Collegiate Rifle: Navy Shows Why It’s No. 8 — and Maybe Better

Preseason polls have the U.S. Naval Academy ranked No. 8, but its performances right out of the gate show the Midshipmen may be more than a little better than No. 8. For its first home match of the season, No. 15 Akron hosted Navy for the first time since 2022. Unlike the last meeting, Navy came to Akron too hot to handle, besting the Zips 4732 to 4674. Navy’s total was its second-highest score of the season, and Akron’s was its best so far.

In smallbore, freshman hotshot Maddie Allen continued her strong start, leading the Zips with a sixth-place overall score of 583 out of a possible 600. Allen has been on a steady incline, with every practice showing promise and every performance continuing to trend upward. Also peeking into the elite 580s was sophomore Kathleen Moran, who posted a very nice 581. Keep an eye on her.

Navy and Akron athletes share the air rifle line in standing position during the Midshipmen’s 4732-4674 win at the University of Akron on Oct. 3. (Photo by Newt Engle)

Air rifle was the stronger suit for Akron at this competition. An increasingly familiar name, Maddie Allen, once again led the Zips as she posted a third-place overall score of 592 out of a possible 600. Showing exactly how good Navy can be were Tyler Wee and Hannah Talbott, each firing amazing 599 scores. Right in the mix was Akron sophomore Matthew Kimball, who posted a respectable 590.

Worth noting: with each athlete firing six 10-shot series, Team Akron recorded six perfect series of 100. That means pounding the center dot, like the one at the end of this sentence, 10 times in a row.

Navy swept the top three individual spots, led by Hannah Talbott’s 1192 aggregate (593 smallbore, 599 air rifle), with Tyler Wee second at 1188 and Isabella Baldwin third at 1179.

Navy vs. Akron, Oct. 3, 2026

You can view the full match scorecard at ncaarifle.org.

After a weekend off, the Akron Zips rifle team will travel to the University of Kentucky to face the No. 2 Wildcats on Saturday, Oct. 17. The match will be livestreamed, with targets available at live.megalink.no.