2023 Clay Target State Tournament Release

Clay Target will mark a milestone this week when the Minnesota High School League’s State Meet takes place on Friday, June 23 at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake. For the first time, the annual event will feature a Girls Division among the more than 500 participants.

Last October, the Minnesota State High School League’s Board of Directors approved a Spring Activity Advisory proposal recommendation to create a girls-only division. The board’s approval adds a girls-only division to the individual competition of the Clay Target State Tournament. The approved proposal maintains the top 100 participants in the open competition and adds an additional 25 female participants that would compete in the girls-only individual division. If a female participant qualifies, they have the option of competing in the Open Division.

According to John Nelson, president of the Minnesota-based Clay Target League, there are 113 qualifiers for the Open Division and 29 in the Girls Division. Eleven of the 29 female participants could opt to compete in the Open Division.

It is the second history-making milestone for the Minnesota State High School League and the Clay Target League. In 2014, the League became the first state association to recognize and support Clay Target. Likewise, Minnesota is the first state association that will recognize both male and female Clay Target state champion.

“This is really exciting for everyone,” Nelson said.

During the 2022 Clay Target regular season, 16.7 percent of the 11,110 participants were females. Of the 92 individuals that competed in the Open Division during the 2022 state tournament, 10 were females.

In late 2012, the League’s Board of Directors approved a presenting partnership with the Clay Target League beginning in the 2014 season.

Here is a look at the teams that qualified (in order of qualifying score):