Liberty University Club Sports
ASSA Intercollegiate Rifle Club National Championship
Rifle team takes second overall at ASSA Nationals
4/4/2023 5:28:00 PM | Rifle
Liberty University's rifle team earned a program-best second-place aggregate finish at the 2023 ASSA Intercollegiate Rifle Club National Championships in Fort Wayne, Ind., over the weekend, also notching second- and third-place finishes in smallbore and air rifle, respectively.
The Flames and Lady Flames concluded the season with a 4,448-point showing at nationals, trailing only the University of Akron (4564), which also won both the smallbore and air rifle competitions.
"I'm really proud how the athletes pulled together this season," Liberty Head Coach Marlene Gray said. "They worked hard. Just to see them supporting one another and encouraging one another, and then to see the final results. To place second in the nation was pretty awesome."
The Flames and Lady Flames finished second in the smallbore competition with a 2185 total, surpassing Michigan's score of 2171. Senior Kristen Gagne paced the team with her 560-point performance, which put her in seventh place in the individual smallbore standings.
Gray said Gagne's success in her four years with the program has paralleled that of the program.
"(Kristen) has really rallied the team, encouraged the members, and shared her knowledge," Gray said. "So, to see her team shoot really well at our national competition and under her leadership, and put their best out for her, they wanted to do the best for her because they knew it was her last competition. It was such a wonderful thing to see the support from her team members to rally around her."
The Wolverines (2,264) edged the Flames and Lady Flames (2,263) by one point to take home the silver medal in the air rifle competition. Sophomore Claudia Weber led Liberty's scoring with 575, ninth highest in the event.
In addition to the strong team finish, several Liberty athletes received recognition for their individual shooting performances.
Graduate Erica Cruz, Weber, and Gagne were named to the 2023 Intercollegiate Club All-Star 3-Position (smallbore) Second Team with score averages of 559, 560, and 563, respectively. Weber and Gagne were also named to both the All-Star Second Teams for both Air Rifle (with scores of 574 and 576, respectively) and Overall Aggregate (1,134 and 1,139, respectively).
"(Liberty's athletes) really worked hard on their practices," Gray said. "They were very consistent, and it paid off when they went to the competition this weekend. They were so focused and disciplined, and they were rewarded for their efforts with the score."
Several Flames also shot personal records with freshmen Nicholas Golia and Edward Rea scoring personal bests of 521 and 552, respectively, for air rifle.
Liberty's strong showing marked the programs best at ASSA Nationals, which the team has now attended for three years. Last season, the Flames and Lady Flames finished third overall behind Akron and the United States Coast Guard Academy.
By Christian Shields/Staff Writer
