2024-2025 Shotgun Sports Season Preview

With a new man in the leadership role, the Statesmen shotgun sports team begins a new era as it enters the 2024-2025 season.

Colten Uitermarkt, a former William Penn student-athlete, is taking over the reins of a program that finished third at ACUI Division I Nationals a year ago.  WPU recorded seven All-Americans, a plethora of High Overall Athletes, and won every regular season tournament in which it competed.

Five of those All-Americans return to bolster this year's squad, including Second-Team performer Tanner Muff (Jr., Lincoln, Neb., Public Accounting) and Honorable-Mention honorees Hunter Block (Grad., Eldridge, Iowa, Master's of Organizational Leadership), Cade Bowie (Jr., Benton, Ark., Business Management), Mathew Brindley (Sr., Earlham, Iowa, Industrial Technology), and Dryden DeKoning (Sr., Newton, Iowa, Business Management).

Additional top HOA returners include Holly Boeke (Sr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Biology), Noah De Boef (Sr., Leighton, Iowa, Industrial Technology), Connor Gittings (Sr., Kansas City, Mo., Biology), Colton Heintz-Kuderer (So., Mabel, Minn., Biology), Wyatt Kresser (So., Independence, Iowa, Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management), Adison Sholes (Sr., Indianola, Iowa, Public Accounting), Noah Seelye (Sr., Pella, Iowa, Industrial Technology), Brianna Thompson (Jr., Campbellsport, Wis., Psychology), and Carver Van Zee (Jr., Pella, Iowa, Industrial Technology).

Along with their contributions on the range, the senior trio of Gittings, Heintz-Kuderer, and Seelye will also be looked upon for their leadership qualities.

Numerous other returners will provide big numbers in selected disciplines.

The Statesmen have brought in several top newcomers as well.  Trenton Giese (Fr., Muskego, Wis., Mechanical Engineering) has strong backgrounds in Trap and Sporting Clays, while Emily Sjoberg (Fr., Citrus Heights, Calif., Undecided) is highly proficient in Skeet and Sporting Clays.  Hayden Lund (Fr., Beaverdam, Wis., Sports Management) and Addison McGehearty (Fr., Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Undecided) are both established Trap shooters.

Schedule

William Penn starts up its campaign Saturday in Riverside at the Coe Invitational.  The fall will include six tournaments, including hosting the William Penn Invitational on September 27-28 in Oskaloosa at the Mahaska County Izaak Walton League.  ACUI Nationals will be held next March in San Antonio, Texas.