No. 12 NC State rifle fell to No. 13 Memphis in a heated ranked contest at the Withrow Open in Murray, Kentucky, on Saturday, Jan. 21. While the Wolfpack faced Memphis head-on, it finished in fourth place out of six total teams in the competition. 

NC State (2-5) finished its first match of 2023 with a total score of 4,674 but was edged out by the opposing Tigers (3-6), who scored a total of 4,714. Memphis beat out NC State in both the smallbore and air rifle events to claim the victory. 

The red-and-white’s air rifle score was its highest of the two events, but the Pack’s 2,355 points weren’t enough to beat out Memphis’ score of 2,373. Sophomore Katie Tedeschi paced the Pack in the event, posting a score of 596. Junior Ben Salas followed closely behind Tedeschi with his 594-point performance. 

NC State tallied 2,319 points in the smallbore competition and was once again led by Tedeschi. She recorded a team-high score of 583, just one point short of her career high. Salas and freshman Kyra Meade placed second and third on the team in smallbore, posting scores of 581 and 580, respectively. While its shooters performed admirably, the Pack’s smallbore efforts were not enough to overcome the Tigers’ 2,341 points. 

Tedeschi, who led NC State in total points on the day, tied a career-high for individual aggregate score with her 1,179-point performance and was no doubt a bright spot for the Wolfpack in its loss to the Tigers. 

After suffering its third-straight loss, NC State will aim to rebound against Ole Miss on Saturday, Jan. 28. The match against the Rebels will start at 9 a.m. in Oxford, Mississippi.