SPARTA, Ill. – The University of Tennessee Southern clay target team delivered a solid showing at the 2026 Collegiate Fall Central Midwest Conference Championship, held Oct. 9-11 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex. Battling through one of the deepest and most competitive fields of the fall season, the Firehawks earned a sixth-place finish in High Overall (HOA) while capturing a runner-up finish in American Trap.
UT Southern's best team performance came in American Trap, where the Firehawks broke an outstanding 495 of 500 targets to secure second place. Caleb Clayton and Ben Yarbrough each posted perfect scores of 100, while Ellie Huddleston followed with a 99. Clint Parson and Chase Kelly rounded out the scoring team with scores of 98. Zach Rippeto, Luke Lankford, and Madison Hunter also turned in impressive rounds of 98 in the event.
Yarbrough paced the Firehawks throughout the championship, tying for sixth place in Individual HOA after breaking 412 of 450 targets over the course of the weekend. The Firehawk standout recorded two perfect rounds, posting 100 straight in both American Trap and American Skeet. In American Skeet, Yarbrough advanced through a 10-person shoot-off to finish second, adding one of the top individual performances of the tournament.
Clayton matched Yarbrough's perfect score in American Trap and earned a second-place finish after navigating an 11-person shoot-off, narrowly missing the event title.
Huddleston turned in a strong weekend of her own, claiming third place in the women's division of American Trap after shooting a 99 and advancing through a shoot-off. She also finished ninth in the Women's HOA standings, securing a top-10 finish among the conference's top female shooters.
Hunter joined Huddleston in the Women's HOA top 10, placing 10th overall to give UT Southern two athletes among the division's leading competitors.
The depth of the Firehawk roster was evident throughout the competition. Yarbrough and Lankford posted scoring performances in five of the six disciplines contested during the championship, while Rippeto contributed posting scores in four disciplines. Huddleston and Jackson Williams each recorded posting scores in three disciplines.
Additional contributors included Parson, Ali Turnbull, Johnathan Rogers, Ajay Jarrett, Hunter, and Josh Murray, all of whom posted scores or tied scores that counted toward team results throughout the tournament.
In total, 13 different Firehawks either posted a counting score or tied a score that was used in team competition, showcasing the depth and versatility of the squad across the six-discipline championship format.
Against a loaded conference field, UT Southern's sixth-place HOA finish and second-place performance in American Trap highlighted both the talent at the top of the lineup and the contributions throughout the roster as the Firehawks continue their strong fall campaign.
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Top Performer
Ben Yarbrough
- Tied for 6th in Individual HOA (412/450)
- Perfect 100 in American Trap
- Perfect 100 in American Skeet
- Runner-up finish in American Skeet after a 10-person shoot-off
- Posted counting scores in five of six disciplines
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