10/14/2004 - Rifle
Rifle Opens Season This Weekend With Two Matches
Mike Miller and the Mids will take on Akron and West Virginia in Navy's season opener this weekend. |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Head Coach Bill Kelley enters his sixth season at the helm of the Navy rifle squad with high expectations following last year's third-place finish at the NCAA Tournament in March. Kelley welcomes back three All-Americans off that squad and hopes the team can repeat the success of last year. The Mids battle Akron and West Virginia over the weekend, taking on the Zips on Saturday and the Mountaineers on Sunday.
"We are kind of like that football team that gets tired of practicing against each other," said Kelley. "We are ready to go out and shoot against someone else."
Akron is coming off an impressive showing at the VMI Invitational two weeks ago in its first action of the season. Angela Engle took the top spot in the smallbore competition and was second in the air rifle to lead the Zips. Akron claimed last year's WIRC Conference championship.
West Virginia, meanwhile, was a perennial national power for many years, winning 13 national championships, before discontinuing its program last season. However, the program has been restarted and will provide a stiff competition for the Midshipmen. While head coach Martha Beasley returns only two shooters that have competed at the NCAA level, she knows what it takes to succeed, posting a 146-8 overall record in 14 years at the helm.
"They are both very solid teams," said Kelley. "Akron is fresh off a conference championship and West Virginia has always had a great program. This will be a great test for us at the start of the season."
Kelley expects his All-American quarter, Matt Albright (Shelton, Conn.), Mike Milller (Albuquerque, N.M.), Chris Schneider (Fort Mill, S.C.) and Sarah Bergman (Fort Mill, S.C.) to lead the Mids again. But he also indicated that others are capable of stepping up.
"I expect our returning All-Americans to step up and lead us again," said Kelley. "But a few others have looked good in practice. Josh Albright and Kevin Wilson (Freeport, N.Y.) have looked very strong. They are both in the mix and I hope that they have as much success in matches as they have in practice.
"What I am looking for is us to shoot as well in a match as we have in practice," said Kelley. "If we can do that, we will return home very pleased."
Action gets underway at 8:00 a.m. for both meets.
# GO NAVY #
