Shooting for Gold

Story by Ashley Osborne

Published in Spring 2025 K-State Agriculturist issue

To view the full issue, click here.

For most athletes, high school competition is often the pinnacle of their athletic experience. A select group of athletes continue to compete in college and even fewer make it to the professional level. But one Kansas State University alumnus has made it all the way to the Olympics with his sport not once but twice. That athlete is Derrick Mein and his sport is trap shooting.

OLYMPIC EXPERIENCES

“Here I am seven years later, having made two Olympic teams,” Mein says.

He first competed in Tokyo in 2021 and then again in the summer of 2024 at the games in Paris. He says those two experiences were quite different due to the COVID-19 restrictions that were in place in 2020.

“Tokyo’s welcoming experience was discontented, with everyone being distance,” Mein says.

Mein says the 2024 experience in the Olympic Village was a much different experience where he engaged with some well-known athletes including golf professionals Colin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark, and basketball star Stephen Curry.

“Everyone was genuinely interested in supporting Team USA and the team as a whole,” Mein says. “It’s a very cool and humbling experience being there as Team USA.”

Although shooting sports isn’t a team event, he sees himself as a leader for the trap shooting and USA competitors.

“I want to put myself out there and do everything as best I can and show by example,” Mein says.

With the pressure, he stayed true to his practice and preparation.

“I am focused on the process it takes to break each target,” Mein says.

TARGET PRACTICE

Mein’s focus stems back to years of practice and discipline. Starting at a young age, Mein wanted to be the best, and that would take him from the small town of Girard, Kansas, where he was raised. With his shooting, he was able to travel throughout the U.S. Although he was competing, he didn’t find out about the Olympic shooting trials until he shot in a small match in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

That experience led him to garner a shooting sports scholarship at Lindenwood University. As part of that team, he participated in the

Junior Olympics and earned the title of National Champion.

“I started really getting into the sport and zeroing in,” Mein says.

The next stop in his educational journey lead him to K-State, where he says his training regimen slacked.

Mein found himself fighting the cold, rainy weather and not having a location to practice. During this time, he was fourth in the first half of Olympic trials, and placed seventh in the second half.

“I never did really win anything while I was in college,” Mein says, “I always felt like I need to go back to that someday.”

PARIS AND BEYOND

Mein kept these setbacks in the back of his mind, practicing and meeting with his national coach, Lance Bade. After not advancing to the finals of the Toyko Olympics. Mein says he and Bade spent countless months coming up with a competition strategy. With new barrels, stocks and a new attitude, Mein says he was not only physically prepared but also mentally.

“My mental preparation was all about getting out and competing as much as I could,” Mein says.

Along with the preparation, Mein says having his family finally by his side at the Paris Olympics was critical to his success.

“The games made me a better husband, son and father, knowing that you can’t just sit back and expect it to happen,” Mein says.

With the preparation and family support behind him. Mein finished in the finals at the Paris competition.

But he says he isn’t done yet. He aspires to compete in the 2028 Olympics hosted in Los Angeles.

Mein says, “The next four years will be focused on not only making the team to participate in LA but I’m gung-ho on winning a medal.”