The 2026-27 season will be the third for Bruce Shafer as the head coach of the Illinois College Clay Target program.

The IC program saw its continued upward trajectory under Shafer’s guidance in 2025-26. IC finished ninth in the nation at the USA Clay Target National Championships, highlighted by Morgan Tracey’s 10th-place finish in the female gold high gun category. IC finished second in the conference standings in skeet and third in trap and sporting clays. A record six team members earned all-conference honors from the USA Clay Target League. 

The 2024-25 season was also a banner year for IC. The squad was led by Jack Flatley and Ann Feldhake. Flatley led the IC men with a 40th-place showing in the Male Gold Category at the National Championships, while Feldhake was fifth in the Female Gold Category. IC finished the fall portion of the season in fourth place in the standings of the Class 1A group of the USA Clay Target League. IC returned in the spring and also finished fourth in the conference standings. Flatley and Feldhake, who finished the season as the conference’s top-scoring female, both earned All-Conference honors.