The N.C. State rifle team kicked off the spring portion of its 2013-14 season with a second-place finish in a three-team competition in Murray, Ky., Saturday. The Wolfpack’s score of 4,612 was its second-highest of the season, just one shy of the team’s season-high 4,613 shot at Kentucky on Oct. 25.
The No. 12 Murray State Racers took the match, barely edging No. 16 N.C. State with a score of 4,632, and the No. 19 Columbus State Cougars finished in third place with a score of 4,525.
Saturday’s event marked the fourth and fifth times during the season that State (16-6, 13-0 SEARC, 0-4 GARC) has faced an opponent outside of the South Eastern Air Rifle Conference or the Great American Rifle Conference. The Pack’s win over CSU marked its first win over a ranked opponent this season.
“It’s a good start for the semester,” said head coach Keith Miller. “No personal records, just solid scores up and down the line. That’s a pretty good place to be at this point in the semester, so we’re overall pretty pleased with the match.”
N.C. State sent five shooters to Murray to compete: senior Madeline Pike, redshirt senior Amy Roderer, freshman Lucas Kozeniesky, and sophomores Alex Martin and Daniel Cliff. The Pack has sent this team to all but three events this season.
Pike continued her dominance at the small-bore rifle competition, shooting a match-high and personal-best 578 out of a possible 600. At 569.9, Pike’s average small-bore score is the highest on the squad.
Kozeniesky, the second-best small-bore shooter on the team, finished ninth in the individual competition with a score of 568.
Martin and Cliff each shot a 567, and Roderer rounded out the Pack with a score 565, bringing the team’s final small-bore score to 2,280, just over its season average of 2,279.14.
Kozeniesky led the team in the air rifle portion of the event, shooting a 586, which was significantly better than his season average of 581.9. Kozeniesky’s score earned him second in the individual standings, falling short to MSU freshman Katarina Bisercic, who shot a staggering 593.
Cliff tied his season-high with a score of 585, which was good for a third-place finish in the individual standings. Pike finished sixth in the competition and third on the team with a score of 582.
N.C. State was also second in the air rifle competition, finishing with a score of 2,332. MSU again took first place with a score of 2,340.