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SIDNEY — Just two weeks after enduring one of the most frustrating performances of his young shooting career, Tanner Schmaus stood atop the collegiate trap shooting world.
The Montcalm Community College freshman captured the High Overall Individual championship at the 2026 USA College Clay Target League National Trap Shooting Championship, posting a score of 199 out of 200 targets, Oct. 30-Nov. 1. He was among a field of 189 athletes that represented 25 colleges and universities.
Schmaus also earned the Gold Class men's championship, edging fellow 199 shooter Justin Jerome of Alfred State College via a tiebreaking reverse run score.
For Centurions head coach Chris Henry, the accomplishment ranks among the most significant achievements in the history of the program.
“National champ: It means everything,” Henry said. “It's big, means a lot. A lot of coaches don't get to say they had a national champion.”
The title came after a season filled with ups and downs for Schmaus, an 18-year-old freshman from Chesterfield.
When the Centurions traveled to Indiana earlier this fall, Schmaus struggled through the first collegiate tournament of his career.
“At the Indiana tournament, it was my first college tournament,” Schmaus said. “I had nerves built up. I kind of fell apart. I was in my own head. I hadn't done that in a while.”
Henry noticed his talented shooter pressing too much and made an unconventional decision.
“He didn't shoot very well at that tournament,” Henry said. “I let him take off practice to recharge his battery.”
The move paid off. Looking back, Henry believes the break reignited Schmaus' competitive drive.
“My assistant coach and I took a chance and told him to take some time off,” Henry said. “My thought was all the other shooters practicing would bring out his competitive spirit, hopefully bring out that dog in him, and it worked.”
Schmaus agreed.
“The coaches told me to take some time for myself,” he said. “That helped me so much. I felt so refreshed and ready to go and ready to shoot my best.”
Finding his groove
Schmaus entered nationals focused on putting the disappointing Indiana performance behind him.
“My thoughts were just to do as best as I can and perform at the top level,” he said.
The confidence returned quickly.
“When I got there, I grabbed my gun and put it up, I felt comfortable and perfect,” Schmaus said. “I shot a 24 and missed one. I told myself to let it go, then I got 25 the next two rounds. That's when I knew I was in my groove.”
He finished the opening day with a 99.
The second day brought another challenge: strong winds approaching 30 miles per hour. Fortunately for Schmaus, tough conditions were nothing new.
“I've shot so long and I've shot in every condition, so I knew I could do this,” he said. “I told myself that everyone had to shoot in this wind. I knew I could do this and not drop a single bird.”
He didn't.
Schmaus ran the table on day two, finishing with a perfect 100 and an impressive tournament score of 199 out of 200.
Despite the impressive total, the title wasn't secured until officials calculated the reverse-run tiebreaker, which measures how many consecutive targets are hit without a miss.
Schmaus' reverse run was an incredible 180 straight targets.
“After the first day, he missed his 19th bird,” Henry said. “The pressure didn't get to him. He was in a zone.”
Another competitor also finished with 199, but Schmaus' reverse run easily secured the championship.
“My dad checked the scores and told me I got it,” Schmaus said. “I was shocked. I couldn't believe I did that. It was crazy.”
Team support fuels success
Although Montcalm competed with only four shooters and could not contend for a team championship, Schmaus repeatedly credited his teammates for helping him reach the top.
“This year we had five shooters but lost one so that meant we couldn’t compete in team competitions,” he said. “The other shooters on our team, however, I see them as brothers and sister. We all had a great connection right away.”
The Centurions' roster included Schmaus, the team’s lone sophomore, Hunter Doolittle (Crystal, Mich.), and freshmen Naithen Johnson (Riverdale, Mich.) and Zoey Inman (Carson City, Mich.).
“I'm happy to see my teammates and I getting better as the year went on,” Schmaus said. “At the end, we had such great chemistry together.”
Johnson also turned in an impressive performance at nationals, finishing with a season-best 97 during the final day and an overall score of 187.
Henry said the season proved rewarding, despite the program's limited roster size.
“I knew it was going to be a down year for us because we were light on shooters,” he said. “I knew team awards were out of the question, but we had kids capable of winning awards.”
The coach's confidence proved well-founded.
“It's pretty rewarding to have one of our shooters come through and do a great thing,” he said.
Looking ahead
Henry believes the national championship could open doors for Schmaus in the future.
“He'll get noticed for this feat,” Henry said. “It can lead to a Division I scholarship. He can definitely move on.”
For Schmaus, however, the focus remains on continuing to improve and helping the Centurions build a stronger team.
“Saying I'm a national champion means so much,” he said. “Two weeks ago, I had one of my worst shootings ever, and two weeks later, I'm a national champion.”
“It's awesome we got this,” he added. “I'm also happy I can bring something home for our school.”
Schmaus expects to return to MCC next season and has already set a new goal.
“I just want to back it up and do it again,” he said. “Hopefully, next year we have a full team. I love shooting for a team. When you shoot for a team, it's a whole team that wins together.”
Most importantly, he said the season taught him the value of believing in himself.
“The confidence part is really big,” Schmaus said. “As the season progressed, my confidence grew, especially with my teammates and coaches. Taking that week off rebuilt my confidence.”
That confidence ultimately carried him from a frustrating tournament performance in Indiana to a national championship just weeks later.