Announced on May 23, 2017 as the head coach of the Navy rifle team, Anti comes to Annapolis after eight successful years as an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy and over 30 total years of experience with shooting, competing and coaching rifle.
The 2024 NCAA Championship marked the end of Navy's record-breaking 2023-24 season, in which it broken the team-scoring record in each of the three categories, along with cracking the 4,700-point plateau on nine different occasions. The Mids finished the season with a 10-9 overall record, securing the Midshipmen’s fifth winning season in the last six years.
Navy used a record-setting performance to post a victory in the annual Star Match at Army. The Midshipmen registered a school-record score in the current Army-Navy scoring format to post a 5896-5863 win. In addition, the Mids shot a school record in the NCAA scoring format, notching a team score of 4724. Marleigh Duncan was awarded the Josh Watson Memorial Trophy that is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player of the Star Match.
The Midshipmen placed fifth at the GARC Championship with an aggregate score of 4703 points, including marks of 2331 in smallbore and 2372 in air rifle. Individually at the GARC, Isabella Baldwin led the way for the Mids. The rookie tallied 1181 aggregate points in her first GARC Championship. Marleigh Duncan was one point back, registering an aggregate tally of 1180.
The GARC announced its postseason awards and a pair of Midshipmen – Isabella Baldwin and Marleigh Duncan – combined for six All-Conference honors for shooting, while Clarissa Layland was selected as Navy's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Additionally, the Navy rifle team earned the conference's Sportsmanship Award. Baldwin was tabbed Second Team All-GARC in smallbore, air rifle, and combined. Duncan earned second-team distinction in smallbore and aggregate, while being named honorable mention in air rifle. Academically, Layland recorded a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the fall to represent the team as Navy's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the GARC. Each team in the conference has one honoree based off of grades in the fall semester.
Navy was selected as one of eight teams to compete at the NCAA Rifle National Championship. With three consecutive record-breaking weekends, including the NCAA Qualifying Match, the Midshipmen moved themselves from 12th-place in the standings to seventh place, jumping ahead of Nebraska who qualified eighth. Joining #7 Navy in the national championship field was championship host #1 West Virginia, #2 TCU, #3 Air Force, #4 Kentucky, #5 Alaska Fairbanks, #6 Ole Miss, and #8 Nebraska.
At the 2024 NCAA Rifle Championship at the WVU Coliseum, Navy finished in sixth place. Clarissa Layland posted a team-best score of 1179 in her final NCAA Championship. Marleigh Duncan was second on the team with an aggregate tally of 1175. She finished one point better than Isabella Baldwin who carded a two-day score of 1174. Deonte Hayes carded an aggregate score of 1162, while Stephanie Milvain finished with an 1161.
Standouts Isabella Baldwin and Marleigh Duncan were selected as CRCA All-Americans, combining for five All-American accolades. Baldwin was a first-team honoree in smallbore, while being named third team in aggregate and honorable mention in air rifle. Duncan was recognized as a Second Team All-American in smallbore discipline, while being named Honorable Mention All-American in the aggregate category.
Academically, the CRCA announced its Scholastic All-Americans and seven Navy student-athletes –Isabella Baldwin, Catherine Dely, John Dely, Mark Dely, Clarissa Layland, Joshua Potts, and Ryan Wee – were recognized for their efforts in the classroom. Additionally, Layland was among the five Navy female student-athletes who garnered Academic All-District accolades for at-large sports from the College Sports Communicators.
In 2022-23, Navy finished the season with an 11-7 record, including a 3-4 mark in Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) matches. The 11 victories secured the Midshipmen’s fourth winning season in the last five years.
The Midshipmen finished second overall during the President's Trophy Match with a total of 5,849 points, marking its second-highest score in the competition in program history. The Mids were edged by Air Force, but defeated Army and Coast Guard in the four-team match.
