Merrill Bluejay Trap Team finishes strong against Lakeland, comes up a little short against Mosinee

The Merrill Bluejay Trap Team had a good second week of competition, shooting on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at the Lincoln Gun Club on Corning Road.
The Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Intermediate Advanced teams all celebrated a win against the shooters from Lakeland Union High School, while the Intermediate Entry team suffered an 86-97 loss to Lakeland.
The Varsity shooters led the way with a 117-114 win, the Junior Varsity squad claimed a 108-97 victory, and the Intermediate Advanced team won 109-97.
The Bluejay coaches were pleased with the results and noted strong individual and team performances. “Despite typical early spring conditions, athletes remained focused and delivered solid scores across both Varsity and Junior Varsity levels,” coaches said in a released statement.
Top Varsity shooters for the week included Lily Kufahl and Mason Meyer, each posting top scores of 24. Six other Varsity shooters — Maria Ashbrenner, Prestin Dashek, Christopher Holz, Hunter Renken, Caleb Thompson, and Matthew Wiederhoeft — each shot high scores of 23.

Junior Varsity shooter Collin Gennrich also scored a 23, with teammates Tavin Heidemann and Calvyn Rogers each scoring 22.
Coaches drew attention to JV shooter Tavin Heidemann shooting his first perfect score of 25 during a practice round. “While practice scores do not count toward weekly competition totals, this is an outstanding accomplishment and a great milestone worth celebrating,” coaches said.
“The team continues to demonstrate depth and consistency early in the season, with many athletes showing strong potential for continued success in the weeks ahead,” coaches said.

Box Score: Week 2 vs. Lakeland Union High School
Varsity: Merrill 117, Lakeland 114

JV: Merrill 108, Lakeland 97
Intermediate Advanced: Merrill 109, Lakeland 97
Intermediate Entry: Merrill 86, Lakeland 97

In week three of shooting on April 7, the Merrill Bluejays went up against strong shooting competitors from Mosinee, taking a loss in three of their four levels. The Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Intermediate Entry teams all lost to their Mosinee counterparts, with scores of 118-122, 113-118, and 79-91, respectively. The Intermediate Advanced team celebrated a 108-105 victory over Mosinee.
At the top of the leaderboard for the Merrill Varsity shooters, Xavier Hanke, Mason Meyer, and Hunter Renken, each posted scores of 24. Christopher Holz, Alex Petrowski, and Caleb Thompson all recorded scores of 23.

For the JV team, two shooters shot perfect scores of 25. JJ Klug achieved a milestone when he shot his first perfect 25, and Malayna Kufahl also shot a perfect 25.
JV shooter Collin Gennrich shot a 23, with Robert Giese and Otto Lee each shooting scores of 22.
“Great individual results for many athletes, but not quite enough to get team wins against Mosinee,” the coaches noted, adding that they observed continued depth and steady improvement at all levels of shooting with “athletes gaining confidence and consistency each week.”

Box Score: Week 3 vs. Mosinee
Varsity: Merrill 118, Mosinee 122

JV: Merrill 113, Mosinee 118
Intermediate Advanced: Merrill 108, Mosinee 105
Intermediate Entry: Merrill 79, Mosinee 91