Newark, DE / Oxford, PA - The Washington College Trap and Skeet Team (WCTS) competed in the University of Delaware Kovaleski Memorial, formally known as the Blue Hen Classic, February 28-March 1, 2026. There were 36 athletes representing 3 colleges and universities in attendance. Teams in attendance represented Washington College, University of Delaware, and Virginia Tech. Individuals were scored out of 250 and teams were scored out of 1250 targets.
WCTS athletes competed in sub-events that consisted of 50 American Skeet, 50 Singles Trap, 50 Doubles Trap, and 100 Sporting Clays targets. Each athlete was scored individually in sub-event and High Overall (HOA). Team scores were made up of the top 5 scores in each sub-event which were then compiled into the team HOA score.
Saturday morning began in Newark, DE at Wilmington Trapshooting Association for the trap and skeet events. Before the event, participants took time to remember John Kovaleski who passed away suddenly in May of 2025 just before he was to graduate from the University of Delaware. John was a friend of WCTS and has been missed this season. Athletes were able to hear remarks from John's parents and a representative of "Sean's House" a 24/7 mental health safe haven dedicated to supporting and improving mental health and wellbeing of the youth surrounding the University of Delaware campus. WCTS encourages everyone who may be struggling with mental health to please seek help, you are not alone and the world is a better place with you in it.
WCTS started the day with skeet and were led by Sophomore Trice Moore '28, who smashed 47/50 landing him in a three way tie at the top of the leaderboard. After the afternoon shoot offs Moore took 1st going +4 to VT's Nick Crawford +3 and Delaware's Everett Moser +2. Gracie Heintzelman '28, Jeffrey Paes '29, and David Daniels '29 all broke 45/50 with Captain Christopher Johnson '26 rounding out the top 5 scores breaking 43/50. Virginia Tech (226) managed to edge out WCTS (225) by one target for the Team Skeet Award.
Doubles Trap was the second event of the day where Heintzelman posted 42/50 enough to win the event outright. Moore and Johnson both added 39/50 to the team count while Daniels (37/50) and Colin Krug '26 (30/50) contributed the last two scores to give WCTS a team score of 187/250 finishing 5 targets below Virginia Tech, again in the 2nd place slot.
WCTS finished the day with American Trap and was again led by Moore who took 2nd with a lone 46/50. Heintzelman and Paes found themselves in a shoot off with Virginia Tech's Crawford after they all broke 45s in the event. After one bonus round it was Paes claiming the 3rd place finish with +24 followed closely by Heintzelman + 22 and Crawford +21. Krug went 43/50 and Johnson broke 41 out of 50 giving WCTS 220/250 for the event and a first place event finish.
Sunday brought the final event of the tournament, Sporting Clays, at Oxford Gun Club in Oxford, PA. WCTS athletes took to the woods and fields and when the dust settled Moore had crushed 82/100 walking away with the 1st place finish. Krug who broke a solid 78/100 claimed 3rd place honors. Daniels (71/100), Paes (69/100), and Johnson (67/100) rounded out the top five providing the final team score of 367/500 allowing WCTS to claim another 1st place team win.
Athletes were scored out of the 250 targets and ranked for individual HOA awards. Unlike ACUI events there were no separate categories for men's & women's HOA. Final placements for the WCTS were, Moore 1st (214), Heintzelman 3rd (197), Krug 5th (193), Daniels 5th (193), Johnson 8th (190), and Paes 12th (181).
WCTS broke 999 out of 1250 finishing 1st place out of the 3 participating colleges. Virginia Tech took 2nd with 978, while University of Delaware finished 3rd with 950.
Up next:
WCTS will compete in the ACUI/SCTP National Championships in San Antonio, TX March 15-21. This will be the final event of the season.
