Hutton places first in ISHS state sporting clays tournament; team finishes second

By Editor | June 25, 2025 |

Dalton Hutton, State Champion/High Overall at the Illinois State High School (ISHS) state sporting clays state tournament at Brighton’s Nilo Farms on Saturday, June 14. (Submitted photo)

Left to right: West Central shooting sports team participants Dalton Hutton, Evan Weder, Jake Morris, Trey Drake, and Will Mason. (Submitted photo)

Left to right: West Central shooting sports Coach Nicole Mason, Coach Scott Mason, Brendon Lovekamp, Grady Mueller, Trey Drake, London Adams, Dalton Hutton, Evan Weder, Jake Morris, Will Mason, Coach Dave Hutton, Coach Avery Maul. (Submitted photo)

By DAVID CAMPHOUSE

The West Central shooting sports team competed at the Illinois State High School (ISHS) state sporting clays state tournament at Brighton’s Nilo Farms on Saturday, June 14.
The team finished the tournament 2nd Place Overall.
Dalton Hutton finished 1st Place Varsity, and he was the State Champion/High Overall. Hutton had previously been the state champion in the same competition in 2023.
Other West Central shooting sports team competitors fared well at the event, as well. Evan Weder finished 3rd Place Varsity. Jake Morris finished 2nd Place JV.
More than a half dozen high school teams, featuring approximately 40 student athletes, participated at the Illinois Sporting Clays State Tournament.
To participate in the team competition a team required a minimum of five student athletes. All student athletes were eligible for the individual competition.
During the sporting clays state tournament, athletes competed in their respective classifications (Novice, Junior Varsity, and Varsity) based on their Spring season-ending average. Each team used their top five athlete scores regardless of their designated classification for the team competition. An athlete’s 100-target score was used for both individual and team competitions.
In addition to doing well at the state clay target competition this month, the team as a whole performed well throughout the shooting season. The team placed 2nd Place in the Conference for the Spring Season.
ISHS clay target competition falls under the auspices of the USA Clay Target League. According to the USA Clay Target League website, over 54,000 participating athletes competed during the 2024-25 school year, and the non-profit USA Clay Target League is America’s largest clay target shooting organization. The League offers trap, skeet, sporting clays, and 5-stand leagues to secondary and postsecondary schools across the country.
Also according to the USA Clay Target League’s website, the league is the only 100% school-approved clay target shooting sport program in America. Every team must have school approval to participate. Most participating schools have lettering programs as well as yearbook inclusion for the teams. In addition, tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships are provided to qualifying seniors by the League and post-secondary institutions each year.
One reason for the rising popularity of shooting sports is the co-ed and adaptive nature of the sport. The sport is fully Title IX compliant with both male and female athletes competing on the same team, and it’s an ‘adaptive’ sport, which allows students with physical disabilities to take part.
Each athlete that competes in shooting sports under the USA Clay Target League must complete firearm safety certification before participation.
Visit http://usaclaytarget.com for more information.