Shooting club grows in numbers

“We’ve created a monster,” said Greg Bacon about the shooting sport club, which was started on Pratt Community College’s campus three years ago.

Since starting, the program has went from having five students and attending one shoot, to now having a class, along with the club, which has 39 members. Throughout the year the club will attend five shoots in Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.

“We have a very diverse group of young shooters,” said Kurt Brehm, co-founder with Bacon. “We try to give everyone in the club a chance to go to one show, which doesn’t always make us look as good as we are, but we have a lot of very good shooters and a lot who are improving.”

The team has traveled to four competitions already and the top six students will be headed to San Antonio the beginning of April for nationals.

“I think we should do well,” Brehm said. “I feel we should be able to place in the top two in a couple of the events.”

Along with going to shoots, the club is also involved in many community events.

The club will be helping at the Pratt Gun Show on March 24-25 and with the Friends of the NRA benefit banquet on March 31, both at the Pratt fairgrounds.

“It is important that we are involved because the community is very supportive and we need to help by giving back when we can,” Bacon said.

This year the club will also be helping with Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever.