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With only four shooters making the trip, Montcalm Community College won’t be chasing a team title at this weekend’s Hoosier Fall Classic — but the Centurions are aiming to make plenty of noise in the individual standings. 

MCC enters the tournament with a four‑shooter roster, down from seven last season — a trend head coach Chris Henry said is happening across college programs this fall. 

“We are down in the number of shooters from last year. I believe every college is,” Henry said. “We only have four shooters, but they’re all doing pretty well.” 

Henry said several committed athletes he recruited joined the military service after the U.S. entered into a conflict with Iran, and one chose not to attend college, leaving MCC with a smaller squad.  

The Centurions’ roster includes returning shooter Hunter Doolittle (Crystal, Mich.), freshmen Tanner Schmaus (Chesterfield, Mich.), Naithen Johnson (Riverdale, Mich.) and Zoey Inman (Carson City, Mich.). 

During the first four weeks of regular conference competition, Henry said the group has handled early‑season challenges as well — including shooting in 30‑mph winds at Flat River Shooting Range outside Greenville. 

Because MCC does not have enough shooters to qualify for team scoring, the Centurions will compete for individual awards only this weekend. Henry said MCC still has athletes capable of bringing home hardware. 

“We have a couple shooters who are capable of winning any event,” Henry said. “Hillsdale will be there too, and they have Olympic‑type shooters. We can get a trophy or two if things go well.” 

For trap, MCC will rely on Doolittle and Schmaus. 

“Hunter shot a lot more over the offseason. He’s still fine‑tuning his game,” Henry said. “Tanner got into a little slump, but he’s getting out of it. I hope he’s on top of his game by tournament time.” 

Johnson will lead MCC in skeet, where Henry said he has been the team’s most consistent performer. 

“Naithen is our leading skeet shooter. He’s consistent,” Henry said. “I’m hoping to see him lead better with scores. Maybe this tough tournament will make him focus harder.” 

Inman, MCC’s first‑ever female shooter, continues to make strides in her first collegiate season. 

“Zoey is doing well,” Henry said. “Her skeet shooting still has a long way to go, but her trap shooting has improved tremendously since starting practice. She’s still learning and improving every week.” 

With only four athletes, Henry said complacency can creep in — so he has increased the intensity of practices. 

“With only four shooters, sometimes they can become complacent, so you have to challenge them every week,” Henry said. “Tanner and Hunter have the physical part down; they just have to master the mental game. Same with Zoey.” 

Henry said the Hoosier Fall Classic will test MCC’s ability to perform under pressure, especially with larger programs such as Hillsdale, Illinois and Purdue in the field. 

“We’re a bit outmatched with the much bigger schools competing,” Henry said. “I just hope we see our kids improve. If one does well, it puts pressure on the other kids to do well, too. They don’t want to let their teammates down.” 

Henry said the team’s goal remains simple and consistent. 

“Every shoot we go to, we want at least one person to bring a trophy home,” he said. “It’s not going to be an easy thing to do with the competition we’re up against. I’d be very impressed if we come back with some trophies.” 

The Hoosier Fall Classic begins at 9 a.m. in Warsaw, Indiana, Saturday, Oct. 17.