BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – Twenty-year-old Sam Ruiter grew up, he said, “in the middle of nowhere in Wisconsin.” He spent many hours hunting, so guns were always an everyday part of his life. But when he was invited to a local club about four years ago, he was introduced to highpower shooting and discovered a new passion.

“I fell in love with highpower. I was hooked,” he said. “I like the mental aspect, the mental challenge.”

Marksmanship is a uniquely mental game.

“I did cross country and track in high school, and it was always ‘Try harder. Try harder,’” he said. “But highpower is a different mental game. You clear your head, and you relax. It’s a relaxing sport.”

Today, Ruiter is a member of the Wisconsin Junior Rifle Team, which will compete at this year’s National Matches at Camp Perry. Ruiter will compete in individual and team service rifle matches. He has been prepping hard for the competitions.

Sam Ruiter hopes to bring home more awards at the 2025 National Matches. (Submitted photo)

“I compete at local matches across the state of Wisconsin about every weekend, and I practice at home and at local ranges,” he said. “While I’m shooting, it’s about trying to clear your head and stay focused.”

Ruiter is heading into the National Matches with a strong drive to win, but earning the number one spot isn’t his main objective.

“My overall goal – whether I’m practicing or shooting at a match, no matter how big or small the match is – is to learn,” he said. “You can never know everything. My goal is to learn and improve.”

The National Matches, Ruiter said, give him unique opportunities to learn.

“It’s so huge. There are so many people. There is a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge you can pull from, and it’s a different environment. There’s a lot of pressure. It’s an interesting experience that I really enjoy,” he said.

Like many marksmen from other states, Ruiter said the winds at Camp Perry create a huge challenge.

“In Wisconsin, there are a lot of hills, and a lot of ranges are in ravines. Camp Perry is flat, and it’s on the lake, so there’s a lot of wind,” he said. “It’s an entirely different animal than where I shoot locally.”

The Camp Perry winds can be an everchanging adversary for competitors.

Wisconsin Jr. Rifle Team member, Sam Ruiter, is looking forward to his fourth time competing at the National Matches. (Submitted photo)

“The wind on one range can be different from another range because they’re so big. The wind can switch in a moment,” Ruiter said. “It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s a fun challenge. It’s a learning experience and a humbling experience at the same time.”

Ruiter is one of the top competitors on the Wisconsin Junior Rifle Team, along with Anna Behnke and Casey Hollenbeck. The team – which has divisions called Wisconsin Cheddar, Wisconsin Colby and Wisconsin Mozzarella – is headed by Coach Kaleb Hall.

The team had an exceptional year at the 2024 National Matches at Camp Perry, going home with multiple wins and several trophies. Hall said the team is still looking strong despite losing some members.

“We lost a few to age and jobs, but that’s part of being a junior team,” Hall said.

Camp Perry provides a different competition experience for his team.

“I like the overall competition at Camp Perry,” he said. “We don’t really have team matches here in Wisconsin throughout the summer.”

Hall, who has been coaching marksmanship since 2011, has a coaching philosophy that has consistently brought results.

“I focus on creating a team environment where everyone wants to compete for each other,” he said. “There’s nothing better than everyone rooting for each other.”