In his first Minnesota State Shoot,
he was awarded the “New Shooter Trophy – High First Year Shooter on 400
Championship Targets”. It was a pheasant print, which is still hanging proudly
in our family room. He was immediately hooked! Bill took a very old motor home
to that shoot, along with a bunch of guys from his local trap club in Luverne.
Bill didn’t bring his wife, and that was the first and only time that
happened!
Since then Bill has won many events
nationally, including the Mint Handicap in Las Vegas in 1983 and the 200 yard
class singles in Phoenix that same year. Then he was really hooked! Bill has
several trophies from the Grand American, and his most cherished one there was
the Nora Martin Doubles Champion in the early ‘90s.
His Minnesota State trophies are
numerous, and Bill has been on the State Team for most of his shooting career.
Bill won our HAA in 2004 and our HOA in 1993 and 2000 along with many other
place trophies.
As the years progressed, Bill’s vision correction surgeries started failing
him somewhat. Or do we call that old age?! So his winnings have tapered off a
little. Regardless, he still enjoys the shoots immensely. He hasn’t missed a
Minnesota State shoot in 28 years, and not many in that same period in Iowa,
South Dakota and the Grand American. During the late 80’s and early 90’s,
his son Jeremy was involved in shooting, and Bill was very proud to have him on
the Jr. State Team.
These days, at the shoot, you will
find Bill rushing from the line to get back to the motor home so he can attend
to his many cooking duties. Bill and his wife, Rose, have fired up the grill on
hundreds of occasions, sometimes their own, sometimes, cooking for others. On
one occasion, Bill missed a shoot-off because no one else could fry the fish
just the right way. He is looking forward to many more of these events for both
the pleasure of shooting and the socializing.
Anyone who will ask Bill about his
favorite part of ATA participation will hear from him that it is the many
cherished friendships that he has made with a lot of really neat people over all
these years. Winning is nice, but not nearly as important to Bill as the
memories and friends that he has made.
William
D. Van Nieuwenhuyzen (aka Van Alphabet) started shooting ATA
registered targets in 1982. Dave Stearns, the manager of the
Luverne, MN trap club got him involved at that time.
