Eye on the target: Marlow's Miller, Wollenberg commit to MSC shotgun sports program

Shotgun sports is one of the fastest growing sports among high school students. Colleges are taking advantage of that to attract some of the top skeet and clay shooters in the country.

Two Marlow seniors, Drew Wollenberg and Hunter Miller, joined the ranks of the college competitive world and will head to Murray State College in Tishomingo in the fall.

Signing day was Thursday, March 14. MSC shooting sports Assistant Coach Clay Robertson was there to make it official and answer questions by the young men's families. The boys were also surrounded by their friends. Joining MSC also means the two will learn from one of the best in the clay sporting and competitive world - Coach Scott Robertson. He has more than 40 years of experience in clay sporting events and competition experience. He is also a Hall of Fame member in both the Texas State Sporting Clay Association and National Sporting Class Association.

Miller's father, Jeremy, has been coaching both boys since they were in elementary school. Hunter began shooting around age 10, and within a couple of years, so was Wollenberg.

"These kids have grown a lot throughout the years in shooting. They've made real good shooters throughout their career and hopefully they'll do it in college," Jeremy Miller said. "There's been a lot of ups and downs for these two, but they've done really good."

Wollenberg's plan to join MSC's shotgun sporting team became more grounded about six months ago.

"It's a good college. My goal was to go shoot for MSC," he said. The two young men are also in ag together. They just completed a deer blind/duck blind combo for Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) and won the bronze over the weekend. They won the top prize last year with their deer blind project. Wollenberg is an avid golfer and a member of the MHS Outlaw Boys Golf Team. "Golf season is just starting up, and hopefully we will be in the top couple of teams in the state." And he's secretary for Student Council.

In mid-February, Hunter signed a fishing scholarship for MSC. "This (shooting) was the plan. Shooting came before fishing, and I shot way longer than I've fished," he said. Miller loves both sports, but he's extremely excited to join the shotgun sport team.

What makes MSC so attractive to young people like Miller and Wollenberg? Asst. Coach Robertson had the answers.

"We're a unique program because we have something a lot of other schools don't have which is a gun-friendly community," Robertson said. He credits the college president, and the abundance of gun-loving residents for the program that is now in its solid third year, even though it's been building for years. More so, it's the gunsmithing program that is the gem for the college and attracting students like Miller and Wollenberg.

They are two of four who have committed for next year's program. The other two are from Kingston.

"Currently, we have 13 on the team, and trying to grow as quick as we can. A lot of the guys who come into the shooting program want to go into the gunsmithing program. It is essentially the best in the world. Outside of the U.S. there's not really gunsmithing schools. We are the first in history to have a bachelor's degree in gunsmithing," he said.

All those add to up to an attractive package. Especially when you consider this. "We're one of only two schools in the nation to have private training facilities on campus. That's really an important thing for us that these guys have a training facility designed specifically for them that they use to get better. It's on-campus, within walking distance for them."

Robertson was 7-years-old when he started officially competing. At age 15, he qualified for the Professional Sporting Clays Association (PSCA).

In 2023, he placed 3[rd] at the FITASC World Championships. He had a good teacher - his father. "My dad is a multi-World Champion, essentially a pioneer in the sport."

And what about girls? Young Robertson said girls are taking a big interest, including having some on the team last year, and a few early unofficial commitments for 2025.