Precision, Performance, and Podiums: RedTails Wrap Up Stellar Season

The Hawkeye Community College RedTails Sports Shooting Team wrapped up an impressive regular season with a series of outstanding performances in trap, skeet, and sporting clays. Demonstrating depth, precision, and consistency, the RedTails not only remained undefeated in key disciplines but also secured the ICCAC East Division Championship, setting a confident tone ahead of the ICCAC Conference and Iowa SCTP State Championships.

Team Dominance

The RedTails opened their campaign with a dominant victory over Kirkwood Eagles, outshooting their opponent by a wide margin - 234 targets to 66. Led by Mason Goche (49), Lucas Kentopp (48), Hunter Grothaus (46), Nic Brase (46), and Abbie Hill (45), the team's performance set the standard for the remainder of the season. Coach Emley remarked, "It has been said that some of the most improvement happens between the first and second competition; that proved correct."

In a later matchup, the RedTails shattered their own record with a 492-target team score against Kirkwood's 242, led by near-perfect rounds from Mason Goche and Cole Slabaugh, each shooting 99 targets. Strong contributions came from Nic Brase (98), Elliott Brincks (98), Ethan Tlusty (98), Noah Conway (94), Ben Mysak (79), and Nick Jackson (69).

Hawkeye again rose to the occasion in a tight contest against Indian Hills, tying at 287 targets and winning by tiebreaker. Abbie Hill's score of 95 served as the decisive fourth-scorer, pushing the RedTails ahead. Meanwhile, a strong showing against Southeastern (RedTails - 257, Southeastern - 184) secured a second-place finish behind Indian Hills (263), closing out the regular season.

Individual Achievements and Medalists

Female Medal Winners

• Gabby Wright (Waterloo, WI): 1st Place Female – 97
  
  

• Abbie Hill (Ames, IA): 1st Place Female – 45; multiple 3rd place finishes
  
  

• Lydia Covert (Lakewood, NY): 2nd Place Female – 96, 44, and 3rd Place – 95
  
  

• Ella Audorff (New Auburn, WI): 3rd Place – 43
  
  

Gabby Wright led the team in consistency throughout the season, earning 1st Place Female honors in four consecutive events.

Male Medal Winners

• Mason Goche (Bettendorf, IA): 1st Place Male – 49, 99; 2nd Place – 95
  
  

• Cole Slabaugh (Uniontown, OH): 1st Place Male – 99, 97, 87
  
  

• Nic Brase (Plainfield, IA): 3rd Place Male – 46, 98
  
  

• Elliott Brincks (Washburn, IA): 3rd Place Male – 98
  
  

• Ethan Tlusty (Cresco, IA): 3rd Place Male – 98
  
  

• Hunter Grothaus (Laurens, IA): 3rd Place Male – 46
  
  

• Lucas Kentopp (Kelley, IA): 2nd Place – 48
  
  

• Landan Carson (Huxley, IA): 2nd Place Male – 86
  
  

• Cole Cross (Colwell, IA): 3rd Place – 94
  
  

Many individual podiums were decided by shoot-offs, underscoring the competitive strength within the RedTails roster.

Straight Patch Recognition

A number of RedTails shooters earned 25- and 50-Straight Patches, recognizing their ability to hit consecutive targets without a miss:

50-Straight Patches:

• Nick Brase
  
  

• Mason Goche
  
  

• Lucas Kentopp
  
  

• Cole Slabaugh
  
  

• Ethan Tlusty
  
  

• Gabby Wright
  
  

25-Straight Patches:

• Elliott Brincks
  
  

• Carter Burkhardt
  
  

• Lydia Covert
  
  

• Abbie Hill
  
  

• Avery Schoeck
  
  

• Gavin Smead
  
  

• Lucas Kentopp
  
  

• Reed Peters
  
  

Coaching Perspective and Season Outlook

Coach Emley consistently praised the team's adaptability and performance under different conditions and backgrounds, stating, "We did well today, on the road; we had some pretty interesting targets to break. Our team depth won the day for us today."

Reflecting on the final stretch of the regular season, he added, "We encountered an Indian Hills team very familiar with the facilities for our competition. We need to continue to understand what the target is actually doing and how best to break some clay. This is a great finish to the regular season - undefeated in both trap and skeet."

With strong showings across every competition, the RedTails head into the ICCAC Conference and Iowa SCTP State Championships with confidence, depth, and momentum.

Go RedTails!