The Upper Iowa shotgun sports team returned to Iowa this past weekend to compete in the Simpson Shootout.  The event was hosted by Simpson College at the New Pioneer Gun Club in Waukee, Iowa and featured teams from eight different schools.
 
Each competitor shot 100 targets in three different disciplines and 50 targets in another over the course of two days with the top five scores counting towards the team's overall score.  The teams shot trap and sporting clays on Saturday before shooting skeet and super sporting clays on Sunday.
 
UIU finished in 5^th place, breaking a total of 1,366 targets.  William Penn University finished with the highest overall score at 1,547 and were followed by Concordia University (1,517) and Simpson College (1,445).
 
On Saturday, the Peacocks as a team hit 445/500 targets shooting trap.  Individually, Angelina Monfrey led the way with a score of 92/100.  She was followed by Luke Recker (91/100), as well as Connor Gittings and Lucas Riberich, who each scored 89/100.
 
In sporting clays, UIU finished with a total score of 261/500.  Monfrey led the team again with a score of 57/100 and was followed by Gittings (56/100), as well as Colton Heintz-Kuderer and Quinn Schuppner (52/100).
 
On Sunday, the Peacocks bounced back hitting a total of 463/500 targets in skeet.  Monfrey finished with her highest total in any discipline at 95/100.  She was followed by Gittings and Heintz-Kuderer, who each finished with a score of 93/100.
 
In super sporting clays, having broken a total of 44/50 targets, Gittings entered a seven person shoot-off to determine 3^rd place overall.  Gittings successfully broke both of his targets in order to take 3^rd place.  As a team, UIU finished with a score of 197/250.
 
"The team used the previous two competitions as momentum going into this past weekend," said Head Coach Reba Kingsley.  "At practice, our student-athletes were able to reflect on their performances and dial in on areas they wanted to work on.  As a young team, there has been a lot of growth that has happened so far and potential to keep rising."
 
Up next, the UIU shotgun sports team plan to compete at the Midway USA Foundation Day of Clays event in Tekamah, Nebraska on April 10th.