There are 11,936 student participants from 349 high school teams participating in the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League’s spring season.

Those are the highest participation numbers ever for the state, according to league officials.

“This league continues to be one of the largest high school sports in the state of Minnesota,” said Jim Sable, President of the MSHSCTL. “Such high participation shows the continued demand for alternative high school activities related to Minnesota’s longstanding outdoor traditions.”

The league’s co-ed and adaptive nature are key attractions to high schools. The league is fully Title IX compliant with both male and female athletes competing on the same team. Additionally, it’s an adaptive sport, which allows students with physical disabilities to take part.

Upon completion of the spring league’s regular season, all student athletes are invited to participate in individual and team competitions at the MSHSCTL Trap Shooting Championship in Alexandria.

The event — the world’s largest shooting sport event with about 8,000 competitors expected — is set for June 11-19 at the Alexandria Shooting Park.

The MSHSCTL Skeet Championships will be held at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake June 20-21.

The trap shooting season culminates with the state tournament presented by the Minnesota State High School League June 22 in Prior Lake.

The state tournament provides the opportunity for the highest qualifying individuals and teams from the MSHSCTL to compete. The MSHSL was the first interscholastic athletic association in the United States to provide support and recognition for a high school state tournament.

The MSHSCT attracts student athletes who have earned their firearm safety certification to participate in shooting sports while creating a virtual competition among teams throughout Minnesota at no cost to the schools.

Family travel costs are minimal because practice and competition are conducted at a shooting range near the school’s location. The league is also the safest sport in high school, with no reported injuries since the inception of the league in 2001.

Conferences are determined by team size rather than geographic location for fair competition. Athletes earn true team scoring points as determined by their performance and ranking against all athlete scores within their team’s conference.

The team score and overall standings are calculated and posted on the league’s website.

For more information, go to mnclaytarget.com.