Rifle head coach Keith Miller, now in his 20th year of coaching at N.C. State, has seen the ebbs and flows of the program. Now, though improvements to facilities of its own are far down the road for the team, prospects for the 2009-10 season are looking up.
In the offseason, the Pack added three new freshmen. Every other person on the team hails from either Raleigh or Virginia, but two new additions were brought in from the northeast. Miller said it had more to do with coincidence than new recruiting strategies.
“They were just good matches,” Miller said. “It wasn’t us specifically going out after anyone from a specific region; it had more to do with the way the kids match up athletically and academically.
Senior Samantha Bullard said the incoming class has helped the upperclassmen shoot better.
“We have three freshmen who have shown what they can do,” Bullard. “They’ve done a wonderful job and they mesh well with our team.”
According to Miller, the team lost only two competitors in the offseason. One was graduating senior and captain Noel Keck, who left a hole on the team Miller hopes to fill quickly.
“We’re big right now,” Miller said. “The three freshmen are strong, but we’re just trying to figure out where. We’re trying to be stronger this year, and between the three of them we’ll find a balance.”
Miller said this year’s team has significant depth, which is “a good problem.”
“There’s a lot of competition just for the traveling spots,” Miller. “We have some really tough decisions for this weekend, where we can take eight shooters, and in [some of the] weekends after that, where we can only take six.”
“There are some good shooters who won’t be making the trips.”
Seniors Bullard and Kat Siegert provide veteran leadership on a roster heavy with freshmen and sophomores. Bullard and Siegert helped the Pack to its third consecutive Southeastern American Rifle Conference title and placed third and fourth, respectively, in the individual championship at the event. Both were named to the All-SEARC team.
In her final year, Siegert will lead the way in both events, but especially small bore. She looks to build upon a strong performance in last year’s Great American Rifle Conference Championships. Siegert broke State’s air-rifle record and set a new career-high after shooting a 584 last spring. She shot a total score of 1,152 and helped her team to a seventh place finish.
Bullard, Siegert and sophomore Rachel Jones carry strong air rifle scores into the new season. Bullard set career highs in small bore, air rifle and total score in 2009. The biological sciences major said the rifle team is making goals for her final season with the Pack.
“We’re looking to continue on with that and we’re looking to do a lot better at GEARC than we have been. We’ve been steadily at the same pace these last couple years,” Bullard said. “We’ve got big plans this year.”
The team will begin its schedule this Saturday at the SEARC’s first event at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. Next week, State will take on Kentucky and Memphis in Kentucky.
Once again, the team’s schedule contains no home matches, as it is without the facilities needed to hold a tournament. The closest tournament to Raleigh will be at The Citadel.
Miller said it is something he is working on with the Athletic Department.
“I’m talking and working with them and trying to look ahead and get a range,” Miller said. “There’s no exact plan, but we’re hoping that with some of the new student fees, we can go in that direction. Part of the problem is finding the best physical spot because land around here is at a premium.”
