They pulled off an amazing feat at the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) College Nationals this March.
I assumed their team had won some sort of bullseye match using air pistols or .22s.
Boy, was I wrong!
The pistol team proudly represented Hillsdale College and Springfield Armory at Nationals and looks forward to the competitions next year. Image: John Brooks/Hillsdale College
Wait til you read this story.
She genuinely enjoyed her time there and benefitted greatly from it.
Yet, there is even more to Hillsdale than I originally thought.
The Hillsdale College Shooting Center is an exceptional training facility. Image: John Brooks/Hillsdale College
Originally from Montana, Dr. Steele is not your average economics professor.
Dr. Steele is himself a USPSA competitive shooter and handgun enthusiast.
At the heart of the team is coach Adam Burlew.
The team trained hard through rain, sleet and snow to compete and take first place in Talladega. Image: John Brooks/Hillsdale College
Coach Burlew is an experienced law enforcement officer and Hillsdale Campus Security Officer.
As I watched Coach Burlew work with Greg, a big smile broke out on my face.
Here at Hillsdale, no one thinks a thing of it.
The heart of the team is Coach Adam Burlew. Image: John Brooks/Hillsdale College
He had months, instead of years, to bring this group up to national championship performance.
This, in turn, is what makes their performance even more amazing.
Only three out of the 10 team members would have been considered serious shooters before they joined the team.
Team member Greg Clement trains with his Springfield XD-M Elite pistol. Image: John Brooks/Hillsdale College
The team members ranged from sophomore to senior classmen, and three of the members are military veterans.
How They Did
The group of 10 was divided by skill into an A and B teams.
Targets used for Action Shooting are stationary round- and square-steel plates set at varying distances and patterns.
Hillsdale College proudly brought home medals in four different categories from Nationals, including 1st Place in the 1911 Division. Image: John Brooks/Hillsdale College
The team did exceptionally well, and against some very stiff competition.
The B squad won 3rdplace nationally in the 1911 Pistol Division.
Individually, Greg Clement placed 1stin the 1911 Division and 3rdin the Centerfire Division for male shooters.
Sarah Wagoner secured second place in the 1911 Division for Female Shooters. Image: John Brooks/Hillsdale College
Sarah Wagoner placed 2ndin the 1911 Division for Female Shooters.
And they are working on improving even more for next year!
I was lucky enough to have lunch with the team.
Freshman and novice shooter Taylor Chen competed well in an individual category at Nationals. Image: John Brooks/Hillsdale College
Their camaraderie was wonderful.
They exchanged ideas and suggestions about fitness particularly weightlifting and diet to improve performance even more in competitions.
They also discussed their shooting regimen with Coach Burlew.
Veteran and Sophomore Zech Steiger competed well on the “A” Team for the 1911 and Centerfire Divisions. Image: John Brooks/Hillsdale College
During lunch, there was also a lot of good-natured ribbing as part of the conversation.
It was obvious they had a lot of respect for her.
At the end of lunch, I was introduced to Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn.
He was very proud of the Action Shooting Teams accomplishments, and the college as a whole.
His ongoing support is critically important for future development and progress of the team.
It was a refreshing attitude, indeed.
One other thing I want to mention is the truly world-class shooting range located at Hillsdale.
Public memberships are available.
It truly is a world-class facility.
In Closing
What a wonderful experience it was to spend two days at Hillsdale.
I want to thank everyone who assisted me and answered my questions.
Congratulations again to Coach Adam Burlew, Dr. Charles Steele and Hillsdale President Larry Arnn.
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