Teamwork Targets Confidence for Shotgun Sports Atheletes

Eastern Oregon University’s Shotgun Sports team not only showed up in Las Vegas, Nev., but were on target. 

Facing much larger programs such as Arizona State, Colorado State, and Boise State, the Mountaineers captured two team titles and 19 medals at this year’s West Coast Championship. Their performance exemplified what happens when athletes put the team first.

“We didn’t just compete as individuals,” said sophomore Clayton Dill. “We competed for each other.”

That spirit drove them through six events—trap, skeet, and sporting clays, doubles trap, doubles skeet, and super sporting—and six intense shoot‑offs, five of which the Mountaineers won. Every time an EOU shooter stepped to the line, teammates gathered behind them, offering encouragement, quiet focus, and a reminder that no one stood alone on the range.

Rising to the Moment

The championship weekend marked the high point of a season defined by grit and growth. Eli Tolfesson, an online student from Ohio, clinched the overall men’s title, and freshman Ashley Huff finished second overall in the women’s division. Savannah Shorts won the women’s sporting‑clays event, and her sister, Makenna Shorts, took first in women’s trap.

“Our team went down to Las Vegas and showed up in every event,” said head coach John Shorts. “We won first place in trap as a team and swept the podium in men’s trap with first, second, and third.”

Coach Shorts leads both the EOU and the La Grande High School squads and has daughters on both teams.

Coaching from Within

Unlike other sports, shotgun competition requires coaches to step back once shooting begins. On the range, athletes coach one another. A shaky stance or a mistimed shot doesn’t go unnoticed; it gets corrected by a teammate.

“If someone’s struggling, we step in,” said sophomore Makenna Shorts, now a veteran leader.     “We know each other’s rhythms. We coach each other mid‑competition. That’s what makes this team special.”

Scoring works like track and field: officials add the top individual scores to determine the team ranking. That format raises the stakes for every shooter and deepens everyone’s sense of shared responsibility

A Bridge to the Past

Long before the Mountaineers captured medals in Las Vegas, Jim Cash was stepping up to the line at competitions across the Pacific Northwest.

A 1971 graduate of EOU and La Grande native, Cash joined the college’s rifle team in the 1960s, coaching teammates in gun safety and marksmanship before leaving to serve in the U.S. Air Force. He returned to EOU as a student under the GI Bill and rejoined the rifle team.

“When you’re competing, you’re under a lot of pressure,” Cash said. “You learn how to breathe, not get into a hurry. It teaches you to relax and focus.”

Cash remembers the rifle range on campus fondly, recalling weekend practices and matches in La Grande. Though he no longer shoots, his memories of the rifle team and the values it instilled have stayed with him.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “I think about the rifle club at Eastern all the time.”

Beyond the Range

For today’s athletes, shooting is more than a sport; it’s a mindset. They talk about it as a way to build discipline, stay focused, and manage pressure, both on and off the range.

“Shooting is a mental game,” said freshman Nick McLaughlin. “You learn to keep your nerves in check and trust your training. That carries over into the classroom, especially during tests or presentations.”

Being part of a team like Shotgun Sports builds confidence in subtle ways. Members of the team agree that the same focus they bring to competition helps them feel prepared for everyday challenges—whether that’s public speaking, managing classes, or stepping into leadership roles.

Research backs that up. A University of Kansas study found that student-athletes tend to have better attendance, higher graduation rates, and a lower risk of dropping out compared to their

non-athlete peers. Feeling connected to a team and part of something bigger than yourself can make a real difference. At EOU, being part of this team teaches commitment, time management, and accountability.

“That pushes me to stay on top of my schoolwork and balance practice, classes, and everything else,” McLaughlin said. 

Eyes on Nationals

With the West Coast title behind them, the Mountaineers now set their sights on the ACUI National Championships in San Antonio, Texas, where more than 100 teams and 1,000 shooters will compete.

Win or lose, they’ll carry something more valuable than medals: trust, focus, and the quiet confidence that comes from knowing they never face challenges alone.

“We know what we’re capable of,” Coach Shorts said. “Now it’s time to prove it—on the range and in the classroom.”