VALLEY CITY – The Valley City State University Shooting Sports team kicked off its 2026 season at the North Dakota Fall Collegiate Championship Shoot on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Bismarck. The team brought home several top finishes.
Gretchen Deaver swept the ladies divisions. The sophomore took first place in Ladies Singles with a score of 96/100, first in Ladies Handicap with 46/50, and first in Ladies Doubles with 45/50. Deaver also earned High Female Overall with a combined score of 187/200.
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In Men’s Singles, senior Kasey Odegaard tied for first with a 96/100 before finishing second following a shoot-off, where he scored 22/25. Junior Ty Awender also earned a first-place finish in Men’s Handicap with a score of 47/50.
Junior Cali Steffan added two runner-up finishes for the team. Steffan placed second in Ladies Handicap with a 45/50 and tied for second in Ladies Doubles with a 40/50. Steffan then secured second place in the doubles shoot-off with a score of 19/20.
“Overall, this was an encouraging start to the season,” VCSU coach Nick Galt said. “While there is still plenty of room to improve, the team showed strong potential in Bismarck and is looking forward to buil...