10/21/2004 - Rifle
Navy's Top Gun
The United States Naval Academy and rifle head coach Bill Kelley have Goose, Maverick, Iceman and a slew of others to thank. That's because without the movie, Top Gun, Matt Albright may have never become a Midshipmen.
That's because Albright wouldn't have become interested in being a pilot and possibly never interested in Navy.
"The reason I came here was to fly jets. I wanted to become a Navy pilot first," said Albright. "I got really interested, more so as a dream, when I watched Top Gun for the first time when I was about eight years old. Something about that movie really hit me. But I didn't get serious about it until my sophomore year in college.
"The only person from my high school that had gone here was an older brother of a girl in my class," added Albright. "I talked to him and really got a sense of what it was like here, and I really wanted to be a part of it. It was something I was cut out for and something I could see myself doing."
Of course, the rifle part wouldn't even have been an interest if it weren't for ESPN and the help of his grandparents. Albright got interested in rifle when watching a skeet-shooting competition on television. His grandparents were involved in shooting and got Matt involved, and the rest is history.
"My parents kind of pushed it for me to get interested, so I decided to give it a try," said Albright. "I shot some and did really well and had natural ability doing it. I played other sports in high school, but was much better in rifle."
Albright carries the hopes of the Navy rifle team in pursuit of its first national championship. The Mids are coming off a third-place NCAA finish in 2004, which the senior from Shelton, Conn., earned All-America honors along with three other teammates. The returnees coming back along with the newcomers all feel that this could be a year that Navy makes a run at its first national title.
With Albright leading the way, the Mids have as good of a chance as anyone. He broke the Academy record in smallbore with an 1187 against Army last February before posting new Navy records at the NCAA Team Championship with a 392 and an 1178 in air and smallbore respectively. He was a first team All-American in both disciplines and placed fifth at the NCAA Smallbore Championship. In 2003-04, he posted Navy's top 11 scores. That came on the heels of a seventh-place finish in smallbore at the 2003 NCAA Championships.
Kelley thinks that Albright may be one of the best ever at Navy.
"We have had some great shooters here at Navy, but Matt is one of the best, if not the best," said Kelley. "I say that because he has proven himself on every level he's been at. If you look at the recordbook, his name is by every single one of them."
However, Albright's ride at Navy hasn't always been smooth. Towards the end of last year, the senior was going through a bout of burnout. It was so bad that he took some time off from the sport he loves. Albright is coming back with a new attitude for his final season on the Yard.
"The last three years, I took things way too serious," said Albright. "I was going after a spot on the national and Olympic teams and just worked too hard and burned myself out and got very frustrated.
"Fortunately, we recognized the problem early. I was able to fight through it and move on and take things less serious this year," said Albright.
And if it wasn't without Kelley's understanding and leadership, none of it may have come to fruition.
"Coach Kelley really encouraged me to take my time and wait to start shooting again until I was ready," said Albright. "This year, I am going to be much more relaxed and just go out and have fun. It's my senior year and I want to enjoy it."
"I think it's legitimate that he's been burned out. He has worked very hard and has a very strong work ethic," said Kelley. "Instead of giving up, he fought his way through it and is making a strong return. And the way he is going now, he could easily win both (smallbore and air rifle) titles at the NCAA Championships.
"The thing that I admire most about Matt is that he has acted very responsibly," added Kelley. "He has done everything I have asked him to do. If he continues to do that, he will have a fantastic season."
Albright is already well on his way toward a stellar senior season. The Mids have had two dual matches, with Albright leading the way both times. He has taken home top honors in the air rifle, smallbore and combined scores in wins over Akron and West Virginia.
To top it off, Albright is an excellent student-athlete, posting an impressive 3.6 GPA during this semester and a 3.1 cumulative GPA.
"I realize that I am not going to get anywhere with rifle, so grades are very important," said Albright. "The great thing about Navy is that everyone here knows that grades are important. I'm glad that I have decent enough grades to get me where I am.
"The records and rifle success are just icing on the cake," added Albright.
So, while Albright can relax and just focus on the season, he is still going to lend a helping hand when he can.
"We want to do well in NCAA's, but team and individual success won't hinge on that," said Albright. "I want to be a leader to the team, along with captain Mike Miller. I'll work with people one-on-one if they need it, because chances are they may be going through some of the same things I have."
With Albright leading the way, the Mids are aiming for an NCAA title. And he'll make sure they are relaxed and will have fun doing it.
