NCTA Shooting Sports season starts Friday at North Platte

Sept. 26, 2016

By NCTA News Service                                                                                                       

 Curtis, Neb. – Friday is the kickoff of Aggie competitive sporting clay, trap and skeet shooting for the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis.

The NCTA Aggie Shooting Team will compete Friday through Sunday in the Prairie Circuit Classic at the Lincoln County Wildlife Club near North Platte, said Alan Taylor, team coach.

“The NCTA Aggies have 15 students on our shooting team, with each student shooting 100 targets per event in trap, skeet or sporting clays,” Taylor said. Some of the season’s competitions will also include international skeet, 5-stand sporting clay, double skeet or double trap.

The Aggies will compete in five tournaments across Nebraska this season and will host a turkey shoot fund raiser on Nov. 19 in Curtis.

“We are excited to have the shooting sport progressing at NCTA,” Taylor said. “We couldn’t have gotten this far without the City of Curtis and the Curtis Gun Club.”

The collegiate team was organized in 2015 when the local shooting range east of Curtis was revitalized with funding committed by the City and NCTA.  The improved range is located along Highway 23, near the airport.

Taylor credits significant progress to donations from the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation which provided firearms, clay targets and target throwers.

“These contributions make it possible for the Aggie shooters to practice trap, skeet and 5-stand sporting clay here locally without having to travel outside the area,” he said.  Taylor’s fulltime career with an animal feed company has allowed him a dual role as an adjunct lecturer in the NCTA Animal Science division, and as the Aggie Shooting Team coach.

The 2016-17 team members are: Rilee VanDonge, Holton, Kan., president; Trevor Kuhn, Omaha, vice president; Stetson Youel, Hay Springs, treasurer; Tucker Dehmlow, Centennial, Colo., secretary; Andrew Dible, Sidney; Tyler Heidemann, Daykin; Wyatt Eggleston, Arnold; Thomas Hennig, Tekamah; Lucas Kolterman, Pierce; Alan Rooney, Brewster; Jonathan Herz, Alma; Roman Netherton, Cozad; Allen Matejka, Loomis; Shawn Barger, Wahoo; and Carli Johnson, Hastings.

Additional information is available at ncta.unl.edu or by calling 1-800-3-CURTIS.

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Source:  Alan Taylor, NCTA Shooting Sports coach,

Editor:   Mary Crawford, NCTA News, 308-367-523,  Mcrawford@unl.edu