NEWBERG, Oregon — The trap shooting team from Yamhill-Carlton High School went into the national championships feeling good, having won several clay target championships this year even before they arrived at the main event in Michigan.
"I had full confidence in this team. We’ve always shot good. This year especially, we've shot amazing," said team member Jaeger Ward.
But still, with a student body of fewer than 300 hundred students, they were the underdogs at the national championships; a small school competing against more than 450 other schools from around the country, most of them much bigger. To win a national championship is a big deal.
"Total shock," said team member Lane Stahl. "Small school, small town, and we did it."
The sport has been around since 1800s, and a version has been part of the Olympic games since 1900. Competitors use a shotgun, and the targets are launched from what's called the trap house, with 25 targets in each round.
Team member Madison Gregor had the best individual performance. She finished on the podium and is the only girl on the team.
"I think I’m a good fit for the team," she said. "I am good at keeping the boys in check — I think and I hope."
For Gregor, earning individual recognition was an honor, but nothing beats a team championship.
"Being on a team podium was even more of an accomplishment, because there were more kids that had to do well in order for us to get there," she said.