Akron Wins 2017 NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship

Above: The University of Akron club rifle team has won their first NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship. Pictured are (l. to r.) Coach April Engle, Brandon Meier, Luke Massie, Gabby Pitre and Liz Bark. Photo by John Parker.

The eighth annual NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship is in the books. Student-athletes from 17 schools attended this year's match, held once again at Fort Benning, GA—home of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. The championship provides an excellent opportunity for collegiate club rifle teams to compete against each other.


The University of Akron won the overall team championship with a score of 4459, receiving a Berger Bullets gift certificate and a Pyramyd air rifle. Additionally, Akron won the air rifle and smallbore team aggregates. The Akron club rifle team, consisting of Gabby Pitre, Brandon Meier, Liz Bark, Luke Massie and Coach April Engle was able to outscore runner up Clemson University by over 50 points. Last year's team champion, the University of Michigan finished in third place with a score of 4377.


Rachel Mangan of Clemson University won a second consecutive individual aggregate championship with a score of 1152. In second place was the Illinois Institute of Technology's John Hirsch, with a score of 1146. The 2015 champion Madeleine Godwin of the University of North Georgia rounded out the individual aggregate winners—finishing in third with a score of 1144. All three received a Pyramyd air rifle.


The full results of the 2017 NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship will be published in a future edition of the digital magazine. Learn more about NRA collegiate competitive shooting programs at this link: collegiate.nra.org.