HUMBOLDT — Trap shooting has always been Humboldt High School senior Leah Mueller’s first love.
Mueller signed a national letter of intent Tuesday to shoot trap at Ohio State University.
She is ecstatic that she has chosen to fulfill her college dreams at one of the only seven schools in the country which offer pistol shooting.
The pistol trap shooting at Humboldt has been organized through 4H and has spread like wildfire.
“Being a part of the trap team, I started my freshman year when they started the program, we all just jumped in and none of us had very much experience,” said Mueller. “We’ve all worked together, lent each other a helping hand and we’ve all grown tremendously.”
Humboldt High has become known statewide and nationally for its trap shooting athletes, a sport that has taken off in the area.
Mueller also looked at North Dakota State, University of Utah and Ole Miss, other colleges that offer pistol trap shooting.
Last summer at a Clay Target League tournament at the Kansas State Trapshooting Association facility, Mueller finished in third place for Humboldt with a 91 total score, shooting totals of 46 and 45 in each session.
“Some kids have competed nationally and our Humboldt team has been quite successful in the state,” Mueller continued. “Lots of kids have done well.”
She also practices at the Elsmore Lone Tree Gun Club in the spring. The spring season typically consists of three weeks of practice followed by five weeks of competitive shooting. Mueller and the Cubs often oppose Iola, Marmaton Valley and Chanute.
Maybe it’s Mueller’s mental focus which has given her an edge.
“I don’t let anything really bother me,” she said. “I think through it and don’t let any of it slow me down. It’s a mental game. I would say I’m enthusiastic, I’m eager to learn because I don’t know everything and I’m not perfect.
“There’s kids on the team (Ohio State) trying to go to the Olympics right now so I think I can learn a lot from them,” Mueller added.
“I chose Ohio State because I’ve met with their coach multiple times throughout matches the last several years and had the most interactions with them,” Mueller said. “I know some of the kids on the team and I visited the campus and loved it. It seems like the best fit for me.”
