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This web page is hosted by the Sheboygan County High School Trapshooting League. It is meant to be a source of information and services for all Sheboygan County trapshooters. As this page develops we intend to offer local trapshooters an opportunity to not only follow the progress of the High School teams, but also many of the adult leagues being conducted in the county. If your trap league is not on-line with us, please encourage your league secretary to register with us. Retail advertisements, a classified ad page, links to other web pages of interest to trapshooters, and up coming trapshooting events will all become available as the year progresses. Book mark this page as one of your “favorites”, so that you wont miss a thing. Constructive comments are always welcome.
The Sheboygan County Trapshooting League began when a team of Sheboygan County High School trapshooters participated in the first annual State High School Team Trapshooting Championships, held at the Mayville Gun Club, in May of 1975. This team was a composite team with individual members coming from several county high schools. The team finished in second place that day, and the seed for the program's development was sown.
Participating on that team in 1975, and again in 1976, was a young shooter from Sheboygan South High School by the name of Bill Lorenz. In 1977, through Bill's urging, a round robin league was started. This league consisted of teams from four local high schools who met on Saturday mornings to compete against each other. Two other “graduates” of the program, John Gordon and “Skeeter” Wirtz, also played and continue to play important roles in the management of the league. The culmination of the league is always scheduled to coincide with the annual State High School Team Championships, at Mayville. As the league received more publicity and the skills of the shooters increased, more and more students showed an interest in participating in the league.
Sheboygan County has long been recognized as an area where shooting sports are a favored source of recreation for many of its residents. The sportsmen of Sheboygan County are supported by a Conservation Association comprised of more than thirty clubs who pledge to promote conservation, the wise use of natural resources, the acquisition of land for recreational purposes, and the outdoor education of Sheboygan County youth. The Sheboygan County Conservation Association and its individual member clubs have received many state and national awards for their efforts. As the High School program developed, it received the support of many of these clubs. Clubs provide facilities and workers at a reduced price to keep the cost affordable to the high school shooters. There is also an advisory board, league officers, team captains and most importantly...league rules.
From its humble beginnings, the League has evolved into a program that involves approximately 150 young trapshooters, representing eight to ten Sheboygan County high schools, annually. Schools with enrollments of 300 students compete equally with schools that have more than 1,500. Some teams may have only five shooters and some may have as many as thirty. All team members participate each week. The top five scores from each school represent the team score. The team score is then put up against the team score of that weeks opponent. For the annual State High School Team Shoot each high school forms its shooters into five man teams based on the scores each individual shot throughout the season. Depending upon the number of shooters from each school, some schools could have six teams and another school may have only one. Any individual that is not on a school team, may still shoot as an individual or they can be placed on a composite team and shoot in a separate “open” class.
Over the past twenty-five years, Sheboygan County high school trapshooters have dominated at the State High School Team Championships. There have been many team and individual class winners as well as Boys and Girls State Champions. Shooters from this league have won numerous awards at the Wisconsin State Trapshooting Championships as well as several national championships. Many graduates of this program continue to participate in local trapshooting leagues. We have actually reached the point that the children of early league participants are now competing in the league.
The Sheboygan County High School Trapshooting program continues to emphasize safe gun handling, responsible recreational shooting, and accountability for your actions. The same benefits that are promoted for interscholastic sports are offered in this program as well. Team concepts, camaraderie, and self esteem are a valued end product for all participants.