For Thomas Knight, the rifle team wasn’t only about competing last season. He also made time to meet the woman he is going to marry.

“She is on the Clemson rifle team. Both teams decided to go out to dinner, and we just started talking,” Knight said.

Knight, a senior in civil engineering, plans to move to his new job and settle down with his wife after he graduates.

“I have a job lined up, and we will move up there to live. The area has many opportunities for her to find a job,” he said.

Amanda Kelly, a biochemistry major at Clemson, is Knight’s fiancee and is finishing her degree in three-and-a-half years. School work is not the only thing that she worries about, as she is also getting the plans together for the wedding.

According to Kelly, the wedding is set for Jan. 24, 2009, in Greenville, S.C., her hometown.

“There is a lot of planning to do, and it is difficult with us being five hours apart,” she said.

On top of getting married, Knight also wants to end his final season on the team with the individual championship that has eluded him. Teammate Jennifer Marshall bested him to win the title last season, so Knight knows that this is his last chance.

“I want to win the SEARC individual championship. I got close last year, so I think that I can win it this year,” he said.

Although rifle is individual, there is also a team aspect to the sport. Although there is no official captain on the team, Knight’s teammates consider him someone who will make them better shooters.

One of Knight’s teammates, Kathryn Siegert, a sophomore in business management, said Knight is valuable to the team because of the example he sets.

“He is very good at what he does. He is always practicing, always trying to get better,” she said. “That is a great example for the rest of the team.”