Sharpshooters Sets Pair of Academy Records vs. Ole Miss

Saturday, January 27

West Point, N.Y.

8:00 AM

Army West Point

4696

4703

Ole Miss

Sharpshooters Sets Pair of Academy Records vs. Ole Miss

January 27, 2024 | Rifle

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point rifle team nipped its school smallbore record and aggregate mark, each by a point, but came up short against No. 6 Ole Miss, 4703-4696, in a conference match Saturday at the Tronsrue Marksmanship Center.

The Black Knights' 2335 team mark in smallbore outpointed the Rebels by seven points in that discipline, but Ole Miss took the measure of the Black Knights in air rifle (2375-2361) to claim the conference win.

Army broke its smallbore mark set against Air Force during the fall, while its 4696 aggregate score bested the former record of 4695 set in 2021 in a virtual meet at the Great America Rifle Conference Championships.

"I am so happy with how we did today," noted second-year coach Leighton Dempster. "The athletes were able to bounce back after a tough match on Sunday and beat Ole Miss in smallbore, which is huge for conference standings. "Setting the program record is bittersweet because we all know we have more in us. We are getting so close to the 4700 mark, and with smallbore consistent, air rifle is our focus. This week we will work on our intensity and ability to close out our air rifle matches and prepare to face Navy this coming Saturday."

Kyle Kutz led Army in smallbore behind a season-high 587, nipping Rebels Emma Pereira and Lea Horvath for top honors by a point. The Black Knights swept the next four spots, claiming five of the top seven positions to break its school mark of 2334, set during the fall, behind a 2335.

Rounding out the rest of Army's record-setting contingent were Chris Jennings and Anusha Pakkam with 583s followed by Briggs Moore with a 582 (two off his season high) and Claudia Sigel's 581.

Moore led the Black Knights for the fourth straight meet in air rifle with a 594, one off his season high, to place third. Kutz also broke into the top five with a 591, one off his season best, to claim fifth.

Jennings, Pakkam and Sigel fired 588s with Ashton Arlington rounding out Army's air rifle contingent with a 584.

NEXT UP
Army will host Navy in the annual "Star" and conference match on Saturday, Feb. 3. The 14^th ranked Black Knights take on the 13^th Mids at Tronsrue at 8 a.m.