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Passion, Brilliance, and Athleticism
Purdue University’s Clay Target Team’s Quest to Be the Best
- Dr. Charles L Rhykerd
A Brief History of Purdue Trap and Skeet
Welcome to the story behind one of Purdue University’s best-kept secrets: the phenomenal accomplishments of its trap and skeet teams, the individuals who brought those stories to life, and the key moments that have shaped the club’s rich history.
Much of the history told below was recorded by Dr. Charles Rhykerd in his book Passion, Brilliance, and Athleticism—Purdue University’s Clay Target Team’s Quest to Be the Best. The information recorded after the book was published in 2009 was compiled by Nicholas Cochran and Dr. Shawn Ehlers in 2025.
1978
Purdue Trap and Skeet Club is Founded
In 1976-1977, some shotgun enthusiasts, led by Eric Schmidt, joined the Purdue Rifle and Pistol Club and arranged for club funds to be used for travel to collegiate trap and skeet matches. Obviously, the use of Rifle and Pistol funds for trap and skeet was not well received by the rifle and pistol team. However, by this time, there were enough shotgun enthusiasts to petition for a trap and skeet club.
On September 12, 1978, the Dean of Students Office officially recognized Purdue Trap and Skeet Club as a student organization, and Bernie Norfolk Jr was elected the first president.
Fall 1978 callout flyer (p3)
The First Competition
October 1978, the Purdue Trap and Skeet Club sent A and B teams to its first official collegiate match, which was held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
It is worth noting that this was the first official match. In April of that year, a team from Purdue competed at an invitational hosted by Ohio State University at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where they placed third out of five teams!
April 1978 - (L to R) Joe Dickson, Dale Canterbury, Eric Schmidt, Steve Strakis, Mike Renn, Bernie Norfolk Jr (kneeling) (p8)
April 1978 - Scores from the first ever Purdue Trap and Skeet competition (p8)
October 1978 - A Team (L to R) Dale Canterbury, Eric Schmidt, Bruce Young, Joe Dickson, Mike Renn (lying in front) (p13)
October 1978 - B Team (L to R) Mark Atwater, Bill Swift, Rick Berkemeier, Kevin Shufran, Lori Glaescher (seated in front) (p14)
1982
G. W. Haniford Trap and Skeet Range is Built
In 1981, Purdue Trap and Skeet, under the leadership of Jeff Eggleston, received a 99-year lease for $1 a year from Medusa Aggregate on some land in the gravel pits south of campus along South River Road for our shooting facility. In 1982, a combo trap and skeet field was constructed and named for George W Haniford, the Director of Club Sports at the time.
The facilities have slowly expanded over the nearly four and a half decades that Purdue Trap and Skeet has called this range home. To the east and west of the original combo range, an additional international skeet field and a trap field were constructed. Lights were also installed on the combo field, and a new, larger clubhouse was built.
April 1984 - G. W. Haniford Trap and Skeet Range during the Indiana University/Purdue University Spring Shoot (p22)
1983
First Big 10 Championship
Shortly after the range was constructed, we began to dominate smaller collegiate matches and started winning Midwest regional tournaments held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
As the team continued to improve, we won our first Big 10 Championship in 1983. We tied with Ohio State University in 1984, but lost the shoot-off. After that, we won again in 1985, which started an incredible string of 14 consecutive Big 10 Championships ending in 1999 when the competition was discontinued.
While the scores for this competition have been lost, we still have the Big Ten Clay Target Champions trophy pictured! It hangs on the clubhouse wall behind the desk to the right of the TV.
1983 Big 10 Champions - Back Row (L to R): Alan Schlegel, Mike Shaw, Mike Bezy, Mike Penn, and Andy Crozier; Front Row (L to R): Dick Ortman, Byron Tiede, and Chuck Rhykerd (Coach) (p25)
1985
First World Championship
This group won our first collegiate world championship at the Grand American, beating the College of Idaho by a mere three targets out of 1,000 with a score of 914! This was our trap team's first of 20 consecutive world championships at the Grand American.
A story for those of you who may have never shot before: Rob Rhykerd (176/200) had never shot a clay target before attending Purdue. His hard work, persistence, and grit took him to the world championships!
Scores:
Alan Schlegel: 194
Troy Sherrill: 183
Martha Schlegel: 182
Tony Sherrill: 179
Robert Rhykerd: 176
914/1000
1985 - ATA Collegiate World Championship (L to R) Tony Sherrill, Martha Schlegel, Rob Rhykerd, Alan Schlegel, Troy Sherrill, Coach Chuck Rhykerd (p148)
1991
A question from the submission:
What are the most prominent or evident reasons why your nominee should be given this award?
“In my opinion, speaking for the entire membership of the Purdue Trap & Skeet Club, Coach Charles Rhykerd deserves the recognition which this prestigious award would confer for a number of reasons:
He painstakingly nurtures ever club member towards improvement and excellence - irregardless of anyone’s specific potential to excel in competition.
He generates championship shooters consistently, often beginning with the raw material of a non-shooter.
