North Carolina State University Athletics
Renewed Rifle Team Ready For 2011-12 Season
9/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Rifle
Sept. 30, 2011
Raleigh, N.C. - The 18th-ranked NC State rifle team will open up its season this weekend at the SEARC 1 meet in Dahlonega, Ga. The Pack had a strong showing last year, finishing second at the SEARC championships and placing two shooters on the all-conference team with first- and second-place finishes at the meet.
Quest for a Fifth SEARC Title in Six Years
The Wolfpack returns four of the top five performers from last year's squad, and will welcome back two shooters from a redshirt year, as well as two newcomers. With an experienced core group of returners, NC State will look to have a successful season and contend for its fifth SEARC title in six years.
In NCAA rifle competitions, a team must declare its top five shooters entering the match, but only the top four scores count towards the team total.
"In addition to having four of our top five shooters back from last year, we also have two strong performers back from a redshirt year and one stellar recruit," said head coach Keith Miller. "This means we should have seven proven shooters available to us, which is an improvement on last year's squad, where we essentially had a core group of only five shooters for the season. Having two more shooters contending for the top five slots will make everyone better, as the competition to be one of the top-five will be intense. We're really looking forward to this increased competitiveness."
Four of Last Season's Top-Five Competitors Return to Action
Defending SEARC champion Bryan Cross returns for his final year on the team. A junior, Cross will graduate after only three years with a degree in criminology.
"Bryan is perhaps the hardest worker on our team, so he should help lead and motivate the rest of the team to match his efforts," said Miller. "If they do, we'll undoubtedly improve."
Joining Cross is two-time MVP and fellow junior William Teller. Teller finished second behind Cross at the SEARC championships last season. Teller tied school records in both smallbore competition and aggregate last season.
"Will is strong in both smallbore and air rifle, but is expected to refine his focus on smallbore," Miller said. "As a team we're a bit better in air rifle than smallbore, so we need to raise our level of performance in smallbore in order to be more competitive nationally. We expect Will to be a fundamental part of that improvement and drive us to excel."
Sophomore Madeline Pike returns after a strong showing during her freshman year. Pike missed being on the SEARC all-conference team by one place last year, and will aim to earn a spot this season.
"Maddy is pretty solid in smallbore, but has air rifle scores a bit lower than what she is capable of," said Miller. "Maddy has some new gear that should help out, so with that and her good work ethic, she should be able to excel in both events."
Senior Martha Hall is entering her final season with the Pack. Hall had several strong performances last year, and will look to improve on those this season.
"Martha has shown good improvement so far in air rifle and we hope her smallbore follows suit," said Miller.
NC State will welcome back two shooters from a redshirt year. Redshirt sophomore Amy Roderer and redshirt junior Rachel Jones will both return to action this season.
Roderer competed in 11 of 14 events her freshman year, setting personal bests in smallbore, air-rifle and total score, before being sidelined due to a back injury.
"Amy is cleared for competition now and so far is back in the game with smallbore," said Miller. "Her air rifle shows promise too, with our main concern being a need to improve her stamina in that event, since air rifle demands that you fire 60 shots all in the standing position. Once she's stronger there, she'll be competing for a top five spot in air rifle just as she is now with smallbore."
Jones redshirted last season after having two strong seasons in her first two years with the Pack. Jones competed in all but one match during her first two seasons, and helped lead NC State to two SEARC titles.
"Rachel has jumped back into the game fairly well, especially in air rifle," Miller said. "She's a real trooper and is very coachable, so we've been able to efficiently get the most of her practices. Once she has a little more time in her smallbore positions, we expect her scores in that event to bounce back as well."
The Pack welcomes two newcomers to the team this year in freshmen Dani Foster and Lee Price.
Foster competed for the same club program that Teller came from. She won more than 15 national medals before coming to NC State, the most recent at the American Legion National Air Rifle Championship in August 2010.
"We expect Dani to compete for the top spot in both smallbore and air rifle right from the start," said Miller. "She should make Will and Bryan better, and vice versa. We all know that the more we push each other during practice, the better prepared we'll all be for a match. We're counting on Dani to be an integral part of this intra-team competition. With her history and experience at her prior club, this is the perfect role for her - keeping the upperclassmen on their toes."
Prior to joining the Wolfpack, Price was coached by Ray Anti, former Navy coach and father of the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, Mike Anti. He went to the state tournament with the Farmville Wildlife Competition team six times, placing in the top 10 each time.
"We expect to redshirt Lee this year and use the time to fine-tune his execution and fundamentals," Miller said. "He's already learning a lot from the other team members and should work out well down the road."
Season Line-up
After SEARC 1, the Pack will return to action the following week at SEARC 2. The team will then take a three-week break before competing at SEARC 3.
The rifle season turns serious at the end of February, with the GARC Championships at Oxford, Miss., Feb. 24-26, followed by the SEARC Championships on March 3. The season will conclude with the NCAA Championships on March 9.
