Max Hatfield, a senior at Wadsworth High School, tried out for the 2024 Olympics held in Paris, France this past month and placed tenth in the country for the category of 21 and under. Hatfield plays trap shooting and has been practicing for the tryouts for months leading up to the date.
“I left for Tucson about two weeks ago,” Hatfield said. “[I] got there nice and early [and] got a couple practice days in. It was my first time shooting out in the desert so definitely paying attention to everything that was different. Being able to see the target was a lot harder because [of] the brown background. We were shooting up against the background of mountains, so that was really cool.”
Hatfield had tried out for the first part of Olympic Selection this past summer and was able to make it within the top ten. He would then try out for the second part of Olympic Selection this past March.
“It is a 250-bird match,” Hatfield said. “This is part two of Olympic Selection and it was over four days. You would shoot 75 targets the first day, the next day you’d shoot 50, the following day you’d shoot 75 again, and then Friday you’d shoot 50, and then if you made the final [the top 6 in a category] from there on you would shoot 50 targets with a single barrel and then from there on that’s who you would crown your champion.”
Hatfield had been training for the tryouts multiple times a week, for many months leading up to the tryouts. He would travel back and forth between Wadsworth and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to help get the right training and practice for the Selection.
“When the competition started, I felt like I was in a good place,” Hatfield said. “I was shooting really well throughout the entire practice, and really throughout the entire competition. I just had a bunch of average rounds and I put myself in a good spot. I didn’t shoot phenomenal but I didn’t shoot bad by any means.”
At the end of the tryouts, Hatfield was able to make it to a spot that put him in the ranks as one of the best trap shooters in the United States.
“In the category 21 and under, I took tenth, so that would be tenth in the country,” Hatfield said. “Overall, I’d be in the top 30 in the country. It’s a big accomplishment for me. It’s a privilege to be able to say that I am one of the best in the country.”
Despite making it into the top ten for his category, Hatfield did not make it into the men’s trap shooting team for the 2024 Summer Olympics, but his mindset on the future of his trap shooting has not changed at all.
“Coming up short on something that your goal is is really tough but I can tell you this, I am really excited for the rest of the season,” Hatfield said. “I’ve got a national championship that I still would like to win. I would be the only person that’s ever won four national championships in a row. I’m just excited to see where the rest of the season goes and I’m excited for the next three years of preparation for 2028.”
The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, California and the opening ceremony will commence on July 28, 2028.
