LINCOLN, Neb. – The eighth-ranked Navy rifle team (7-4, 3-2 Great American Rifle Conference) dropped its first match of 2019 after No. 10 Nebraska (5-5, 3-3 GARC) outlasted the Midshipmen in a 4,652-4,650 decision.
The Midshipmen trailed the Huskers by six points following smallbore competition, 2,309-2,303, and started to rally in air rifle. However, Navy only outscored Nebraska by four points in the discipline and suffered a narrow two-point defeat to the Huskers in a top-10 matchup.
The duo of
Daniel Enger (So., Walla Walla, Wash.) and
Michael Zanti (Fr., Norfolk, Va.) paced the Midshipmen in smallbore with matching 578s.
Torrance Kang (So., Columbia, Md.) was just behind with a 577 and senior captain
Josh Watson (Enterprise, Ala.) notched the final counting score at 570 to finish off the 2,303 in smallbore. Navy's team leader in the discipline,
Kestrel Kuhne (Jr., Everett, Pa.), struggled to start the new year and shot a 566 in smallbore.
Nebraska counted a pair of scores over 580 in smallbore to finish off its 2,309. Samantha Peterson led the field with a 584 and Emily Cheramie posted a 582.
In air rifle, the Midshipmen compiled a team score of 2,347 as they started to rally from its deficit. Kang and
Mark Amdahl (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M.) finished the event with a pair of 588s, while Kuhne shot a 586 to help Navy's team score and
Gabriella Mayes' (Fr., Rio Rancho, N.M.) 585 was the final counting score in air rifle. As a non-starter in air rifle, Enger shot a 586 to finish tied for seventh overall in the field.
Peterson's 590 was the only counter score in the field to reach the 590-threshold as her mark and leading aggregate score of 1,174 paced the Huskers to the narrow victory. Peterson was the lone shooter to reach at least 1,170. Bailey Powell led both teams in air rifle as a non-starter with a 593.
Kang had the highest aggregate score for Navy with a total of 1,165 to place third in the field while Enger was just behind at 1,164.
The Mids' marks in smallbore (2,303) and air rifle (2,347) were season lows as they failed to reach at least a total score of 4,660 for the first time all season.
Navy has the chance to rebound on Saturday morning against No. 13 North Carolina State. The Midshipmen take on the Wolfpack at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Nebraska Rifle Range in Lincoln, Neb.
