LINCOLN, Neb. – After falling in its first match of 2019, the No. 8 Navy rifle team (8-4, 4-2 Great American Rifle Conference) bounced back with a neutral site victory over No. 13 North Carolina State (3-5, 2-5 GARC), 4,644-4,625, on Saturday at the Nebraska Rifle Range.
Despite the victory, the Midshipmen fired their lowest round of the season for the second-straight contest. Navy only scored a 4,650 on Friday in a loss to Nebraska, but then only tallied 4,644 points on Saturday.
"We went 1-1 this weekend, which is good but we really should have won both matches," head coach
Mike Anti said recapping the weekend. "Our performance in both matches was not up to our average. We were looking to increase our NCAA average to help us qualify for the national championships. We will have another opportunity next week to up our average."
The Midshipmen just missed the 2,300-mark in smallbore as their four counting scores totaled 2,299.
Daniel Enger (So., Walla Walla, Wash.) led Navy and finished second in the field with a 579 in the event.
Josh Watson (Sr., Enterprise, Ala.) was just behind with a 578 for Navy. The final two counting scores for the Mids came from
Torrance Kang (So., Columbia, Md.) and
Kestrel Kuhne (Jr., Everett, Pa.) at 572 and 570, respectively.
Claire Spina led the field with a score of 583 in smallbore, but the Wolfpack only compiled 2,288 points and trailed by 11 points in the first half of the competition.
Navy finished air rifle with a team score of 2,345 and outscored North Carolina State by eight points. After firing a 568 in smallbore,
Michael Zanti (Fr., Norfolk, Va.) posted the best air rifle score in the match with a 590.
Mark Amdahl (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M.) finished with a 587 and Kuhne notched a 585.
The final counting score for the Midshipmen came from Kang – who fired a 583. As a non-starter, freshman
Gabriella Mayes (Rio Rancho, N.M.) posted the second-best air rifle score overall at 589.
Following her 587 in air rifle, Spina finished with the best aggregate score between the two teams after compiling a total of 1,170. Enger and Mayes had the top aggregate marks for the Midshipmen with matching 1,159s.
Navy continues its four-match road stretch to start 2019 as it travels to No. 2 West Virginia next Saturday for a 10 a.m. match in Morgantown, W. Va.
