ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy rifle team (11-7, 3-5 GARC) is slated to return to action this weekend as the team travels to take part in the annual Great American Rifle Conference Championship (GARC) hosted by West Virginia University at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building in Morgantown, W.Va.
Action will get underway Saturday at 9:00 a.m. with the smallbore competition, followed by an addition 9:00 a.m. start on Sunday for the air rifle portion of the championship. Free live results for both days of competition will be available via NavySports.com.
GARC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
A member of the GARC since the 2014-15 season, Navy saw its best finishes at the smallbore portion of the championship come during the 2017 and 2020 seasons with a pair of third-place marks. In air rifle competition, the Midshipmen tied for third place in 2022 for their best finish in the discipline at the event. The Mids' top aggregate finish came in 2018, finishing third overall.
THE FIELD
Joining the Midshipmen among the GARC Championship field will be fellow conference members Akron, Army, Kentucky, Memphis, NC State, Ole Miss, and West Virginia. Of the eight GARC teams, three earned a bid to the NCAA Championship field – Kentucky, Ole Miss, and West Virginia.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND
The NCAA Men's and Women's Rifle Committee announced the teams and individual qualifiers for the 2023 National Collegiate Men's and Women's Rifle Championships and Navy's
Marleigh Duncan (Wake Forest, N.C.) and
Parker Haydin (Joshua, Texas) qualified as individuals in both smallbore and air rifle.
Hosted by Akron, the championships will be held March 10-11 on campus at James A. Rhodes Arena, in Akron, Ohio.
Duncan and Haydin have been atop the leaderboard for the Midshipmen throughout the season. The duo finished first or second among Navy shooters in nearly every match. Haydin (1,179.4) held a slight tenth of a point advantage in aggregate scoring over Duncan (1,179.3). Haydin led the team in smallbore scoring, 587.1, while Duncan paced the squad in air rifle, 592.9. Duncan shot an average of 586.4 in smallbore, while Haydin notched an average of 592.3 in air rifle.
LAST TIME OUT
Navy tallied 4,701 total points in the NCAA Qualifier at the Bancroft Hall Rifle Range, defeating NC State and John Jay. The Midshipmen topped the Wolfpack, 4,701-4,659, while besting the Bloodhounds, 4,701-4,292.
Navy finished the day with seven of the top 10 shooters, including five of the top six.
Parker Haydin (Joshua, Texas) and
Marleigh Duncan (Wake Forest, N.C.) finished 1-2 in smallbore, air rifle, and aggregate to lead the Midshipmen.
Stephanie Milvain (Matthews, N.C.) finished fourth overall, while
Deonte Hayes (Fort Mill, S.C.) took fifth.
Joshua Potts (Ephrata, Pa.),
Clarissa Layland (Granbury, Texas), and
Devin Uhrich (Camp Hill, Pa.) closed out the day in sixth, eighth, and 10th, respectively.
As a team, the Midshipmen combined for a score of 2,330 in smallbore, while tallying a 2,371 in air rifle. The aggregate score of 4,701 marked the fifth time this season the Mids topped the 4,700-point plateau.
SCOUTING THE MIDSHIPMEN
The Midshipmen enter the weekend with an 11-7 overall record, after defeating NC State and John Jay in the NCAA Qualifier last weekend at the Bancroft Hall Rifle Range. The Midshipmen are sending six competitors to the GARC Championship –
Marleigh Duncan (Wake Forest, N.C.),
Parker Haydin (Joshua, Texas),
Deonte Hayes (Fort Mill, S.C.),
Clarissa Layland (Granbury, Texas),
Stephanie Milvain (Matthews, N.C.), and
Joshua Potts (Ephrata, Pa.).
The shooters have been part of Navy's starting lineup throughout the season. Duncan and Haydin have started in both disciplines in all 12 competition dates, while Layland has started all 12 competitions in air rifle with 11 starts in smallbore. Milvain has made 12 starts in smallbore with five starts in air rifle. Rounding out the starters are Potts and Hayes who have 10 and nine starts in air rifle, respectively, with nine and one starts in smallbore, correspondingly.
For the season, Haydin and Duncan are atop the team in aggregate scoring with totals of 1,179.4 and 1,179.3. Duncan leads the team in air rifle and ranks second in air rifle, while Haydin leads the squad in smallbore and ranks third in air rifle. Haydin has a team-leading tally of 587.1 in smallbore, followed by Duncan's 586.4. Duncan is first overall on the team in air rifle with a 592.9, while Haydin is third with a 592.3.
Milvain averages 580.4 to rank third on the squad in smallbore, while notching a 585.4 average in air rifle. Her aggregate average is 1,165.8, which ranks third on the team. Layland is second on the squad in air rifle, coming in a tenth of a point behind Duncan (592.8). Her smallbore score of 572.4 ranks fifth on the team, while coming in fourth (1,165.2) in aggregate scoring. Potts is fourth in smallbore (573.3), while also coming in fifth in aggregate average (1,158.7). Hayes is fourth in air rifle with an average of 586.5.
UP NEXT
Following the GARC Championship, Navy individuals Duncan and Haydin will compete in the NCAA Championship hosted by Akron, the championships will be held March 10-11 on campus at James A. Rhodes Arena, in Akron, Ohio.
