OXFORD, Miss. – The Navy rifle team (3-3, 1-2 GARC) tied its highest point total of the season, but ultimately fell to fourth-ranked Ole Miss (3-1, 2-1 GARC), 4,719-4,687, in a GARC match Sunday.

The 4,687-point total score by the Midshipmen tied a program record for the highest score in a single event set earlier this season against Ohio State. Additionally, none of the Mids' participants in both smallbore and air rifle finished with an overall score below 1,159 points.

Having totaled 2,321 points in smallbore along with a mark of 2,366 in air rifle, Navy has totaled at least 2,300 points in each of the disciplines in each of its six matches. Additionally, the 2,321 points in smallbore finished just one-point shy of tying a season-best score in the event while the 2,366 points in air rifle marked the third-highest total by the Midshipmen in the discipline this season. 

"A very solid performance again today," said head coach Mike Anti. "I felt like the team made great progress today even though our total score was only two points higher than yesterday. We really wanted to improve our smallbore performance compared to yesterday's match and we did that by 14 points. We also has a decent outcome in air rifle even though it was a bit lower than yesterday. All in all, it was a great weekend for our team. We now have three solid scores towards NCAA qualification but now we look forward to increasing that average." 

Michael Zanti (Sr., Norfolk, Va.) continued his torrid start to the 2021-22 campaign, finishing as the top participant in the contest with an aggregate mark of 1,185 on 590 points in smallbore and 595 in air rifle. The 1,185-point overall score by the senior set a new career-best score in the discipline while his 590 points in smallbore tied his career-best mark in the event.

The overall score by Zanti stands as the second-highest total by a Midshipmen in program history, being just two points off the program record for a single-event overall score.

Mark Amdahl (Sr., Albuquerque, N.M.) followed Zanti with the sixth-highest score in the competition at 1,169 points on 578 points in smallbore followed by a 591-point mark in air rifle. Amdahl's 578-point finish in smallbore marked a new season-best score in the discipline for the senior while his 591 points in air rifle was his second-best total of the year.

McKenzie Shedd (Fr., Burke, Va.) posted the 10th-best score in the competition with a mark of 1,160, tallying 568 points in smallbore, her third-best score in the discipline this season, while also recording a 592-point score in air rifle that also marked her third-best mark in the event this season along with being just three points shy of the freshman's career-best score in air rifle of 595. Additionally, the 1,160-point total score by Shedd was her third-highest overall mark this season.

Marleigh Duncan (Fr., Wake Forest, N.C.) tallied an overall score of 1,159 points on scores of 571 in smallbore and 588 in air rifle, respectively. The freshman finished with her second-best overall mark of the season while missing her career-best mark in air rifle by two points.  

Clarissa Layland (So., Granbury, Texas) finished with 571 points in smallbore and 588 points in air rifle for an overall score of 1,159. The sophomore's air rifle and overall point totals were her second-best marks of the season, respectively.

Brianna Feerick (Sr., Pembroke, Mass.), who participated in only smallbore competition, recorded a score of 582 points that stands as a new career-best mark for the senior, besting her previous-high mark in the discipline of 578 points.

Rounding out Navy's participants against the Rebels was Laurel Kuhne (Sr., Everett, Pa.), who participated in only air rifle competition, posting 579-point mark in the discipline.

UP NEXT
Navy is set to return to action October 30 as it welcomes Kentucky to the Bancroft Hall Rifle Range for a GARC contest. The match is set to get underway at 9 a.m.