UNDATED - Thousands of high school students are picking-up a gun and joining a new sport. The "Minnesota State High School Clay Target League" is exploding in popularity.

Executive Director Jim Sable says their fall league has 1,770 participants from 68 high schools. And this past spring's league was even bigger with 6,100 students.

Sable says, when he was starting league, he asked them what they wanted...

Sable says 70 percent of the schools have a lettering program for the shooting leagues. Of those that don't, most are first-year schools that are waiting to see if there's sustained support for the sport.

He says the spring season culminated with the first-ever trap shooting state tournament, with the help of the Minnesota State High School League.

The league added skeet shooting as a new shooting sport this fall. Co-ed student athletes participate on their high school teams for six weeks through the end of October at shooting ranges throughout the state.

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