News
Freshman Steffen gets MCC’s first perfect conference score
By Ryan Schlehuber, MCC Sportswriter
History was made this past week as a freshman earned the Montcalm Community College Centurions clay target team’s first perfect week of scoring in conference play.
Logen Steffen (Lowell, Mich.) shot a 50 in trap and a 48 in skeet during Week 3 of the USA Collegiate Clay Target League Friday, Oct. 10. The perfect 50 score in trap is the first time a Centurions shooter earned a perfect score during conference play in the three years the program has existed, according to MCC head coach Chris Henry.
Henry said sophomore Jack McBride (Portland, Mich.) has had several scores of 49 during conference play and has reached a perfect score in invitationals but had never hit 50 during conference play.
Steffen said it was all about being in his mental game.
“Having a calm mind when I shoot is definitely the biggest improvement for me while I have been on the team,” Steffen said. “It feels really good to know that I’m helping this team. I hope I can continue to do well for this team.”
Steffen is one of four freshmen on the team this year, with three sophomores.
After a couple weeks of cold shooting, Henry was impressed with his team’s shooting this week, as MCC continues to lead the conference in both trap and skeet.
“I feel really good going forward,” Henry said. “It seems they woke up a little this week. They’re starting to put it together. Like I said before, they’re learning at their own pace.”
Chase Merritt is currently fourth overall in the league’s fall skeet individual season average leaderboard with 23.17. Bethany Lutheran College’s Brock Mosher is first with an average of 25.00, followed by Illinois College’s Hannah Hopper (24.17) and Bethany Lutheran College’s Riley Bray (23.83).
Merritt likes that his mental game is coming together as the Centurions work toward their fourth week in conference play.
“I feel that I started off well,” Merritt said. “It’s down to just clearing my head and using what I know to get the score I want. With next week’s round, I just want to be the best I can be.”
Merritt likes that his team is trending up as MCC looks to finish out the next two weeks of conference play strong.
“As a team, we are all performing well together,” he said. “We all are working for one goal and that’s to be a team. In doing that, we all lift each other up when needed.”
McBride is ranked ninth in the fall trap individual season average, with a score of 24.50. Justin Jerome of Alfred State College (NY) leads with a perfect average of 25.00.
WEEK THREE CONFERENCE TRAP SCORING RESULTS
NAME RD 1 RD 2 TOTAL
Logen Steffen 25 25 50
Liam Jensen 24 23 49
Jack McBride 24 25 49
Chase Merritt 24 24 48
Hunter Doolittle 23 23 46
Evan Plonka 24 21 45
Collin Sutton 20 21 41
WEEK THREE CONFERENCE SKEET SCORING RESULTS
NAME RD 1 RD 2 TOTAL
Logen Steffen 25 23 48
Chase Merritt 23 23 46
Evan Plonka 22 23 45
Jack McBride 23 22 45
Liam Jensen 21 21 42
Hunter Doolittle 23 19 42
Collin Sutton 22 19 41
FALL TRAP OVERALL STANDINGS
Class 1A – Conference 2
TEAM WK 3 TOTAL
- Montcalm 133.50 375.50
- Concordia 128.50 354.00
- Ferris St. 98.00 329.50
- Mid Michigan 98.00 320.50
- St. Cloud 92.00 234.50
- Fort Hays Tech 44.50 149.00
- Indian Wesleyan 35.50 127.00
FALL SKEET OVERALL STANDINGS
Class 1A – Conference 1
TEAM WK 3 TOTAL
- Montcalm 125.50 369.50
- Illinois College 77.50 288.50
- St. Johns 84.50 261.50
- Butler C.C. 78.50 203.50
- Lake Region St. 69.00 176.50
- Black River Tech 30.00 95.50