Central Community College in Nebraska introduces clay target shooting for 2024-25 season

A Nebraska community college will soon be welcoming the addition of shooting sports.

According to Central Community College (CCC), they will be adding clay target shooting as a sport at its Hastings Campus.

Sanctioned by the National Junior College Athletic Association, this new program is set to kick off its competitive journey in the 2024-25 academic year.

CCC said that the introduction of clay target-shooting complements existing nontraditional sports at CCC, such as esports, which has already made its mark within the college over the past two years.

According to Mary Young, director of athletics at CCC, the addition of clay target-shooting sports presents an exciting opportunity to attract a fresh cohort of student-athletes.

“The addition of clay target-shooting sports to CCC’s athletic program is an exciting opportunity to engage a new group of student-athletes and potentially enhance persistence, retention and recruitment,” said Young. “We believe that by embracing nontraditional sports, we can enhance the overall student experience and further establish CCC as a leader in collegiate athletics.”

For the inaugural year, CCC aims to assemble a squad comprising 10 student-athletes, organized into two teams of five each.

The program envisions expanding to a maximum of 16 scholarship members by the second or third year, offering walk-on opportunities for aspiring participants.

The Hastings Campus will serve as the hub for the team, with governance overseen by the athletic offices at the Columbus Campus. To oversee the clay target-shooting sports program, CCC is in the process of recruiting a full-time credentialed shooting sports coach.

The recruitment process is set to finalize in late spring or early summer this year.

For more information about CCC’s clay target-shooting sports program, please contact athletic director Mary Young at myoung@cccneb.edu or 402-562-1492.