UAFS air rifle team ranked 5th in nation
by April 2, 2009 9:37 am 131 views
For the second straight year, Lion Rifles from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith ended the college air rifle season ranked as the fifth-best collegiate club team in the country in the National Rifle Association’s Intercollegiate International Air Rifle standings.
“Our students have achieved a high level of performance for a college club team and are getting to where they can maintain it,” Lion Rifles coach Roy Hill noted in a UAFS statement. "Being able to stay a top five team for two years proves their commitment and shows how hard they work to represent UA Fort Smith on a national level."
Lion Rifles’ team score of 2121 put UAFS behind fourth-place Clemson at 2151. Penn State took the top spot for college club air shooting a 2247 with Illinois State and Michigan State rounding out the top five.
Members of the Lions Rifles are Elizabeth Garris (Muldrow), Tom Nguyen (Fort Smith), J.D. Peronia (Pea Ridge), Morgan Welch (Springdale) and John Wozniak (Fort Smith),
“Morgan is our second shooter to break into the top 20 nationally,” Hill noted in the statement. “Thanh Nguyen was 17th a few years back. For Morgan to achieve this as a freshman without prior Olympic-style air rifle experience is impressive.”
John Wozniak of Fort Smith came in at 21st in the nation. Nguyen followed as the 23rd-ranked college club shooter in the country. Garris came in as 28th best in the country. Peronia, who is in his first semester with the team, finished as the 45th best college club shooter.
College Club Category (Top 10)
Penn State University, State College, Pa., 2247
Illinois State University, Bloomington, Ill., 2192
Michigan State University, Mason, Mich., 2187
Clemson University, Pendleton, S.C., 2151
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, 2121
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wis., 2044
Georgia Military College, Milledgeville, Ga., 1988
Penn State University, State College, Pa., 1974
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Pa., 1935
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb., 1923