He instills throughout the club membership a spirit of cooperation, maturity, and high moral standards.
He stresses by example the importance of personal integrity and hard work.
He serves as a constant role model for the hundreds of college students with whom he makes contact every year.
He accomplishes all of this in a quiet and humble manner, never seeking personal recognition for his many accomplishments.”
Dr. Chuck Rhykerd - National Shooting Coach of the Year
In 1991, club president Tim Palmer nominated Dr. Chuck Rhykred for the NRA College Coach of the Year award. He was the second collegiate trap & skeet coach ever to receive this prestigious award.
Dr. Chuck Rhykerd in 1991 (p36)
Dr. Chuck Rhykerd and Tony Colletti enjoy the moment as Tony has just won the American Skeet National Championship at the 1999 ACUI with a score of 100/100. (p67)
1993
Milestones
At the 1993 Grand American, Laura “Beano” Aasen was the first college student, male or female, to break 200 straight targets in this collegiate competition.
Kirby Woods, Tom Lobonc, Jr., Rankin Reinholt, and William Corbett were her teammates at this Grand. Together, they shot a score of 978/1000, winning Purdue’s ninth consecutive collegiate world championship and establishing a new record high score, breaking the previous record of 977 held by the 1990 Purdue team. In 1998, the Purdue squad established a collegiate record of 989/1000, which still stands as of 2008!
Scores:
Laura Aasen: 200
Tom Lobonc Jr.: 183
Kirby Woods: 182
Rankin Reinholt: 179
William Corbett: 176
978/1000
1993 - ATA Collegiate World Championship (L-R) Rankin Reinholt, Tom Lobonc Jr., Kirby Woods, Luara Aasen, William Corbett, Coach Chuck Rhykerd (p141)
1994
to
1999
Range Improvements
Over the years, the range has seen several expansions, upgrades, and improvements, many of which occurred in the late 1990s at the hands of Jan and Scott Bauer. Between 1994 and 1998, an additional trap field was constructed west of the combo field off the parking lot. This trap bunker is currently home to a MEC trap machine, hence the name, the MEC field. In 1999, our big green shed was installed, doubling the available storage space at the range, and later that year, a small brick patio was laid in front of our clubhouse.
The story goes that Jan laid the brick patio on Thanksgiving Day in 1999, then visited the Rhykerds to let them know, and ended up staying for Thanksgiving Dinner that night! Now, it is not uncommon to visit the range on a warm Friday evening to find that the Blackstone has been pulled out, and someone is grilling burgers on that very patio. Talk about a lasting effect!
Purdue Trap and Skeet Club as of May 2025
1997
Back-to-Back ACUI Champions
From 1996 through 2003, Purdue University won High-Over-All National Championship team at the ACUI Intercollegiate Clay Target Championships every year but one, and won a total of 70 ACUI team and individual national championships.
Letter from President Beering after winning the 1996 ACUI (p62)
Exponent article April 1997 (p59)
2003
Dr. Chuck Rhykerd Retires
Dr. Charles L. Rhykerd, Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University, served as faculty advisor and coach of the Purdue Trap and Skeet Club for nearly a quarter of a century. Under Coach Rhykerd’s guidance, Purdue University’s trap and skeet teams became the best collegiate trap and skeet team in the United States winning 142 national and world championships and had 17 team members named All-American. In 1985, Dr. Rhykerd was recognized nationally as “The Best of the Best of the Agriculture Professors” by North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, and in 1991, Coach Rhykerd was named “National Collegiate Shooting Coach of the Year”. It is a rare achievement that during a university professor’s career that he/she be named national professor of the year in his/her academic discipline and to also be named a national coach of the year of an intercollegiate sport.
Dr. Rhykerd also has the honor of being the recipient of the medallion award, the highest award given by the Agricultural University of Krakow in Poland and the University of Evora in Portugal in recognition of his outstanding contributions in teaching and research at these two historic European universities. Dr. Rhykerd was also heavily involved in agricultural research and development in Pakistan, Africa, and South and Central America. In retirement, he continued to be involved in cooperative agricultural research projects in Papua New Guinea and Swaziland while continuing to coach his daughter in International skeet.
Chuck Rhykerd passed away on October 11th, 2018, at the age of 89, surrounded by his family in Bloomington, Illinois. He is survived by his wife, Eileen Rhykerd of Bloomington; his children, Charles L. Rhykerd, Jr., Robert L. Rhykerd, and Linda M. Ferrence; and six grandchildren.
Coach Chuck Rhykerd 1994
2005
International Skeet Field Built
In the early 2000s, the range was expanded by constructing another skeet field, which was fitted with throwers capable of throwing International Skeet (faster and slightly harder targets). Bill Corbett was responsible for bringing in the fill and leveling the area, while Lou Schultz oversaw the completion of the field and installation of the skeet machines.
The last international targets were thrown in 2021, since this field has now been converted into 5-Stand to meet the growing demand for 5-Stand and Sporting Clays. The Beomat throwers on this field can still throw clays at international speeds after a recent refurbishment by Sam Dillon and Mason Coppersmith, but we do not stock any targets.
