Colfax Scholastic Action Shooting Team is now looking towards the 2020 matches and is actively seeking new athletes to fill out its squads. According to the coaches, desire and coachability is far more important than any other traits and that new shooters and poor shooters can turn into first rate competitors. The team has returned from state competition with gold medals for five straight years and has placed squads in the top three at nationals.

To continue the winning tradition, the team needs athletes to fill various squads. Currently there is only one designated varsity athlete heading into the 2020 season and the other squads are all short members.

Athletes are need from ages eight through 17.

For more information contact Jim Krista, jak67429@gmail.com; Sam Wenz, swenz777@gmail.com; or Jim Nosker, azen.outdoorbum@gmail.com.