Statesmen Win Inaugural Heart Title

Lenexa, Kan.--The William Penn shotgun sports team topped all three disciplines en route to being the first program to grab a league title as it competed at the inaugural Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship Saturday and Sunday.

WPU was first out of seven squads at Powder Creek Shooting Park with a score of 1,416-for-1,500.  Midland took the runner-up spot at 1,389-for-1,500.

The competition featured 100 targets each in the disciplines of Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clays.

The entire field struggled in Trap, but the navy and gold had the least issues, posting a winning score of 464-for-500.

Lund paced all shooters at 96-for-100, while the duo of Trenton Hol (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Industrial Technology) and Mason Ward (Grad., Twin Falls, Idaho, Master's of Organizational Leadership) were both at 94-for-100.  Trenton Giese (So., Muskego, Wis., Mechanical Engineering), Connor Gittings (Sr., Kansas City, Mo., Biology), and Brianna Thompson (Sr., Campbellsport, Wis., Psychology) all scored for the Statesmen as well at 91-for-100.

William Penn ramped up its execution in Skeet with a winning score of 493-for-500, including a perfect 100-for-100 from Giese.

Nikolle Kussatz (Jr., Leighton, Iowa, Biology) and Emily Sjoberg (So., Citrus Heights, Calif., Business Management) were one shot off the discipline crown at 99-for-100, while Nathan Roberts (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering) finished at 98-for-100.  Brandon Nord (Sr., Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., New Media) got on the scoring list as well at 97-for-100.

Kussatz won the Female Skeet title in a shoot-off.

Already with a healthy lead entering Sunday, the Statesmen added even more distance between themselves and the rest of the field by winning Sporting Clays with a score of 459-for-500.

Giese and Adison Sholes (Jr., Indianola, Iowa, Public Accounting) topped the field at 94-for-100; Sholes took the victory in a shoot-off.

Cade Bowie (Sr., Benton, Ark., Business Management) posted a score of 92-for-100, while Wyatt Kresser (Jr., Independence, Iowa, Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management) managed to go 90-for-100.  Ian Darragh (Fr., Eagle, Idaho, Business Management) finished at 89-for-100 to wrap up William Penn's scoring.

With a score of 285-for-300, Giese earned the High Overall Athlete title, while Olivia Simmons of Missouri Valley) (261-for-300) was the Female HOA winner.

Postseason awards were also awarded at the Championship.  Giese was tabbed as the Heart's Male Shooter of the Year, while Hol garnered the Male Freshman of the Year accolade.

Female Shooter of the Year honors went to Sarah Sjoberg (Midland), while her teammate Whitney Wiseman collected the Female Freshman of the Year award.

Charlie Mundy of Grand View was named the league's Coach of the Year by his peers.

To view the complete Heart awards, click HERE  https://www.heartofamericaconference.com/sports/sportshoot/2025-26/releases/20260308lxtl77