December 2023 - International Skeet Field
2009
Book Published
After Dr. Chuck Rhykerd retired in 2003, he began researching and writing a book recording the history of the Purdue Trap and Skeet Club from 1978 to 2009.
The book is split into five parts:
History of the Purdue Trap and Skeet Club
Heroes and Heroines of the Purdue Trap and Skeet Club
A Compendium of the 142 National and World Championships won by Purdue University
Coach Rhykerd’s Favorite Maxims and Poems
Where are they now?
Passion, Brilliance, and Athleticism was first published by AuthorHouse in 2009, and to our knowledge, has not been printed since then. If you want to persue the book yourself, Purdue Libraries has a copy available for rental, which some members occasionally check out and bring to the range. This webpage highlights some of the key moments from the book and is currently the only online option available.
We hope to offer an online option for everyone to read along with a physical copy at the range in the future.
If you or a family member has a story told in the book, please let us know! We love learning more about the history of our club and will happily record your story for future members of PTSC.
Cover of our history book: Passion, Brilliance, and Athleticism - Purdue University’s Clay Target Team’s Quest to Be the Best.
2012
Boiler Up, Bird Down!
In 2012 or 2013, a group of Purdue Trap and Skeet members from the AGR Fraternity were regular visitors to the range. One evening, these guys and some other PTSC members were at Harry’s Chocolate Shop, and Pete (one of the AGR members) held up his glass and called out, “Boiler Up! Bird Down!” and this phrase has been our slogan since then!
By October 2013, the phrase had appeared on Purdue Trap and Skeet T-shirts and has been featured on our merchandise since then. While Purdue no longer allows Boiler Up to appear with other phases or be modified, we can still print our merchandise with some modifications to the original designs.
Special thanks to Matthew Moser (2016), Nick Fleenor (2014), and Austin Coffel (2014) for this story
Logos of PTSC
2017 - 2024
2024 - present
2017
Lights Installed
Prior to 2017, our range could not be opened past sundown as we would quickly lose light and be unable to operate. In 2017, stadium lights were installed on either side of our clubhouse facing the original combo field. This allows us to remain open into the evening while throwing both trap and skeet targets.
Evening shooting game with improvised lights (It got the job done!)
Lights shortly after they were installed (July 2017)
to
2020
2022
COVID Shutdown?
No, Revival!
In 2020, COVID hit, and the board was mainly composed of older students who would be graduating shortly. This left a considerable knowledge gap but also meant that it was a great time to implement improvements. The group that stepped up to this challenge was Thomas Hill, Ethan Buck, Reed Glenn, Ben Shelton, James Shelton, Kaleb Rulon, Katie Buchholtz, and Dr. Shawn Ehlers.
This group implemented several changes to the club to bring it into the new decade. They:
Revamped the website and our approach to opening to the public.
Pre-COVID, there was no calendar or set days when the range would be open. A proper schedule was standardized and advertised.
Created the Competitive Team as we know it today. (top photo)
Formalized the tryout process and recruited two coaches (Jennifer Buck and Jerry DeHondt) to bring a more “professional” team experience.
Certified the range on ATA standards and started hosting ATA events. (bottom photo)
Added the ATA Director position to the board.
Switched the International Skeet field to American Skeet and then began experimenting with 5-Stand.
Finished off the remaining stock of international targets, then converted to American Skeet in 2021. First experimented with 5-Stand in 2022.
Restored the PAT trap on the combo field with assistance from Don Barker with the Indiana Trapshooting Association.
A sump pump was also installed as this trap house would regularly flood.
Built the tan storage shed.
Special thanks to Tom Antczak Jr for donating the gravel and Evan Sexton for helping construct the shed and doing gravel work for the range.
Also made several internal changes.
Revamped accounting system, reorganized all club guns and rental system, and created a new ammo and target ordering process.
Special thanks to Ethan Buck (2024) for this information
November 6th 2021 - Tippie Valley Singles Championships at Fulton County Gun Club - Standing (L to R): Nicholas Cochran, Cameron Sammarco, Tom Hockenberry, Brennan Kind, Adrien Marnat, Tanner Bryson, Lauren Wan, Alaina DeGiacomo, Luke Dobson, Wyatt Griffey, Blaine Kemp; Sitting (L to R): Brent Dardeen, Jennifer Buck (coach), Ethan Buck, Jerry DeHondt (coach), Jared Ridgon
October 16th 2021 - First ever ATA Registered Big 50 program
2023
International Skeet Converted to 5-Stand
In 2022, we began to explore converting our International Skeet field to a 5-Stand course. At this time in the club’s history, we were no longer competing in events featuring International Skeet, and it was not in regular use by the public. Converting the field also allows our competitive team to practice 5-Stand and sporting clays events here at PTSC rather than traveling to another facility.
In September 2024, several Atlas AT250 throwers were installed, and we first threw 5-Stand targets as part of our regular offerings. Now, in 2025, we have seven throwers, and the field is regularly used by both the competitive team and the public.
Squad shooting 5-Stand at our 2025 Pump Gun shoot
