By J1 reporter Nina McMullen
Pull! 

Soon, a bright orange clay pigeon flies from the trap house as the shooter closely follows it before releasing the trigger. The cold is bitter but the warmth of the small explosion inside the gun warms her cheek as it rests between her shoulder and face. Chunks of the small disk go flying and a feeling of accomplishment washes over the athlete.

Trap shooting isn’t necessarily the first sport that comes to mind when parents send their little girls off to Marian, but many students have found a community within the trap team. And no, not to be confused with the track team. Although they do sound similar, trap and track could not be more different.

Marian junior, Chloe’ Reynek, knows the sport well. “I’m on my 3rd year with the Marian Trap team,” Reynek says. She started as a freshman and hasn’t stopped yet. Every year, freshmen are faced with the daunting task of picking a club during the club fair. For Reynek, that was where it all started. She explains how she was given a “blue pamphlet with all the clubs and activities you could get involved in.” She recalls reading about Trap and thinking to herself, “‘this is the coolest thing ever, I have to try it!’” Soon after, following some weird looks from her parents and lots of are-you-sure’s later, she began practice and the rest is history. 

Trap is definitely not your typical sport, especially for an all girls school. But being in a male dominated sport is something the Marian Trap team is well accustomed to. “You are often underestimated,” Reynek said. “That’s one of my favorite things about trap. Gender doesn’t affect how good you are or can be.” She continues, saying, “Out on the line you can have a guy who’s 6’4, 200 pounds standing next to a girl who’s 5’4 and 130 pounds. She’ll just leave him in the dust.”

Marian trap girls have a tough spirit and that’s shown even through their practices and meets. A typical trap meet is grueling and not for the faint of heart. Reynek describes getting there “very early in the morning. Usually about 6 or 7 a.m., so you’re waking up at about 5.” The trap season takes place during the winter so she recalls being “bundled up with a million layers trying to huddle together in the Marian tent.” 

Overall, these girls’ spirit has been toughened by each and every meet and practice. To see these girls in action, you can visit them almost every Saturday at their meets. Their practices and most meets will take place at Harry A. Koch trap and skeet range in Omaha.