CHESTERTOWN — Clay target shooting has exploded onto the sporting scene in Kent County.
Kent County High School introduced a trap and skeet program as a club in the fall of 2025, while Washington College here in Chestertown has one of the best intercollegiate programs in the country.
The two schools have always been connected.
Many Kent County High School students matriculate to Washington College, and WC has a dual enrollment program with KCHS.
Now, the schools are connected through trap and skeet.
Part of that connection is two Kent County High School alumni on the Washington College roster who were recruited right out of high school to shoot for the Shoremen: David Daniels ’25 of Golts and Trice Moore ’24 of Worton.
Daniels’ biggest contribution in his freshman campaign was at the ACUI/SCTP Upper East Coast Conference Championships last fall where he finished fifth overall and helped the Shoremen take home the High Overall team title for the fourth year in a row.
Moore was the team MVP for 2025-26; twice during the year he was honored as the college’s Shoreman of the Week.
He broke a personal-best 97 targets out of 100 in the 12-gauge skeet event to win D Class and earn the title of collegiate champion at the Sudlersville Skeet Club’s 79th Delmarva Open last September.
He won skeet, sporting clays and high overall at the University of Delaware Kovaleski Memorial, formerly known as the Blue Hen Classic, Feb. 28-March 1. There were 36 total competitors, representing Washington College, the University of Delaware and Virginia Tech.
When the Shoremen competed in the ACUI/SCTP Collegiate Clay Target National Championships in San Antonio, Texas in mid-March, Moore was their highest place-finisher in the overall competition; he was 160th out of 583 shooters, breaking 536 out of a possible 600 targets.
“Going to Washington College and being a local from the area means a lot to myself,” Moore told The Evening Enterprise in a text message on July 14. “I think Kent County has many opportunities for everyone; one of these opportunities that makes me excited is the high school team, to see future shooters gaining experience.”
Daniels also talked about being able to represent Washington College as a local.
“It’s an amazing feeling to represent your school, to be honest,” he said in a text message on July 17. “Man, it’s so nice being here and home and being able to see people you grew up with and still work. It is an amazing feeling.”
Chris Johnson, a senior from Lutherville, won the national championship in Class B of doubles skeet at the ACUI/SCTP Collegiate Clay Target National Championships in March; he broke 94 of 100 targets to head the class that consisted of 80 competitors.
Moore placed 11th in Class A of the American doubles skeet for his highest finish in an individual discipline, and freshman Jeffery Paes finished ninth in Class B.
Overall, in all six events, Washington placed 16th out of 29 Division III colleges with a combined score of 2530/3000.
Another strong discipline for the Shoremen was American doubles trap.
Gracie Heintzelman, a sophomore from Hamburg, Pennsylvania, went 88/100 in the Class A women’s competition to finish ninth out of 63 shooters, while Max McNulty Van Oordt, a junior from Park City, Utah, went 78/100 to finish eighth out of 44 in the men’s Class B.
The immediate future looks bright for Washington College, which is led by head coach Doug Pfaff.
The Shoremen are expected to return seven shooters, plus 2026 Queen Anne’s County High School graduate Cole Coppage, this year’s Maryland high school skeet shooting state champion, heads the list of incoming recruits
Heading into next season, Moore said that he is working on his mindset.
“I am working hard with practicing often and focusing a lot on the mental side of shooting. Todd Bender, who is one of our coaches, has greatly helped the team and myself with finding ways to improve on the mental side of the sport,” Moore said.
For 2026-27, Daniels’ priority is academics.
“I would say looking forward to next season my biggest goals have nothing to do with shooting,” he said candidly.
“My goals are to have good grades throughout the season and academic year. It’s more of a bigger deal to me to have my academics in check before my shooting,” he said. “I would really like to set some new PRs [personal records] not just with shooting but with my grades as well.”
One Response
Congrats to those you write about Quinten Joiner!
You’re becoming a fine sports writer for sure! To include Washington College alums and current students while integrating our KCHS & QACHS Shooting programs definitely enlightened your readers. Love ya