The University of Tennessee at Martin rifle teams closed their fall season this past weekend with a victory at Morehead State University and an impressive showing in the Walsh Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio.

It was a long weekend for the UT Martin rifle teams. In collegiate rifle, it takes six hours to shoot a full rifle match and the team had to do that on back-to-back days. This is difficult under any conditions but it was made more difficult because the Skayhawks had to travel so far to shoot.

The first leg of this long road trip was the Walsh Invitational at Xavier University in Cincinnati. The Walsh is one of the biggest matches of the season because mid-season rankings hinge on its outcome. The UT Martin rifle team peaked at the right time, shooting its best score of the season at the Walsh. UT Martin fired a 1,506 in air rifle led by team captain Jessie Wilson and freshman standout Devra Harvey with a pair of 382s. Freshman Jennie Fladebo shot a 378 and senior Amanda Karns shot a 364.

In the smallbore portion of the competition, the team fired a 4,398 out of a possible 4,800. Harvey led with a 1,125 out of 1,200. Karns had 1,107 followed by Fladebo with a 1,091.

Wilson fired a 1,075.

With all the traveling the Skyhawks had to do this past weekend, Morehead had a tremendous home field advantage the following day in Morehead, Ky. UT Martin fired a 1,488 out of 1,600 to win the match. Morehead had a 1,480. The Morehead women’s team had a 1,446.

Wilson led the Skyhawks with a 379, followed by Karns who fired a 371. Fladebo had a 370 while Harvey shot a 368.

This had been a rebuilding year for the Skyhawks after loosing eight shooters to graduation last May.

“Senior Amanda Karns has stepped up in smallbore and Jessie Wilson in air rifle, but we still have a long way to go if we plan to finish in the top 20 again this year,” Beard said.

In his 20-year career as head rifle coach at UT Martin, Beard has never finished outside the top 20 in the NCAA rankings at seasons end.