Dickinson State adds Shooting Sports team

Dickinson State University (DSU) announced the addition of trap shooting to the arsenal of athletic offerings earlier this week. The new co-ed program becomes the 20th athletic offering at DSU and will begin to compete in fall 2023.

“I’ve been a competitive shooter for almost 20 years and love the discipline and mental aspect of the sport,” stated Rus Kiser, DSU’s shooting sports head coach.. “Competitive shooting is often a personal competition, where a mental error or loss of focus can send you to the bottom of the list. There are some physical aspects of course, but the athlete that can focus and tune out the world will score high and get the medals.”

The new club will join the USA College Clay Target League this Fall for its inaugural sports season. In addition, the league hosts more than 45,000 high school and collegiate student-athletes and is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. DSU will compete at the Dickinson Trap Club using a virtual format, where each week’s event is completed at the home range and scores are sent to the league.

“This decision reflects our ability to meet the needs of our region, a key component of our mission, as we serve a population of residents that have a strong and vibrant history with hunting and shooting sports,” stated Steve Easton, DSU President. “Additionally, this decision is supported by our strategic plan, which emphasizes enrollment and retention. Providing a unique opportunity to attract new students to our region through club sports participation furthers our goal to maintain and grow our enrollment in a very competitive environment. We are excited to bring this new athletic offering to the DSU campus and community.”

If you would like to be a part of this new and growing sport, please contact Rus Kiser at rus.kiser@dickinsonstate.edu.

“Anyone and everyone is welcome to join our trap team,” continued Kiser. “Most clay shooters have never competed prior to joining a team but can be solid competitors in a few short months. We are excited to get this new program rolling and look forward to competing in the fall!”