Dean Neumann

After Dean Neumann’s initial introduction to trapshooting by a neighbor, he joined league shoots at the Winona Sportsmen’s Club in Minnesota. In 1988, just two years after starting leagues, he went to his first registered shoot. The same year, he traveled to the state shoots in Minnesota and Iowa, plus the Grand American. Neumann proudly boasts that he has never missed the Grand since; it is his home away from home.

Neumann has racked up some impressive wins in his shooting career. In total, he has broken 100 from the 27-yard line 11 times. His first in 1988 completed as ATA Grand Slam.

At 2014 Grand American, he ran 100 from the back fence in the Prelim Sunday handicap, winning the event after shootoff. That score got him his Grand American Grand Slam. In addition to that perfect score, he has carded 16 200s in singles and nine centuries in doubles in Grand American competition. He was sub-vet All-Around champ in 2016 and topped that age group in 2017 Caesar Guerini Preliminary Handicap. He was veteran High-Over-All champ in 2020. In 2010 Neumann was part of the Minnesota team that won the State Team Race.

From 2001 to 2025 he earned spots on the All-American Team 19 times, including nine men’s, five sub-vet and five veteran. He was captain of the sub-vet team in 2018 and the veteran team in 2021. Neumann earned AA-27-AA status in 1991 and AAA-27-AAA  11 years later. He won a sub-vet Trap & Field All-Around Average Award in 2018 and earned veteran honors in 2021. His 2018 average of .9622 places eighth on the all-time sub-vet list.

In 1997 at Spanish Fork Gun Club, he, along with Steve Williamson, Charles W. Long, Neil Burbidge, and Jerald Mitchell, broke a squad record 495x500 in handicap. All five shooters were 27-yarders. The same group set a doubles squad high of 499x500 in 1998.

Neumann’s Satellite Grand titles include the 2013 Heartland Grand all-around and high-over-all the field, and he has two veteran crowns from the tournament. He has won category titles at the Spring Western Grands as well.

Neumann has collected six Minnesota state championships over the field and has age-group crowns in the Singles Championships. In 2017 he won the high-over-all.

He fondly recalls shooting on the very last 500x500 squad at the Grand in Vandalia (2005). That very same squad was the first to go 500x500 at the Grand in Sparta as well (2006).

Neumann gives back to the sport, both locally and at the national level. As a long time active member and the former president of the Winona Sportsmen’s Club, Neumann has witnessed unprecedented growth in trapshooting. He has helped ensure youth shooters have ample learning experiences, either through clinics or mentorships, and has helped lower youth shooter costs through club sponsorship of youth targets. At the national level, he is often found setting targets at the Grand.

While there is little doubt that the competition, shoot-offs and hard-fought battles prominently stand out, so too do the countless friendships forged. These friendships never would have been if not for trapshooting, and they are as meaningful to Neumann as any championship won.