Tilken Fruhwirth, Tate Isaacson, Ian Lee, Ben Furth and Isaac Beranek competed against 234 other teams and 1,800 individuals during the three-day competition. As a team, the group placed 185th as a team. Two individuals — Fruhwirth and Isaacson, both seniors — managed to advance pas the first day of the individual competition to secure a top-400 position. On that second day, Fruhwirth hit 98 out of 100 targets and Isaacson hit 97 targets to place 122nd and 290th, respectively, in the nation.

“I think it means that most people from around here can do a lot more than what they think,” Fruhwirth said. “We have never really had a really good shooter come out of New Ulm. We never had this experience except for last year as a team going out there, and I feel like Trap Shooting is the biggest sport now in Minnesota. It just keeps pushing people to come out and shoot more and get more involved with it. I think just placing out there shows it’s anyone’s game and they can come out and do it whenever.”

During that second round, Fruhwirth hit 50 shots consecutively, while Isaacson hit 25 consecutive shots.

“Me and Tilken we always do well under pressure for some reason,” Isaacson said. “That’s when we do the best. At state and nationals, we always do good … It’s kind of crazy, just thinking you’re top [400] in the nation. It’s kind of mind-blowing for me. Thinking, ‘I’m actually pretty good at this.’ I should have practiced more. I practice once a week, but if I practiced more, I could have been a little better. But still, really good.”

Submitted photo/information From left to right, New Ulm’s Ian Lee, Isaac Beraneck, Tilken Fruhwirth, Tate Isaacson and Ben Furth competed in the USA High School Clay Target League National Championships this past weekend.

New Ulm also attended last year’s national meet, with Fruhwirth and Isaacson both returning this year.

“You go up there to have a pretty good time,” Fruhwirth said. “You go to compete with some of your good friends and have fun doing it, and you get to experience something that most people will probably never get to experience.”

Isaacson said that meeting people with similar interests from all over the United States was something special out the national meet.

“It was fun,” he said. “Our team was all my buddies, so it was really fun. Then we met some Illinois people last year, and they were there again this year. That was kind of cool to meet them again … It’s very cool. Just talking to people in the singles group, it’s like, I never knew I would be talking to them.”

For the pair of seniors, this was a strong ending to their high school trap shooting career.

“It means a lot,” Fruhwirth said. “I would say trap shooting is my favorite sport. I shot it my whole life, I’ve shot guns my whole life, I love shooting. I ended where I wanted to be. I wish I could have been higher, but I really like where I ended. I gave it my all to place up here. That’s all I wanted, was to come out and make second day and compete with some of the highest people in the U.S.”

“It feels amazing,” Isaacson added. “Knowing that this was our last time ever shooting together as a team. It’s just cool that that was my final sendoff.”