From Warriors to Strikers: Local High School Club Sport Aims High in National Competitions

Photo: (L-R) Oscar Knutson-Skidmore, Jake Issel, Luke Issel, Maya Grzadzinski, Brandon Grzadzinski. Not pictured but receiving awards are Aidan Davis, Aria Maitland, Wyatt Morrissey, Jahdek LaForge, and Emma Hedding. Photo courtesy of Chrissy Grzadzinski

By Maya Grzadzinski

I want to introduce everyone to the Chelsea High School and Grass Lake High School Youth Shooting team. Formerly known as the Warrior’s Shooting Team but changing the team name to the CST Strikers beginning in the 2024-2025 season. CST stands for Clay & Steel Target, which is what the youth shooting team does: crush clay and shoot steel targets. CST Strikers will be a High School Club Sport where participants can earn a varsity letter in high school if they meet the requirements at their respective high schools.

CST Strikers competes in SCTP which is the Scholastic Clay Target Program – Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clay – this is the Shotgun team. The team also competes in SASP, which is the Scholastic Action Shooting Program – this is the Pistol and Rifle team, and it is similar to the steel challenge. There are athletes as young as 8 years of age through college only if the athlete participated with the team in high school. The youth shooting team just finished the third season on Saturday, July 20th with the national championship competition that was held in Marengo, Ohio at the Cardinal Center.

CST Strikers will practice almost all year, taking a break after nationals and starting back up in September. There are indoor practices when it gets too cold to practice outdoors and move back outside – normally – sometime in March/April time frame.

The youth shooting team has won awards at all of the competitions this past season both for shotgun and pistol/rifle. While the Warrior’s Shooting Team has been to the National Championship every year, this was the first year that they actually won TEAM AWARDS!

At nationals, the pistol and rifle team had an open squad that placed third in rimfire iron rifle. The athletes in that squad were Jahdek LaForge, Lucas Issel, Maya Grzadzinski, and Oscar Knutson-Skidmore. This is an open squad because the athletes are in high school and middle school.

The pistol and rifle team also placed 3rd in the rookie division in rimfire iron rifle. Those athletes were Aidan Davis, Aria Maitland, Jacob Issel, and Wyatt Morrissey. At the beginning of the season, rookies are classified as anyone in 5th grade and below, which correlates with the school year.

While these were the only squad awards (AKA team awards), there were a few individual awards as well at nationals.

Individually, Jacob Issel placed 3rd in the men’s rookie PCC (pistol caliber carbine – 9mm) discipline. Jahdek LaForge placed 3rd in the men’s intermediate entry 1911 (9mm) discipline. Brandon Grzadzinski placed 2nd in men’s collegiate centerfire pistol (9mm) discipline and he also placed 3rd in men’s collegiate iron rifle discipline. Emma Hedding placed 2nd in ladies’ collegiate centerfire pistol discipline, 3rd in ladies’ collegiate optic rifle discipline, and 2nd in ladies’ collegiate iron rifle discipline.

Unfortunately, the shotgun team didn’t place at nationals, but some of the athletes set personal records, and some got very close to placing.

Jacob Issel got his new best of 90 out of 100 in a trap, getting him to his new best of 174 out of 200 for the event. Unfortunately, it did not get him to place but he was 19th in the men’s rookie division nationally.

Luke Peterson shot his first-ever 25 straight in trap at nationals, a new personal best of 92 out of 100, and a new personal record of 182 out of 200 for the trap event.

Maya Grzadzinski shot her first 75 straight while also shooting her new best of 98 out of 100 and a final score of 191 out of 200 for the trap event, placing 10th overall in the ladies’ senior, junior varsity division nationally.

We have a combined team of 42 athletes—13 on the Shotgun Team and 36 on the Pistol Rifle Team—some athletes compete on both. 

We have athletes primarily from Chelsea School District and Grass Lake School District. We practice primarily out of Grass Lake Sportsman’s Club but also utilize Chelsea Rod and Gun Club, Munith Rod and Gun Club, Ann Arbor Moose Sportsmen’s Club, and Ann Arbor Arms. We have 9 coaches and it is an entirely self-funded club team. We are a 501c3 and a nonprofit organization under the business name PEW Inc. – Prepare Educate Win.

CST Strikers will be looking to add new athletes to the team. If you are interested in checking us out, please feel free to visit our website at cststrikers.square.site. If you would like more information, feel free to reach out to CSTstrikers@pewinc.org and talk to the head coach.

I am proud to be on the youth shooting team since it teaches safety, responsibility, leadership skills, integrity and so much more. I really enjoy shooting sports and hope to continue past high school. I can’t wait to take part in a high school club sport where I can earn a varsity letter since I am not into other sports like my peers. Shooting Sports is a level playing field for everyone, including those with disabilities.

You are invited to our upcoming fundraiser dinner. Click on the https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/0e879fb2-f01e-4f6f-a462-36db1167b7b5 or the QR code for more information.