Eagle Elite Shooting Team Off to Good Start

Pi Lambda Alpha President Katelyn Streeter (foreground) and Mikayla Strum (background)

Taylor Williams kneels while aiming at a target. Captain Tristan Riggs, John Schell, and professor Marco Tapia

CMU Eagle Elite Shooting Team Begins Competition

Central Methodist’s new shooting team is proud of the fact that it overcame a pandemic to open its inaugural season.

Under the direction of Professor Marco Tapia, a former law enforcement officer, the Pi Lambda Alpha criminal justice fraternity at CMU has already participated in two shooting competitions. But it took some time to get to this point.

Tapia remembers the moment just over a year ago when he took the wishes of Central’s criminal justice students to the president – asking to create the shooting team. He and President Roger Drake had a spirited conversation and, “I must have answered all of his concerns because at the end of the meeting, he agreed to move forward,” Tapia said.

Five days later, campus shut down because of the pandemic and classes were online.

“We had some obstacles,” Tapia said. “But the support from the administration has been incredible. Dr. Drake and Dr. Rita Gulstad, our provost, have been so supportive.

“Tristan Riggs (team captain) and I spent our time in lockdown getting the proper instructor certifications and safety certifications,” Tapia said. “But the real program building didn’t start until August.”

Tapia’s teaching partner in criminal justice, Teri Haack, said students had actually sought permission for a shooting team in the past, “but it just wasn’t the right time. Now is the perfect time.”

The Eagle Elite shooters made history in March with their first competition, Support the Badge. CMU competed at their range at D.C. Rogers Lake against area law enforcement officers. Police from Boonville, Fayette, Howard County, and even the Missouri Highway Patrol were involved.

CMU’s John Schnell was the top marksman in the professional (highest) division. He attended the Law Enforcement Training Academy (LETI) this spring under a special agreement that allows CMU criminal justice majors to earn college credit while attending the academy certifying to become law enforcement officers.

Just a few weeks later, Pi Lambda and the Eagle Elite shooters represented Central at the 2021 American Criminal Justice Association Region 3 virtual conference, participating in academics, agility, crime scene investigation, and firearms competitions. CMU students earned awards in the following divisions of the competition:

Criminal Law Lower Division – Rachel Rodawald (second place) and Katelyn Streeter (third place) Criminal Law Upper Division –Taylor Williams (third place) Crime Scene Competition Lower Division – Katarina Morris, Cole Brugger, and McCallister Jurgensmeyer (third place) Crime Scene Competition Upper Division –Mikayla Sturm, Katelyn Streeter, and Johnathan Kirmse (third place) Physical Agility, Female 25 and Under – Madison Marks (first place) Firearms, Individual Lower Division –Cole Brugger (first place) Firearms, Teams Lower Division – McCallister Jurgensmeyer, Katelyn Streeter, and Katarina Morris (first place) Firearms, Teams Upper Division –Tristan Riggs, Jobe Edwards, and Mikayla Sturm (third place) Firearms, Teams Professional Division –Marco Tapia, John Schell, and Cole Brugger (third place)