Navy swept the top five spots on the leaderboard to post a 5,880-5,833 victory over Army in the annual Star Match at the Bancroft Hall Rifle Range. The victory marked the fourth time in the last five seasons the Midshipmen defeated the Black Knights in the annual Star Match. Navy also cracked the 4,700-point plateau with a score of 4,711 in the NCAA Championship scoring format. Marleigh Duncan was awarded the Josh Watson Memorial Trophy that is awarded annually to the MVP of the Star Match.
The Midshipmen placed fourth at the GARC Championship with an aggregate score of 4,698 points, including marks of 2,323 in smallbore and 2,373 in air rifle. Individually, Parker Haydin earned first place overall with an aggregate score of 1,186, while Duncan finished third with a two-day score of 1,185. Haydin took second place in smallbore, while finishing third in air rifle.
The GARC announced its postseason awards and three Midshipmen – Duncan, Haydin, and Clarissa Layland – combined for six All-Conference honors for shooting, while Mark Dely was selected as Navy's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Duncan was tabbed Second Team All-GARC in smallbore and combined, while also claiming honorable mention distinction in air rifle. Haydin claimed second-team accolades in smallbore and combined, while Layland nabbed honorable mention laurels in air rifle. Academically, Dely recorded a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the fall to represent the team as Navy's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the GARC.
Navy finished the 2022-23 season ranked ninth overall, just missing out on advancing to the NCAA Championship (top 8 advance). However, Duncan and Haydin qualified as individuals in both smallbore and air rifle.
At the 2023 NCAA Rifle Championship, Duncan finished the competition with an aggregate score of 1,176, while Haydin was two points back with a combined tally of 1,174. Haydin finished the smallbore competition tied for 18th among the 44 shooters in the competition, while Duncan tied for 25th in the event. Duncan led the duo in air rifle. The sophomore finished with a score of 594 to finish in 14th among the 46 shooters on the day. Haydin posted a tally of 590 to tie for 30th overall in the event.
Duncan and Haydin were selected as a Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) All-Americans. The duo were both recognized as Second Team All-Americans in smallbore discipline, while being named Honorable Mention All-American in the aggregate category.
Following the season, Haydin claimed bronze in the National Rifle Junior Olympics at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. With his finish, Haydin qualified for the 2023 ISSF Junior World Championships in Changwon, Korea. Haydin was one of four Midshipmen who made the trip to Colorado to compete in the JOs – Duncan, Stephanie Milvain, and Joshua Potts.
Anti led the Midshipmen to one of the best seasons in program history during the 2021-22 campaign. Navy broke the program record in each of the three scoring categories, along with setting new program-best team averages in each of the three disciplines. The Mids finished the season with averages of 2,319.9 in smallbore, 2,372.3 in air rifle and 4,692.1 in aggregate. The averages were highlighted by new program records of 2,346 points in smallbore (Army 2/5), 2,382 points in air rifle (West Virginia 1/22) and 4,719 points in aggregate (Army, 2/5).
With the aforementioned scores against Army in the Star Match, Navy won the N-Star with a five-count mark of 5,885 points against the Black Knights, the highest-point total for a Star Match in the history of the storied rivalry.
For their efforts under the direction of Anti, the Mids earned a berth to the NCAA Championship meet, securing their 29th all-time appearance in the national tournament. Prior to earning a berth to the NCAA’s, where the Midshipmen totaled their highest ever point total for the event (4,681 points), Navy placed fourth at the GARC Championship with an aggregate score of 4,707 points, including marks of 2,333 in smallbore and 2,374 in air rifle.
Following Navy’s participation in the GARC Championship, team captain Michael Zanti was named a First Team All-GARC honoree, while fellow senior Mark Amdahl garnered recognition as an All-GARC honorable mention. Along with Amdahl and Zanti, Anti also earned postseason honors from the conference, being named the GARC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career.
