LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 10th-ranked Navy rifle team (7-5, 2-2 GARC) had three different shooters tally at least 590 points during the air rifle portion of the match as the Midshipmen dropped a 4,714-4,660 contest to top-ranked Kentucky (9-0, 3-0 GARC) on Saturday afternoon.
Gabriella Mayes (So., Rio Rancho, N.M.) guided Navy with a 593 in air rifle, which was just one-point shy of her career-high and matched her season-high. Over the last three competitions for the Midshipmen, Mayes has scored a 593 in air rifle in each event. The pair of
Torrance Kang (Jr., Columbia, Md.) and
Michael Zanti (So., Norfolk, Va.) each fired 590s on Saturday afternoon to help Navy compile a team score of 2,357 points in air rifle. The Midshipmen's final counting score in air rifle came from
Mark Amdahl (So., Albuquerque, N.M.) with a 584.
The team total of 2,357 in air rifle marks the third-straight competition Navy has scored at least 2,355 points in the discipline and the fifth time in eight events all year. The 2,357 is also the third-best air rifle score the Midshipmen have produced to start the season.
In the smallbore portion of the match to start the day, Navy combined for a four-count score of 2,303. Amdahl registered the top smallbore score for Navy at 579 and Kang followed with a 576. Mayes and Zanti posted the final two counting marks for the Midshipmen's team score with matching 574s.
As a non-starter on Saturday,
Lucas Figi (Sr., Bozeman, Mont.) had the second-highest score for Navy in smallbore after firing a 577.
Brianna Feerick (So., Pembroke, Mass.) finished with a 575 in smallbore as a non-starter for the Midshipmen, which was fourth-best on the team and set a new career-high. Feerick capped off her career day with a 586 in air rifle, which set a new personal best and her 1,161 also set a career mark.
Luke Knollinger (Jr., Valley Grove, W. Va.) just missed his career-high by one in air rifle after shooting a 587 as a non-starter for the Midshipmen.
The Wildcats were paced by the pair of Mary Tucker and Will Shaner as they each finished one and two in the field in all three scoring categories. Tucker fired a 1,191, which is the second-best aggregate score in the nation and she holds the top-four aggregate scores in the NCAA while being the only shooter to break the 1,190 mark this year. Shaner matched his season-high with an aggregate score of 1,187 points, which is the third time this year he has hit that mark.
Kentucky compiled a 2,341 in smallbore and 2,373 in air rifle to remain unbeaten on the season.
Navy concludes its head-to-head slate in 2019 next weekend at home against No. 2 West Virginia.
