Lion Rifles, the student air rifle club at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, took a pair of teams on the road for the first time, as eight UA Fort Smith students competed Feb. 17 in the 2008 NRA Collegiate Sectional on the home range of the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.
Lion Rifles coach Roy Hill said UA Fort Smith has had a pair of teams in a home match before, but not on the road.
“To do this at a sectional is another good first for us,” said Hill.
The UA Fort Smith Blue squad shot a team score of 2047, or 34 points better than UA Fort Smith's score at last year’s sectional. The Blue squad was comprised of John Wozniak and Michael King, both of Fort Smith; Elizabeth Garris of Muldrow; and Amelia Palmer of Warren.
“Some of our shooters didn't have their best day, but as a squad, we still managed our second-highest team score,” said Hill. “Wozniak’s 528 is his personal best in a match.”
Palmer shot a 508 for UA Fort Smith Blue, with King adding a 516 and Garris a 497.
The leader for UA Fort Smith White was T.J. Pearson of Van Buren, who shot a 447 in his first competitive shooting match to pace the White squad to a team score of 1672.
“For T.J. to shoot that kind of score in his first match, with less than a semester’s worth of practice, is impressive,” said Hill.
Right behind Pearson was Daniel O’Malley of Fort Smith with 446, with Ashtynn Dye of Fort Smith, shooting a 443, also in her first match.
“To have two rookies on the White squad shoot like they did is very encouraging for the future,” said Hill. James Okoniewski of Fort Smith fired a 336 to round out the team score.
Competing in the sectional match makes Lion Rifles eligible for the national college rifle team and individual rankings, which will be released next month.
“Now we just have to wait for all the sectionals around the country to completed over the rest of February and then see where we finished up when the rankings come out in March,” said Hill. “It'll be exciting to see how our students stack up against the other collegiate club teams in the nation.”
Lion Rifles has one final match remaining, a home contest against the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville later this spring.
Official Team Results — Air Rifle
University of Nevada-Reno
Andrew Hickey — 582
Jessica Klatt — 586
Meghann Morrill — 584
Sarah Smith — 585
Total: 2337 — Winner
TCU
Erin Lorenzen — 586
Emily Paper — 581
Simone Riford — 583
Lauren Sullivan — 581
Total: 2331
UA Fort Smith — Blue
Elizabeth Garris — 497
Michael King — 516
Amelia Palmer — 506
John Wozniak — 528
Total: 2047
UA Fort Smith — White
Ashtynn Dye — 443
Daniel O’Malley — 446
James Okoniewski — 336
Timothy Pearson — 447
Total: 1672
Navigation:
Copyright 1998-2008 by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith • All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy • Electronic Communications Policy • RSS • Site Index
The UA Fort Smith site may include hyperlinks to websites maintained or controlled by others. UA Fort Smith is not responsible for and does not routinely screen, approve, review or endorse the contents of or use of any of the products or services that may be offered at these websites.