At the GARC Conference Championships, freshman Marleigh Duncan shot a 592, tying the program record for individual smallbore scoring for the second time on the season and qualifying second for the smallbore finals. She shot a 462.4 in the finals to win the Smallbore Conference Title beating Abby Buesseler of Ole Miss by 3.3 points, becoming the first student-athlete in program history to win a GARC Championship individual title.
Postseason recognition continued to pour in for the Midshipmen following the All-GARC honors, as Zanti was recognized as a CRCA All-American, being named a first-team selection in air rifle and smallbore, along with garnering second-team recognition in aggregate. The senior standout became the first Midshipman to earn First Team All-America honors since 2010, along with becoming only the fourth player in program history to be named a First Team All-American in both disciplines.
During the 2020-21 season, Anti helped Navy to a sixth-place finish at the GARC Championships and coach Michael Zanti to an individual appearance at the NCAA National Championships in smallbore. Navy finished the season with an overall average of 4659.3 while posting the second-base air rifle average in program history with a mark of 2,356.0. The Midshipmen also set the program record for best air rifle score in a match with a total of 2,373 against Kentucky on Nov. 21. Against Kentucky, the Midshipmen also broke the program record for best overall score in a match with a total of 4,686 points. Navy also finished the year with a 2303.3 in smallbore where it posted a season-high against North Carolina State on Feb. 20 with a 2,315.
Anti coached Zanti to CRCA Air Rifle Honorable Mention All-American accolades while also helping Mark Amdahl to All-GARC Air Rifle Honorable Mention recognitions. Under Anti, the dup of Amdahl and Zanti broke the program record for single-season air rifle average and the pair each averaged 592.1 during the season.
Anti guided Navy to its second-straight NCAA Championship qualification during the 2019-20 season. The Midshipmen qualified seventh overall in the national tournament field before the event’s cancelation. Anti coached Gabriella Mayes to NRA Air Rifle Honorable Mention All-American honors along with All-GARC Air Rifle Honorable Mention accolades. Maye finished the year with a 589.6 air rifle average, which ranks second all-time in program history.
During the 2019-20 season, rewrote the program record books. Mayes started the run of program records with a 597 in air rifle to set the highest mark in a single round against Nebraska on Jan. 19. Mark Amdahl also fired the best combined score in school history with a 1,183 on Feb. 22 against John Jay in the NCAA Qualifier Match. In the Midshipmen qualifier match, they fired a 2,369 in air rifle to break the program record and they finished with a score of 4,685, which set the highest overall score in the 60/60 era.
Navy finished the 2019-20 season with a record of 10-7 overall and finished with a 4-4 record in the GARC. At the conference championship, the Midshipmen placed fifth overall with a total score of 4,678. Navy finished third in smallbore with a season-best 2,318 and fifth in air rifle after notching a 2,360.
In the 2018-19 season, Anti coached Navy into the NCAA National Championship for the first time since 2011 and the Midshipmen placed seven overall and the national championship. In his second year at the helm, he also helped Navy finish fifth at GARC Championship. Navy also defeated Army for the first time in 10 years in the 2019 Star Match with 5,846-5,822 victory at West Point. Anti was also named the GARC Coach of the Year after guiding the Midshipmen to a third-place in the conference during the regular season.
Navy finished the season with a record of 10-5 overall and went 5-3 in the GARC.
During his first season in charge of the Navy rifle program in 2017-18, Anti guided the Midshipmen to their best finish in program history at the GARC Championship after finishing third overall.
Anti also coached Torrance Kang and Kestrel Kuhne to individual appearances in the NCAA Championship. Kang finished 30th in air rifle and Kuhne placed 29th in smallbore.
Navy finished 4-6 during Anti's first season at the helm earning victories over Memphis, Coast Guard Academy, North Carolina State and John Jay.
“Mike’s distinguished career as a former Olympian and one of the world’s top marksmen, a now retired military officer, and a highly successful Division I coach make him especially qualified to lead our varsity program,” said Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. “Following in Coach Bill Kelley’s footsteps will be a challenge, but continuing Bill’s legacy of great success at Navy will clearly be his target. Whereas Coach Anti’s father was one of our most accomplished coaches at Navy in the 90’s and prior to Coach Kelley, I am sure Mike will approach this responsibility with great ambition and an even greater sense of family pride. In many respects, he has come home to Annapolis.”
