North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Rifle Adds Two Newcomers for 2018-19 Season
6/21/2018 1:05:00 PM | Rifle
NC State adds pair of accomplished prep shooters
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State rifle head coach Emily Holsopple announced the addition of two newcomers on Thursday to finalize the roster for the 2018-19 athletics season. Marcus Cruz and Aron Tinter will join the program in the fall as freshmen to bring the roster total to nine.
"We're excited to add Marcus and Aron to our program," said Holsopple. "Marcus has dreams of competing at the national and international level for shooting with hopes of one day making it to the Olympics. It is these dreams and aspirations that I believe will help elevate those around him and make everyone reach for more.
"Aron brings a strong passion for the sport and desire to improve. He has already seen some success at the high school and junior level and I'm excited to see what he accomplishes collegiately as part of the Wolfpack."
Cruz hails from Milford, Mass., where he attended Mount St. Charles Academy for three years and was homeschooled a year through the Adirondack Learning Academy. He finished third in the air rifle competition at the Camp Perry Junior Finals and was sixth in the junior qualification.
The Wolfpack recruit won the 2017 and 2016 USA Shooting Air Rifle State Championships and earned the National Rifle Association (NRA) President's 100 Award for excellence in air rifle. Additionally, Cruz placed among the top 20 at the Junior Olympics in air rifle and finished eighth in the Palmyra Invitational last year.
Cruz also excelled in smallbore, as he won a bronze medal at the Bay State Games in 2017 and claimed the same honor at the USA Shooting Championships in 2016. He was class president in high school and also plays hockey in his spare time.
Tinter joins the Wolfpack after spending his prep career Washington Lee High School and competing for the Arlington Optimists Acorns Junior Rifle Club. He was a four-year letter winner at Washington Lee, three-time team MVP and two-time team captain.
The Arlington, Va., native earned the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Distinguished Junior Award for excellence in competition and also received the 2017 NRA President's 100 award along with Cruz. Tinter achieved the NRA Distinguished Expert Air Rifle Award as a sophomore in 2016.
He is a three-time National Junior Olympic Qualifier in air rifle, claiming the Virginia State Championship earlier this year. The incoming Wolfpack student-athlete qualified for the CMP Junior Olympic National Championship in 2017 and 2018.
Tinter was tabbed a Potomac Regional High School All-Metro selection in each of his last three years at Washington and Lee in air rifle and secured the honor as a junior and senior in the smallbore competition. He was also named the 2018 Better Sports Club of Arlington Sportsman of the Year.
He holds all the individual records at Washington Lee and led the team to a scoring record and conference championship as a senior. Tinter started shooting competitively in handgun before transitioning to rifle. He plans to study microbiology at NC State and work for the Center for Disease Control studying infectious disease.
Cruz and Tinter join Emily Fisher as members of the Wolfpack's 2018-19 freshmen class in Holsopple's first season at the helm.
"We're excited to add Marcus and Aron to our program," said Holsopple. "Marcus has dreams of competing at the national and international level for shooting with hopes of one day making it to the Olympics. It is these dreams and aspirations that I believe will help elevate those around him and make everyone reach for more.
"Aron brings a strong passion for the sport and desire to improve. He has already seen some success at the high school and junior level and I'm excited to see what he accomplishes collegiately as part of the Wolfpack."
Cruz hails from Milford, Mass., where he attended Mount St. Charles Academy for three years and was homeschooled a year through the Adirondack Learning Academy. He finished third in the air rifle competition at the Camp Perry Junior Finals and was sixth in the junior qualification.
The Wolfpack recruit won the 2017 and 2016 USA Shooting Air Rifle State Championships and earned the National Rifle Association (NRA) President's 100 Award for excellence in air rifle. Additionally, Cruz placed among the top 20 at the Junior Olympics in air rifle and finished eighth in the Palmyra Invitational last year.
Cruz also excelled in smallbore, as he won a bronze medal at the Bay State Games in 2017 and claimed the same honor at the USA Shooting Championships in 2016. He was class president in high school and also plays hockey in his spare time.
Tinter joins the Wolfpack after spending his prep career Washington Lee High School and competing for the Arlington Optimists Acorns Junior Rifle Club. He was a four-year letter winner at Washington Lee, three-time team MVP and two-time team captain.
The Arlington, Va., native earned the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Distinguished Junior Award for excellence in competition and also received the 2017 NRA President's 100 award along with Cruz. Tinter achieved the NRA Distinguished Expert Air Rifle Award as a sophomore in 2016.
He is a three-time National Junior Olympic Qualifier in air rifle, claiming the Virginia State Championship earlier this year. The incoming Wolfpack student-athlete qualified for the CMP Junior Olympic National Championship in 2017 and 2018.
Tinter was tabbed a Potomac Regional High School All-Metro selection in each of his last three years at Washington and Lee in air rifle and secured the honor as a junior and senior in the smallbore competition. He was also named the 2018 Better Sports Club of Arlington Sportsman of the Year.
He holds all the individual records at Washington Lee and led the team to a scoring record and conference championship as a senior. Tinter started shooting competitively in handgun before transitioning to rifle. He plans to study microbiology at NC State and work for the Center for Disease Control studying infectious disease.
Cruz and Tinter join Emily Fisher as members of the Wolfpack's 2018-19 freshmen class in Holsopple's first season at the helm.
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