Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Ole Miss
Rifle Outpoints Ole Miss, 4649-4625
October 09, 2011 | Rifle
Oct. 9, 2011
OXFORD, Miss. - Army's rifle team is off to a 2-0 start following a 4649-4625 decision over host Ole Miss in a GARC (Great America Rifle Conference) match Sunday afternoon in closing out its weekend trip to Oxford. Miss. The Black Knights defeated GARC rival Memphis, 4663-4605, at the Patricia C. Lamar National Guard Readiness Center in its opener on Saturday.
Sophomore Michael Matthews claimed medalist honors in smallbore firing a 584 with junior Will Mengon runner-up (579) as the Black Knights captured four of the top five individual places. Senior Kelly Buck and sophomore Joe Todaro tied for fourth place with identical 576s as Army compiled a four-man 2315 composite in outpointing the Rebels by 20 points.
Emma Holman, competing individually for Ole Miss, was the high shooter in air rifle with a 587 to edge Buck and Richard Calvin by a point for that honor. Matthews registered a 584 to finish fifth with Zachary Wells rounding out Army's four-man scoring unit with a 578 as the Black Knights (2-0, 2-0 GARC) edged the Rebels by four points (2334-2330) for their second sweep of the weekend.
"I was very pleased with today's win over Ole Miss," said coach Ron Wigger. "We redeemed ourselves after losing to them last year.
"We posted a top NCAA score this weekend with a 4663 against Memphis on Saturday, which I believe is the second highest mark fired this season. It was a great way to start off the season with a pair of conference wins."
The Black Knights, off to their first 2-0 start since the 2009-10 season, return to action Oct. 22 when the team heads to Morgantown, West Virginia, to take on the defending GARC champion Mountaineers.
West Virginia was runner-up to GARC rival Kentucky at last year's NCAA Tournament and was picked third in the College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) preseason poll. Army and Ole Miss were picked seventh and eighth, respectively, with defending national champion and GARC runner-up Kentucky ranked No. 1. TCU, the 2010 NCAA champion, was picked second with Alaska-Fairbanks and Murray State rounding out the top five places. Army will compete against that group during the course of the season.
Players Mentioned
