ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The ninth-ranked Navy rifle team (5-5, 1-3 GARC) is set to return to action over the weekend as it hosts a pair of matchups against No. 1 Alaska (5-0, 2-0 PRC) and No. 14 North Carolina State (1-3, 1-3 GARC) at the
Bancroft Hall Rifle Range.
The Midshipmen will begin competition on Friday against the Wolf Pack followed by a match against the top-ranked Nanooks on Sunday. Action on both Friday and Sunday is set to begin at 9 a.m. Additionally, North Carolina State and Alaska will take part in a match hosted by Navy on Saturday. Free, live results for each day of competition will be available via NavySports.com.
ACCESSING THE USNA / COVID-19 POLICY
The USNA is closed to all vehicles without a Department of Defense-approved identification card. All other visitors are encouraged to park downtown and walk through the security gates at Gate One. When walking on, those ages 18 and over must present a photo identification card (driver's license) to gain access and those 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Masks but be worn by everyone indoors, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status. Once on USNA grounds, those who have not been vaccinated must wear a mask at all times and those who have been vaccinated have the option to wear a mask while outdoors but must wear a mask indoors. Additionally, those attending a home match at the
Bancroft Hall Rifle Range must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no later than 72 hours prior to the match.
LAST TIME OUT
Last time out, Navy finished second out of four teams at the President's Trophy Match hosted by Air Force in Colorado Springs. The Midshipmen posted a match score of 5,850 points along with having a five-count score of 4,689 points for NCAA qualification purposes. Both point totals marked new program records for the Midshipmen, being the highest point total by Navy in the current scoring system for the President's Trophy Match and the highest overall five-count score in program history.
Air Force won its eighth-straight President's Trophy Match after edging the Mids by a narrow margin of 33 points at 5,883 points while Army finished third with a score of 4,837. Coast Guard also tallied a 2,263-point mark from its two competitors.
Michael Zanti (Sr., Norfolk, Va.) once again paced Navy with a total score of 1,183, tied for the highest-such mark in the event with Air Force standout Scott Rockett. The senior posted the highest smallbore score in the competition at 589 points in addition to posting 594-point score in the air rifle discipline.
TOP PERFORMERS
Through seven competitions this season, Zanti leads the way for the Midshipmen in all three scoring categories. The senior is averaging 586.6 points per match in smallbore along with 594.6 in air rifle and 1,181.7 in aggregate.
Mark Amdahl (Sr., Albuquerque, N.M.) is second in all three categories with an average of 575.4 in smallbore, 592.4 in air rifle and an overall-scoring average of 1,167.9 points.
Marleigh Duncan (Fr., Wake Forest, N.C.) ranks third in smallbore average (573.6) along with being fourth in overall scoring (1,159.1) and fifth in air rifle (585.6).
Rounding out the top performers for the Midshipmen this season is
McKenzie Shedd (Fr., Burke, Va.) who currently ranks third on the team in air rifle (592.1) and overall scoring average (1,163.4) while being fifth in smallbore (571.3).
NCAA TEAM STANDINGS
Two of the top-10 teams in the NCAA team standings will be squaring off in Annapolis over the weekend, as Alaska ranks as the top scoring team in the nation (4,731.67) while Navy currently is sixth (4,687.67). North Carolina State currently ranks 13th nationally with an overall-scoring average of 4,660. At the end of the season, the top-three scores by the Midshipmen, along with their score in an NCAA qualification match later this season, will be averaged together to determine the NCAA Championship field.
INDIVIDUAL NCAA LEADERS
Among the top-individual performers in the NCAA this season, Zanti has the seventh-best aggregate scoring average along with being 11th nationally in both air rifle and smallbore average through seven matches.
SCOUTING THE WOLF PACK
Last time out, North Carolina State fell to eighth-ranked Ohio State, 4,691-4,664. Katie Tedeschi paced the Wolfpack with a sixth overall individual finish as she fired a season-high 583 smallbore to go along with a 592-air rifle score for an aggregate total of 1,175. Following behind Tedeschi was Ben Salas who shot a 580 smallbore and a 591-air rifle to give him an 1,171-aggregate score, good enough for eighth-best in the match.
SCOUTING THE NANOOKS
Top-ranked Alaska is coming off a 4,736-4,593 win over the Citadel last time out. Rylan Kissell finished as the top-individual performer in the competition with a score of 1,194 points followed by Sara Karasova in second (1,184 points) and Kellen McAferty in third (1,180 points).
UP NEXT
The matches against Alaska and North Carolina State will mark the end of Navy's fall schedule. The Midshipmen are slated to participate in the USA Shooting Winter Air Gun Championships December 8-12 and the Junior Olympics Qualifier on January 15 before resuming its 2021-22 season with a match against West Virginia on January 22.
