Winona, MN-
Ridgewater College - with campuses in Willmar and Hutchinson - will field two clay target teams in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference beginning this fall.
The 2019 MCAC Clay Target season will feature at least 11 varsity two-year college teams; in addition to Ridgewater's new programs, Alexandria Technical & Community College is slated to being competition in September.
Ridgewater's two separate programs will be led by Mike Bjork (Hutchinson), Troy Haverly and Dean Anfison (Willmar), respectively. The Hutchinson campus-based squad shall compete at Cedar Mills Gun Club, while student-athletes on the Willmar campus will compete at the Willmar Trap Range. The Ridgewater coaching staff brings strong local connections to their teams; Coach Bjork is also the head coach for Lester Prairie Public Schools, while the coaching duo of Haverly and Anfison lead the New London Spicer High School squad.
The Hutchinson Leader ran this feature story on the newest addition to the Warrior athletic program.
Ridgewater shall join the following programs in the 2019 Minnesota College Athletic Conference / USA Clay Target fall season:
Alexandria Technical & Community College, Alexandria, MN
Hibbing Community College, Hibbing, MN
Itasca Community College, Grand Rapids, MN
Lake Region State College, Devils Lake, ND
Lake Superior College, Duluth, MN
Minnesota West Community & Technical College, Worthington, MN
Northland Community & Technical College, Thief River Falls, MN
Pine Technical College, Pine, MN
Ridgewater College, Hutchinson & Willmar, MN
Southwest (WI) Technical College, Fennimore, WI
Vermilion Community College, Ely, MN
The upcoming fall season will also mark the MCAC debut of Alexandria Technical & Community College, as their club program will elevate to varsity status and join the MCAC Clay Target ranks. The community of Alexandria and Alexandria Tech hosts the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League Trap Shooting Championship; the nation's largest high school shooting championship attracts more than 330 high school teams and over 8,500 student-athletes in early June for a 9-day competition. ATCC is the title sponsor of the prestigious event. For more on the USA Clay Target League Minnesota Championship, click here or go to: http:/championship.mnclaytarget.com
In 2018, nine MCAC member colleges took part in the first varsity two-year college Clay Target season in the U.S. in a partnership between the MCAC and USA Clay Target. Teams were divided into two divisions by squad size and the highly competitive season concluded with the 2018 MCAC Fall Championships conducted at the Grand Rapids (MN) Gun Club on October 16. Over 100 participants and coaches convened on Grand Rapids for the one-day event which crowned men's and women's division individual champions, runners-up and several team awards. Clay Target is the fastest-growing sport in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.
Both aforementioned colleges are members of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (Minnesota State) system; to learn more about Minnesota State, please visit: https://www.minnstate.edu/. With the additions, the Minnesota College Athletic Conference will grow to 24 members in 2019-20, making it one of the largest NJCAA-affiliated Conferences in the U.S., comprised of two-year colleges across Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
For more information on Alexandria Technical & Community College please click here or to go: https:/www.alextech.edu
USA Clay Target can be researched at: http:/usacollegeclaytarget.com
About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC)
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student-athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student-athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.
This release sponsored by:
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