--- title: "Proctor’s Laine Graves, St. Cloud Tech’s Allie Lauer named 2026 MN Clay Target Athletes of the Year" description: "Two standout high school shooters from Minnesota’s clay target circuit capped their seasons with All-Minnesota honors after dominating the 2026 MSHSL state tournament." url: https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/2026-all-minnesota-clay-target-athletes-of-the-year-proctor-33933403 published: 2026-07-02T11:54:58.331+00:00 updated: 2026-07-02T11:54:58.331+00:00 author: "Kostadin Stamboliev" publisher: "Pineido" site: "Sportopod" language: en topics: ["basketball"] --- # Proctor’s Laine Graves, St. Cloud Tech’s Allie Lauer named 2026 MN Clay Target Athletes of the Year > Two standout high school shooters from Minnesota’s clay target circuit capped their seasons with All-Minnesota honors after dominating the 2026 MSHSL state tournament. Laine Graves of Proctor and Allie Lauer of St. Cloud Tech have been named the 2026 All-Minnesota Clay Target Athletes of the Year, capping dominant state championship runs. Graves secured her first MSHSL clay target state title with a 98-94 victory over Rochester Mayo’s Abby Johnson in the final round. The Proctor senior finished the season with a 196-194 overall record, leading her team to a third-place finish in the team standings. Her precision under pressure and consistent scores across three days of competition earned her the top individual honors. Graves’ breakthrough performance follows a 2025 season where she narrowly missed the podium, adding a layer of redemption to her 2026 campaign. Allie Lauer, a junior at St. Cloud Tech, claimed her second consecutive state title with a 99-93 win over Sartell’s Emma Thompson in the championship match. Lauer finished the tournament with a 198-192 overall record, the highest score of any competitor in the field. Her performance secured St. Cloud Tech’s second-place team finish and solidified her status as the state’s top returning talent. Lauer’s dominance extends beyond the state line; she placed sixth at the 2025 USA Clay Target High School National Championships, hinting at her potential to compete at the national level. Both athletes were selected by a panel of coaches and officials from the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League for the All-Minnesota honor, recognizing their dominance throughout the 2025-26 season. Graves and Lauer join a growing list of Minnesota high school shooters who have elevated the profile of clay target sports in the state, including 2024 standouts like Duluth East’s Jake Miller and Hopkins’ Sophia Chen, who have transitioned to collegiate programs. The statistical gap between the champions and their challengers exposes the elite tier these two shooters occupy. Graves’ 98-clay final round and Lauer’s 99-clay performance aren't just high scores; they are statistical anomalies in a sport where a single missed target can drop a competitor several places. This consistency suggests that both athletes have mastered the mental game, turning the state tournament into a formality rather than a gamble. While Graves’ victory was a statement of resilience after her 2025 miss, Lauer’s repeat title establishes a dynasty in the making, placing her in rarefied air among Minnesota’s junior shooters. Beyond individual glory, the success of Proctor and St. Cloud Tech reshapes the competitive map of the league. Graves leading Proctor to a third-place team finish proves that programs outside the Twin Cities metro can develop championship-level talent through disciplined local training. Simultaneously, Lauer’s propulsion of St. Cloud Tech to a second-place team result underscores the depth of talent in central Minnesota. This geographic spread of excellence indicates that the sport’s infrastructure is maturing statewide, moving talent development away from a few centralized hubs and creating a more robust, competitive field across the entire state. The rise of Graves and Lauer reflects a broader trend in Minnesota’s clay target community, where participation has surged by 22% over the past five years, according to league data. This growth has been fueled by increased school sponsorships and community partnerships, which have provided more athletes with access to high-level training and equipment. The state’s investment in the sport is paying dividends, as Minnesota now ranks among the top five states in the nation for high school clay target participation. What’s next: Graves and Lauer are expected to compete in the upcoming USA Clay Target High School National Championships in Sparta, Wisconsin, where they’ll look to build on their state-level success against the nation’s top prep shooters. Both have already secured invitations to elite training camps hosted by USA Shooting, underscoring their status as prospects to watch in the lead-up to the 2028 Olympic cycle. Minnesota Clay Target League director Mark Johnson called the athletes’ achievements a "testament to the state’s growing infrastructure" and noted that Graves and Lauer’s success could inspire a new generation of shooters to take up the sport. ## Why this matters The recognition of Graves and Lauer underscores the rising competitiveness and growing talent pool in Minnesota’s high school clay target shooting scene. Their achievements highlight the sport’s increasing visibility and the state’s role as a pipeline for elite junior shooters, setting a benchmark for future competitors. The surge in participation and the athletes’ national-level prospects signal that Minnesota is no longer an afterthought in clay target shooting, but a breeding ground for future Olympians. ## Frequently asked ### How are the All-Minnesota Clay Target Athletes of the Year selected? A panel of coaches and officials from the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League evaluates athletes based on their state tournament performance, season records, and overall contributions to their teams. ### Has Allie Lauer won multiple state titles? Yes. Lauer claimed her second consecutive MSHSL clay target state title in 2026, following her 2025 victory. ### What teams did Graves and Lauer represent in the 2026 state tournament? Graves competed for Proctor High School, while Lauer represented St. Cloud Tech High School. ### Where will Graves and Lauer compete next after the state tournament? Both athletes are slated to compete in the USA Clay Target High School National Championships in Sparta, Wisconsin. ### What was Lauer’s final score in the 2026 state tournament? Lauer finished the tournament with a 198-192 overall record, the highest score among all competitors. ### How has Minnesota’s clay target participation changed recently? Participation in Minnesota’s clay target programs has increased by 22% over the past five years, driven by school sponsorships and community partnerships. ## Sources & Citations - [2026 All-Minnesota Clay Target Athletes of the Year: Proctor’s Laine Graves and St. Cloud Tech’s Allie Lauer](https://www.startribune.com/laine-graves-allie-lauer-st-cloud-tech-proctor-mn-clay-target-athletes-of-the-year/601858961) — NewsData.io (2026-07-01) --- Cite: Proctor’s Laine Graves, St. Cloud Tech’s Allie Lauer named 2026 MN Clay Target Athletes of the Year. Sportopod, 2026-07-02. https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/2026-all-minnesota-clay-target-athletes-of-the-year-proctor-33933403