Jacksonville University's Varsity Shooting Team continued one of the most decorated stretches in program history this summer, adding national championships and top-three finishes at the SCTP National Championships in Marengo, Ohio.
One of the largest shooting sports competitions in the country, the championships drew approximately 4,500 competitors across nine clay disciplines. Dolphin athletes excelled in the collegiate division, claiming High Overall National Championship titles in American Trap Singles and American Handicap Trap, runner-up honors in International Bunker Trap and third-place finishes in American Trap Doubles and Super Sporting Clays.
Individual performances added to the success. Samantha McInteer won national titles in American Trap Singles and American Handicap Trap, while Matt Smith earned runner-up honors and Tyler Manwarren placed third in the men's American Handicap Trap event. The results added to a successful spring season in which JU placed fourth overall at the ACUI National Collegiate Championships in San Antonio. Lola Fitzgerald, McInteer, Brooke Stefano, Zoie Clark, Jersi McGregor, Samuel Abel, Iver Gustafson, David Abel and Bayley Eddy also claimed individual national titles across several disciplines and divisions.
“Our athletes are some of the hardest working and most decorated on JU’s campus,” said David Dobson, executive director, founder and head coach. “This team is led, organized and voted on by its members under our tutelage. Their dedication to the sport is shown in their continually impressive results and most importantly, in the many ways they show up for each other at practice, on the field of competition and in the classroom. They are exceptional, and I am beyond proud of them.”
The team’s accomplishments extend beyond domestic competition. Sophomore and team captain Kaleb Horinek, the 2026 U.S. National Champion in Olympic Bunker Trap, and junior Max Hatfield, the runner-up U.S. National Champion, recently represented Team USA in Italy. Their selection continues a long tradition of JU producing elite international competitors, with 10 current team members holding spots on the USA Shooting Team.
“Representing Team USA and being one of the best junior shooters in the country is something I never take for granted, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that the JU shooting team has allowed me to be a part of,” said Hatfield. “I am extremely lucky to have such a supportive school, coach and team behind me.”
Since its founding, the JU Varsity Shooting Team has accumulated 44 national championship titles, 79 top-three national finishes and 29 individual national High Overall champions. The roster includes more than 70 student-athletes who maintain a team GPA of 3.3 or higher, with incoming freshmen averaging above 3.75.
