As temperatures outside continue to climb, so too does the incredibly hot sharpshooting of some local gunslingers. Three members of the JWP Clay Target Team–Janessa Carstensen along with Cody & Carter Wiederhoeft–traveled to the USA High School Clay Target League (USAHSCTL) National Championships from July 8-12 in Mason, Michigan.
Since the Championships began in 2007, participation in clay target shooting has increased exponentially with the League acknowledging over 55,000 participants across the nation taking aim in 2025.
For these specific Nationals, roughly 1800 shooters across the country gathered for two intense days of focus and nerves of steel. In many ways, the competition came familiar to the trio with two, 50-target sessions determining who qualified for the Championship round. The pressure was immense as the nation’s best shooters lined up, and nearly 1000 of these sharpshooters failed to qualify.
Carstensen and Cody Wiederhoeft did not advance to the final round; however, they ended their careers with exceptionally high marks. Wiederhoeft placed 648th with a two-round score of 93 while Carstensen landed in the 1668th position with a score of 77.
Proving to have the steadiest aim amongst the three was standout deadeye Carter Wiederhoeft, who on his Day One prelim, captured a miraculous 75-straight or three straight perfect rounds to claim a score of 97/100 as well as qualifying for the Championship round in 127th place. Success is often defined by being able to replicate it, and Wiederhoeft maintained his poise amidst the pressure, landing two more 25-straight patches en route to a second consecutive 97 score.
Despite the impressive score, the 400+ shooters in the final rounds posted similar rounds, showcasing a rich pool of talent when it comes to Clay Target teams around the nation. Wiederhoeft’s performance earned him 127th place out of 404 participants, putting him in the nation’s top third percentile amongst youth shooters.
Coach Dale Fleming expressed immense pride in the three shooters for their performances, “It’s incredibly tough competition shooting with some of the best in the country, but those three put up phenomenal scores…they represented Bulldog Clay Target well and we couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments.”
As participation in JWP Clay Target grows, so too does the skill level of its gunslingers. Congrats on a highly successful season!
