Rifle Continues Its Road Slate Sunday

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point rifle team, ranked 11th in the latest Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) poll, continues its four-game road stretch with a visit Sunday to the Buckeyes of Ohio State for a match at the Lt. Hugh W. Wylie Range starting at 9 a.m.

Both teams are coming off 1-1 showings this past weekend. The Black Knights, under first-year coach Web Wright, opened the season by sweeping both disciplines en route to taking the measure of Great America Rifle Conference foe Ole Miss, 4642-4626.

Army fell to Memphis, ranked sixth at the time, in a 4656-4642 conference match the next day. The Black Knights, who ranked 13th last week, moved up two spots in this week's poll.

Senior Alyssa Gestl earned medalist honors in smallbore (584) and tied for third in air rifle with sophomore Josh Martin in the season-opening win over Ole Miss. Martin was runner-up (580) in smallbore with freshman Nathan Brewer tying for third place with a 579 as the Black Knights fired a 2300 in that discipline and followed with a 2342 in air rifle.

Gestl turned in a perfect 200 score in prone and tied for first in standing (192) with Martin firing the highest mark in kneeling (196). Joining Martin and Brewer on the Black Knights' four-man scoring unit were juniors Danielle Cuomo (571) and Allen Solida (570).

Ole Miss had the top two individual spots in air rifle, but Army swept the next five to edge the Rebels by four points in that discipline en route to posting its 6-point victory. Martin and Gestl each turned in 586s in tying for third with Brewer and junior Martin Lewis posting 585s to share fifth place as the Black Knights' relay team combined for a 2342.

Gestl, Cuomo, Lewis and Brewer were among the leaders the next day against Memphis, but it wasn't enough as the host Tigers, holding a slim two-point lead after smallbore, clinched the win after outpointing the Black Knights in air rifle (2345-2333).

Lewis and Cuomo each fired a 578 in smallbore to tie for third-place honors as they trailed medalist Jack Berhost (582) and Amy Fister (579) of Memphis. Brewer recorded a 577 and Martin chipped in with a 576 as Army's four-man firing unit combined for a team total of 2309, just two points behind the Tigers' 2311.

Lewis fired a perfect score of 200 in prone with Martin and team captain Allen Solida, who shot individually, recording a 199. Gestl turned in Army's top score in air rifle firing a season-best 588 in tying for runner-up honors with Brewer next at 585. Rounding out the rest of Army's air rifle unit were Cuomo (582) and Martin (578), who joined Gestl and Brewer in compiling a 2333 as they trailed the Tigers' score of 2345.

Ohio State (2-1) also moved up a couple of places this week in the coaches' poll to rank seventh. The Buckeyes fired program records in the two matches in their visit to Fairbanks, Alaska. They downed Air Force, 4675-4674 setting school records in air rifle (2355) and aggregate, then broke the air rifle mark with a 2356in a 4694-4672 loss to No. 2 Alaska.

Army's top marks this season are 4642 aggregate fired twice last weekend along with a 2309 smallbore and 2342 air rifle. Individually, Gestl is the leader in both firing a 588 in air rifle and sharing the top spot in smallbore with martin as both fired 586s.

"We shot well last weekend, noted Army's Wright, "but we are certainly capable of a lot more. We have been working on the kneeling position, which has caused us some problems this season. I am looking forward to putting it all together in Columbus. OSU is a good team, and they have some very good shooters and will post decent scores."

HOW TO FOLLOW: Below are the links on Ohio State's website for the air rifle and smallbore competitions both morning and afternoon.

9am - Smallbore
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/livestats/c-rifle/ArmyUTEP1/Ohio_State_University_.htm

11:30am - Air Rifle
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/livestats/c-rifle/ArmyUTEP2/Ohio_State_University_.htm

1:30pm - Smallbore
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/livestats/c-rifle/ArmyUTEP3/Ohio_State_University_.htm

4:00pm - Air Rifle
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/livestats/c-rifle/ArmyUTEP4/Ohio_State_University_.htm

Rifle Continues Its Road Slate Sunday

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Players Mentioned

Nathan Brewer

Danielle Cuomo

Alyssa Gestl

Josh Martin

Allen Solida

Army West Point Athletics