“I am honored and excited to be coming to the Naval Academy as the head rifle coach and want to thank Mr. Gladchuk for giving me this opportunity,” remarked Anti. “The USNA rifle team has an amazing history producing many All-Americans in both events, two NCAA individual champions and 26 NCAA appearances, I am confident that we will continue that proud tradition of winning. I look forward to the challenges and successes the future holds for the rifle team and I am excited to get to work. Go Navy!”
No stranger to the Navy rifle program, Anti’s father Ray, led the Midshipmen for 12 years from 1986 through the 1998 season following a distinguished 30-year career with the United States Marine Corps. The younger Anti began his career in high-level competition rifle in 1981 as member of the United States’ junior team before moving into the collegiate ranks at West Virginia University. An eight-time All-American in both smallbore and air rifle from 1984 through 1987. During his time in Morgantown, Anti and the Mountaineers went 38-2 and won the NCAA Championships in 1984 and 1986. As an individual, Anti won the 1986 NCAA Smallbore Championship.
Following a standout collegiate career, Anti joined the United States Army and served for 20 years and retired at the rank of major in 2009. Initially stationed in Korea with the 1/503 IN before being assigned to the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) at Fort Benning, Ga. as an international rifle shooter from 1991 to 1994. While at Fort Benning, Anti received his Airborne Badge and Ranger Tab. In 1994, he was assigned to the 1st CAV DIV at Fort Hood, Texas and his assignment included Bde and Bn S-3 Air, Bradley Company Commander and a Headquarters/Headquarters Company Command (HHC). Anti was reassigned to the USAMU in 1998.
While serving with the U.S. Army, Anti was also assigned to the World Class Athlete Program and was given the opportunity to teach and ply his skills on the international level. A four-time Olympian, Anti first appeared at the premier global competition in 1992 in the men’s 50-meter prone rifle event. Eight years later in 2000, Anti competed for the United States in the men’s three-position event. Anti made his way onto the medal stand in the next Olympics in 2004 at the Athens Games as he earned a silver medal in the men’s 3x40 rifle event. He rounded out his Olympic career in 2008 as an athlete in the men’s prone event. In addition to his success at the Olympics, Anti is also a two-time World Cup champion, as well as a silver medalist at the 2000 World Cup Finals. He has also competed at the Championships of Americas Games, three World Championship Games and two Pan American Games with a host of team and individual titles to his name.
Anti joined the collegiate coaching ranks in August of 2009 as an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy. Since arriving in Colorado Springs, the Falcons have grown into a consistent national and service academy power. Over his eight seasons, Air Force competed in the NCAA Championships in four years and won the President’s Trophy Match four times, including each of the past three seasons. Air Force qualified for and competed in the NCAA Championship in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. The 2016 team finished in fourth place with 4,669 points, the program’s highest finish at the national event since 1996. In 2017, Air Force won the President’s Trophy Match and competed at the NCAA Championship, where it finished eighth overall.
Individually, eight different Air Force student-athletes earned All-American status under Anti’s coaching. He closed out his career in Colorado Springs in 2017, with four Falcons garnering national accolades, including a spot on the NRA First Team Air Rifle for Spencer Cap. Another individual highlight for Anti and the Falcons during his time with the program was David Higgins (USAFA ’16) earning a spot on the 2016 United States Olympic Team and competing in Rio in the men’s prone event.
A 1987 graduate from West Virginia University with a B.S. in business, Anti was inducted in 2014 into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted into West Virginia University's Mountaineer Legends Society in 2018.
A native of Winterville, N.C., Anti and his wife are parents to two former NCAA athletes, Matt, a former wrestler at West Virginia and Will, former member of the WVU rifle team.
