Going up against the rather young MIT team and the recently revived squad from Norwich University was not intended to test the prowess of the Akron Zip rifle team in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during week one of the Beanpot Tournament on Sunday, February 4. However, since the NCAA championship selection process is based off the top-three matches of the season with no two at one place, the Akron squad was keenly aware of the need to post the best score possible, and indeed they did as the team gathered their wits and fired the third-best score of the season. The 4700 score posted by Akron easily outpaced MIT (4322) and Norwich (4304), and in the process entered another top-three score into the championship selection process. Was it enough to change the national rankings? Time will tell as the numbers are crunched and results posted. Until then, Akron knows they are doing the best they can to earn the invitation to the big dance, fingers crossed.
Akron senior Gavin Perkowski earned top gun honors in smallbore with a 585 score, while junior Rachel Engels kept up her winning ways with the air rifle by leading the team with a 594 mark. Having the kind of performance all athletes dream of, sophomore Rachael Paddock smashed her smallbore career-best record of 580 and replaced it with a 584, placing her second in the individual match smallbore rankings. Combined with her air rifle score (also 584), she set a new two-gun total of 1168.
MIT’s top shooter at the match was first-year competitor Phoebe Xu with 562 in air rifle and 537 in smallbore for an individual aggregate score of 1099. In addition, the top individual Norwich competitor was sophomore Aiden Burris, who fired 556 in air rifle and 553 in smallbore for an aggregate score of 1109.
Who will win the coveted Beanpot Trophy? We will have to wait another week to find out. This coming weekend, February 10-11, another round of teams will file through the MIT range giving their best to take the trophy home.
Results: Akron vs. MIT and Norwich on Sunday, February 4, 2024.
View the complete scorecard at the NCAA rifle website.
Seniors will be the theme of the day for the final Akron home match of the season. Senior Day for the Akron Zips is set to take place on Saturday, February 10, when Akron rifle takes on the Ole Miss Rebels. The match is scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m., and Senior Day recognition is planned for 1:15 p.m. at the conclusion of the match. Targets may be viewed live at this link.
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