ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy rifle (10-5) scored 4,670 points in its NCAA Qualifying Match against John Jay (4-5), where the Midshipmen earned the victory over the Bloodhounds, 4,670-4,371, on Saturday at the Bancroft Hall Rifle Range.
 
Navy's 4,670 points from Saturday's match will be added to the average of its three top scores from matches at three different locations throughout the season. The top eight teams will qualify for the NCAA National Championship from March 7-9. The qualifying teams will be announced by the NCAA on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
 
Michael Zanti (Fr., Norfolk, Va.) shot his career best to finish out the Midshipmen's home schedule after firing an aggregate score of 1,173. The freshman fired the best smallbore score in the field at 580 to pace Navy to a smallbore score of 2,310. 
 
Daniel Enger (So., Walla Walla, Wash.) was just behind with a 579 for the Midshipmen. Kestrel Kuhne (Jr., Everett, Pa.) shot a 576 to count toward the team score. With just one score left to be counted for the team total, the Navy pair of Josh Watson (Sr., Enterprise, Ala.) and Torrance Kang (So., Columbia, Md.) shoot matching 575s.
 
Shifting into the air rifle portion of the match, Kang shot a season-high 594 to match her career best to lead the entire field. Zanti continued his career day with a career mark in air rifle after firing a 593. Kuhne and Mark Amdahl (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M.) posted the final two counting air rifle scores with a 588 and a 585, respectively. Enger had a strong performance in the discipline with a 586 to finish the day with the third-best aggregate score in the field, 1,165, trailing only Zanti and Kang (1,169).
 
Navy's score of 2,360 points in air rifle matched its second-best total of the season and was two points shy of its season best of 2,362 points in a tri-match against Akron and North Carolina State on Oct. 13.
 
The Midshipmen will now wait to see if they earn a bid into the NCAA National Championship. The eight qualifying teams will be announced by the national office on Tuesday.
 
Navy's next competition is the Great American Rifle Conference Championship next Friday and Saturday in Akron, Ohio.