Soo Line: Brady Droste Hits the Mark, With the Medals to Prove It

Soo Line By Soo Greiman

Local sophomore Brady Droste credits a story in a 2023 Hudson Herald issue for motivating him to check into a student shooting sports club located in a nearby town.

“Actually, it was my mom who read an article that told about the success of the club called Steel Shooters of Traer,” Brady said. “She knew right away I’d be interested.”

His mom, Denise, sure hit the mark on that.

For most of his 15 years, Brady and his brothers, Mason, Alex and Carter, have seen how much their parents, Jason and Denise Droste, enjoy hunting and target shooting. That’s why it felt right later that year, after both mother and son learned about the Steel Shooters of Traer’s mission and what students were taught, for Brady to join the group of student-athletes.

Steel Shooters of Traer, one of several Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) clubs in Iowa, was organized more than 10 years ago. The shooting sport continues to grow in popularity in Iowa and around the country. Known as a speed and precision shooting program, it is overseen and advised by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The team-based youth development program uses pistols, rifles and steel targets to instill life skills such as safety, discipline, teamwork, ethics, mental focus, self-discipline and self-confidence in Iowa youth.

Pete Holden, who coaches the club and works with its student-athletes, is a Vietnam veteran, has been a competitive shooter for more than 55 years and serves as mayor of Traer.

“We originally started the team to teach gun safety,” Holden said.

Other coaches assisting Holden are Krystal (Pullin) Meggers, Tony Dudys and former teammate Alex Meggers. Practices are held south of Traer on property the club now owns.

Offering more insight, Brady noted that members of the Traer shooting club come from a number of area schools, including Traer, Hudson, Dike-New Hartford, Union and East Marshall.

“Our season starts Sept. 1, and since we held a recruiting event, we’ll be adding several more athletes this season,” he said.

Annual competitions include Fall Regionals in Saukville, Wisconsin; Spring Regionals, also in Saukville; the Iowa State Match in Searsboro; and, for those who qualify, Nationals in Marengo, Ohio.

Droste added that virtual matches are also conducted, with participating teams shooting at their home ranges and then reporting their scores. When competing individually, a contestant shoots a series of five different targets in four stages for a timed score. When competing as a team, shooters compete in squads of four.

Over the three years Brady has been a member of the Steel Shooters team, he has developed impressive skills. During the 2025-26 season, while a freshman, he earned 11 medals for individual and team placements.

At an individual competition known as Metal Madness in Grand Rivers, Kentucky, he earned the coveted “Expert” title in Iron Rifle.

“Because a lot of my team also traveled to that competition,” he said with a smile, “it was a lot of fun.”

Offering encouragement to anyone in grades 3-12 interested in shooting sports, Brady advises them to visit the Steel Shooters of Traer Facebook page or email steelshootersoftraer@gmail.com.

Not limiting himself to target and timed shooting, Droste also appreciates his family heritage of knowing how to hunt and use firearms safely. A deer hunter since age 11, he has already set his sights on this year’s approaching deer season for a reason that’s close to his heart.

“That’s when I’ll be carrying my Grandpa’s (Larry Snyder) 12-gauge shotgun.”