CEDAR FALLS - Trapshooting was academic for David King Tuesday, and he hopes to keep it that way.

An incoming senior at LeMars High School, King scored a stellar 97 in the preliminary handicap event at the Iowa State Trapshoot. Despite the hot start, though, he won't be able to stick around for the entire shoot.

"We're taking off on Friday to make some college trips," King said. "We're looking at Lindenwood University in Missouri, because they've got a trapshooting scholarship."

Lindenwood is one of just a handful of colleges that offer scholarships in the sport, but the number that offer some type of shooting program is growing, a trend the King family would like to see continue.

"We're seeing more and more youth shooters, especially among the young females," said David's father, Al King, himself a shooting sports coach. "If they see it's something that they can continue with, I think it's going to grow even more."

When David King started shooting at the LeMars Sportsman's Club at age nine, he didn't have quite so much company.

"I was the only kid in our club for a long time," King said, "and now that I've been at it so long, they want me to go on with it."

The Kings make their annual trip to the Cedar Falls Gun Club as a family, but they don't all compete.

"It's a father-son deal," Al King said. "Mom comes out, but she doesn't shoot. She says trapshooting's like watching grass grow."

Fresh off a class trophy at the South Dakota state shoot, David King hopes to add to his collection this week at his own state meet.

"Iowa's a lot bigger and better-organized, not that theirs wasn't a good shoot," King said.

Shooters from Iowa and points beyond will continue to turn up at the club grounds throughout the week-long shoot, which continues today with the Class Singles, President's Handicap and Director's Doubles events.

Preliminary singles

(Scores pending tie-breakers)

In-state

CLASS AAA - (tie) Stephen Phelps (Hiawatha) 100, Kevin Hartwig (Marion) 100, Phil Thyer (Independence) 100; CLASS AA - David Wickman (Clear Lake) 100; CLASS A - David Davidson (Lake Mills) 100; CLASS B - Amy Herold (Indianola) 98; CLASS C - Lori Wickman (Clear Lake) 99; CLASS D - Roger Will (Emmetsburg) 98; LADY - Laurie Hallsted (Fort Dodge) 92; SENIOR VETERAN - Frank Tilotta (Des Moines) 98; VETERAN - Dale Reed (Emmetsburg) 97; JUNIOR - Tucker Schroeder (Garner) 95; SUB-JUNIOR - Devon Wood (New Market) 46.

Out-of-state

CLASS AAA - Paul Good (Dubois, Wyo.) 99; CLASS AA - Raymond Pumel Sr. (Martell, Neb.) 97; CLASS A - Bryan Pierce (Portage, Wis.) 99; CLASS B - John Halambeck (Deerbrook, Wis.) 99; CLASS C - Thomas Fierge (Perry, Mo.) 98; CLASS D - Mark Nelson (Altona, Ill.)90; SENIOR VETERAN - Richard Gullickson (Stoughton, Wis.) 96; VETERAN - Melvin Grandstaff (Tecumseh, Kan.) 98; JUNIOR - Taylor Kojis (Burlington, Wis.) 98.