The Merrill Bluejay Trap Team concluded the Great Northern Trap Conference season with an outstanding performance at the Conference Shootout held Friday, May 29, 2026, at Minocqua Gun Club.
The annual Conference Shootout brings together athletes from across the Conference for a 100-target competition consisting of four rounds of 25 targets. Team scores are determined by combining the scores of each team’s top five shooters.
The Bluejays earned Conference Championship titles in both the Varsity and JV Divisions. The Varsity squad captured the Conference title with a score of 475, while the JV team claimed first place with a score of 467.
Merrill’s Intermediate Advanced team also delivered an impressive performance, finishing second overall with a score of 442.
The highlight of the day belonged to Merrill JV shooter Collin Gennrich, who was awarded the High Overall Male Championship after shooting a perfect 100 out of 100 targets. Gennrich broke all 100 targets he faced, shooting four consecutive perfect rounds of 25, to earn the top overall male score of the entire Conference shootout. His performance was a major personal achievement, and this was his first year on the trap team. This capped off an outstanding Conference season for the Bluejays.
Merrill’s success was fueled by strong performances throughout the lineup.
The Bluejay Varsity team captured the Conference Championship with a score of 475, led by Christopher Holz (97), Mason Meyer (95), Hunter Renken (95), Alex Petrowski (94), and Jase Steinagel (94).
Merrill’s Conference Champion JV team posted a winning score of 467, with Gennrich leading the way with his perfect 100. The remaining high-scoring athletes were Jaxson Ames (93), Easton Romatoski (92), Corbin Mattson (91), and Robert Woller (91).
The Intermediate Advanced squad earned its runner-up finish behind top shooters Trenton Lapsenberg (91), Malayna Kufahl (90), Charles Graap (89), Corbin Hanson (88), and Alex Neumann (84).
The Intermediate Entry team was led by CJ Rickher (66), Lucas Dorgan (61), Jacob Sharp (60), Tanner Reinhardt (59), and Adalyn Graap (59), helping the Bluejays finish fourth as a team.
Several Merrill athletes also earned individual Conference awards. In Varsity competition, Lily Kufahl earned First Place Female honors with a score of 91 after a tiebreaker.
In the Junior Varsity Division, Jaxson Ames earned Second Place Male honors with a score of 93.
In the Intermediate Advanced Division, Malayna Kufahl captured First Place Female honors with a score of 90, while Trenton Lapsenberg earned Third Place Male honors with a score of 91.
The Bluejays also recorded several perfect rounds during the competition. Jaxson Ames, Easton Romatoski, Alex Petrowski, Hunter Renken, Malayna Kufahl, Mason Meyer, Christopher Holz, and Collin Gennrich each broke all 25 targets in at least one round during the 100-target event. Gennrich’s performance was especially remarkable, as he ran all four rounds for a perfect 100 out of 100 targets.
Merrill’s depth was evident throughout the event, with the top five JV scoring athletes finishing at 91 or higher and the top five Varsity scoring athletes posting scores of 94 or better. The combination of elite individual performances and consistent team depth helped the Bluejays bring home two Conference Championships and a runner-up finish.
The Bluejays will next compete at the Wisconsin State Trap Shoot on Friday, June 19.
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