ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The 10th-ranked Navy rifle team (6-7, 2-4 in the GARC) is slated to return to action Saturday at 9 a.m. as it travels to West Point to take on No. 14 Army (2-6, 2-3 in the GARC) in the annual Star Match. The competition is part of the Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA. Free, live results of the match will be available via NavySports.com.
 
STAR MATCH SCORING FORMAT
Scoring for the Star Match will feature eight starters for each team in smallbore and air rifle, with the top-five scores counting toward each team's final score. The NCAA scoring model of starting five shooters in each event with the top-four scores counting will still be used for NCAA Championship qualification purposes.
 
2021-22 STAR SERIES BREAKDOWN
In the overall 2021-22 Army-Navy Star Series, presented by USAA, Navy has a 9-1 advantage over Army after winning the Star in men's golf, sprint football, men's soccer, women's cross country, men's cross country, women's soccer, women's swimming & diving, men's swimming & diving and football. The lone victory for Army in the 2021-22 series came in volleyball on Sept. 25.

Saturday's rifle match is one of four Star competitions on the day, joining men's and women's indoor track & field and gymnastics. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
In a series that dates back to the 1939 season, Army holds a 47-33 edge over Navy in the 80 meetings between the two service academies. However, the Midshipmen have won two of their last three matches against the Black Knights, along with having a 2-2 record against Army under the direction of head coach Mike Anti. Additionally, in Star Matches held at West Point, the rivals have recorded an even 20-20 record.
 
PRESIDENT'S TROPHY MATCH
Army and Navy met earlier this season at the annual President's Trophy Match hosted by Air Force on Nov. 6. The Midshipmen finished second in the event with an overall score of 5,850 points, its highest-ever score in the competition. The Black Knights finished third in the field of four teams, posting a score of 5,837 points.  
 
LAST TIME OUT: #2 West Virginia 4,739 – #8 Navy 4,712
The Mids were last in action on Jan. 22 against second-ranked West Virginia, falling to the Mountaineers by a narrow margin of just 27 points. Navy set a new team record for overall scoring, cracking the 4,700-point plateau for the first time in school history, while also setting a new program-best mark in the air rifle discipline at 2,382 points.
 
Individually, the Midshipmen were led by team captain Michael Zanti (Sr., Norfolk, Va.) who shot the highest-individual score in program history at 1,186 points. Finishing just behind Zanti, in addition to recording the second-best individual score in Navy rifle history, was newcomer Marleigh Duncan (Fr., Wake Forest, N.C.) who tallied 1,185 points.
 
NAVY PRIMER
Overall Record: 6-7
GARC Record: 2-4
CRCA Ranking: No. 10
Home Record: 2-4
Away Record: 2-3
Neutral Record: 2-0
Streak: L2
Head Coach: Mike Anti I Fifth Season (36-35)
 
SCOUTING THE MIDSHIPMEN
Zanti leads the way for Navy in aggregate scoring average (1,182.1) in addition to being first in smallbore scoring (586.5). The senior standout ranks second on the team in air rifle average (595.2) behind Mark Amdahl (Sr., Albuquerque, N.M.) who is averaging 595.3 points per match in the discipline. Duncan stands as another consistent presence for the Midshipmen, being second in smallbore scoring (576.2) along with ranking third in aggregate average (1,165.4) and fourth in air rifle (592.5).
 
Duncan joins Amdahl and Zanti as the only three players to have posted scores of 599 in air rifle, just one-point short of a perfect score. Rounding out the top performers for the Mids this season is McKenzie Shedd (Fr., Burke, Va.) who is currently third on the team in aggregate (1,165.4) and air rifle (592.5) average while being fifth in smallbore (572.9).
 
ARMY PRIMER
Overall Record: 2-6
GARC Record: 2-3
CRCA Ranking: No. 14
Home Record: 1-2
Away Record: 0-3
Neutral Record: 1-1
Streak: L1
Head Coach: Web Wright I Eighth Season (43-48)
 
SCOUTING THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Lauren McMahan enters the Star Match as the top scorer for the Black Knights, averaging 1,168.5 points per match, with Claudia Sigel coming in a close second in overall scoring average at 1,168.3. Anusha Pakkam rounds out the top-overall scorers for Army this season, being third on the team at 1,160.2 points per match.
 
NCAA TEAM STANDINGS
Entering the weekend, Navy ranks eighth in the nation in aggregate scoring average at 4,686.7 points per match, in addition to ranking seventh in air rifle average (2,371.3) and 11th in smallbore average (2,315.4).
 
Following the Star Match against Army, the Mids top-three overall scores will be averaged together with their score in the NCAA qualification match next week to determine their standing in the NCAA Championship field. The top-three scores this season for Navy currently stand in descending order as 4,712 (1/22), 4,699 (11/12) and 4,694 (11/14).
 
INDIVIDUAL SCORING LEADERS
Zanti ranks among the top-overall scorers in the nation this season, being seventh nationally in aggregate scoring average, eighth in air rifle average and 11th in smallbore. Joining Zanti among the top shooters in the NCAA this season is Amdahl who sits just outside the top-50 overall scorers in the nation.
 
UP NEXT
Following the Star Match against Army, Navy is set to host John Jay and North Carolina State for an NCAA Championship qualifier match. The Midshipmen's overall score in the qualifying match will account for 50 percent of their average score for the season that is used to determine if they earn a bid to the NCAA Championships hosted by Air Force March 11-12 in Colorado Springs.