Quick Facts Table of Contents
Location ......................................................Charleston, SC Founded ..........................................................................1842 Enrollment ................................................................... 1,800 Colors .......................................... Citadel Blue and White Affiliation .............................................................. NCAA-I Conference........................................ Southern & SEARC Nickname ......................................... Bulldogs and Cadets President ...... Maj. Gen. John S. Grinalds, USMC Ret. Director of Athletics ................................... Les Robinson Faculty Athletic Rep. ........... Col. William Sharbrough Officer Representative ...................... Maj. Greg Speaker Asst. Director of Media Relations ............. Daryl Grove Athletic Department .................................... 843-953-5030 SID Office....................................................... 843-953-5120 SID Fax ............................................................ 843-953-5058 Mailing Address ............................................... The Citadel ............................................................... 171 Moultrie Street .......................................................... Charleston, SC 29409
Bulldog Rifle Collage ....................................... Cover 2002-03 Schedule .......................Inside Front Cover Quick Facts & Team Photo ..................................... 1 Head Coach & Bios ................................................... 2 2002-03 Bios ................................................................. 3 The Citadel Rifle History ............................... 4 & 5 The Citadel Administration .................................... 6 Charleston, SC ............................................................ 7 Rifle as a Sport ............................................................ 8 Reprinted from the NCAA News The Citadel .................................. Inside Back Cover Bulldog Rifle Collage ............................ Back Cover
Visit the Bulldog Rifle Team at www.CITADELSPORTS.com South Eastern Air Rifle Conference SEARC Birmingham Southern The Citadel Clemson Georgia Military
Front Row: Swan Shoemaker Pritchard Atella Strand
Georgia Tech Mercer North Carolina State North Georgia Wofford
CREDITS: The 2002 Citadel Rifle Media Guide was produced by The Citadel’s Media Relations Staff, and was written and designed by Daryl Grove, using Adobe Pagemaker 7.0 and Photoshop 6.0. Mike Hayden, Andy Solomon, Shane McKelvins, Bill Smith and Marta Grove provided significant assistance. The NCAA News (02/04/02) and Chrissy Kaesebier have a story featured. Photos are by Russ Pace, the Charleston Metro Sports Council and the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau. A special thanks is extended to The Citadel Print Shop. Back Row: Fussell Payne Salinero O’Connell Wright Kacmar Coach Smith
About the covers ... A collage of The Citadel Rifle Team’s awards, dress, targets and ammunition.
1
Citadel Rifle
The Citadel Quick Facts
Coaches & Shooters Native Charlestonian William C. Smith has made great strides with the rifle program moving from a club sport and returning to a collegiate sport. Smith, 53, has guided The Citadel’s rifle club team the past three years and serves as both the men’s and women’s head coach. The Bulldogs lost only one regular season match to North Georgia but redeemed themselves at the conference championship. Under Smith’s direction, sophomore Keith Kacmar was twice named The Citadel’s Bulldog-of-the-Week during the 2001 campaign. Matt Fussell and Boyd Pritchard received All-Academic Rifle Scholar recognition from the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association. The 2001 season marked the first time the team has won the SEARC Championships since rifle was reinstated as a varsity sport as The Citadel’s last championship came in 1999. Two years ago and under Smith’s direction, The Citadel’s rifle club team won individual and team NCAA sectionals and the Southeastern Air Rifle Conference Championships, competing against teams from North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, but could not advance to the NCAA Championships because of its club status.
Citadel Rifle
Smith’s and The Citadel’s future goals include being an annual participant in postseason play and building an on-campus 20 point smallbore rifle range and a 20 point air rifle range with electronic targets. “The facility we are envisioning will be able to host an NCAA championship,” stated Smith. “We should be more competitive as a team with the addition of two athletic scholarships that have been implemented.” Manager Corinna Strand
Matt Fussell
Keith Kacmar
Senior Suwanee, GA Business Administration Tango Company
Junior Valencia, CA Political Science Bravo Company
Forrest Payne
Tony Salinero
Senior Chattanooga, TN Criminal Justice Charlie Company
David Wright Senior Cross City, FL Business Administration Kilo Company
2
Junior Charleston, SC History Delta Company
Jason Dickinson Sophomore Manchester, CT History India Company
Shooters Mike O’Connell
Michael Hays
Sophomore Ithaca, NY Political Science Delta Company
Freshman Charleston, SC Biology Charlie Company
Boyd Pritchard
Kristal Keating
Amara Atella
Jonathan Kougl
Sarah Deuschle
Evan Rishel
Freshman West Palm Beach, FL Political Science Delta Company
Freshman Monroeville, NJ Criminal Justice Hotel Company
Brian Grow
Vanessa Swan
Freshman Wilmington, NC Electrical Engineering Echo Company
Freshman Charleston, SC Political Science Tango Company
Sophomore Chapin, SC Chemistry Lima Company
Citadel Rifle
Freshman Smithfield, RI Civil Engineering Palmetto Battery
Freshman Charleston, SC Civil Engineering November Company
Freshman Waco, TX History Alpha Company
3
Rifle in Review 2001
Citadel Rifle
Coach-Bill Smith... Captain-Janean Tavares... SEARC Champions... 7-1 on season... Reinstated as an intercollegiate sport... Keith Kacmar twice The Citadel’s Bulldog-of-the-Week... Matt Fussell and Boyd Pritchard named AllAcademic Rifle Scholar from Collegiate Rifle Scholar Association.
1991-1992 seasons through Feb. 1, 19-5. 1991 Coach-Colonel G. B. Stackhouse... NRA All-American-Joseph DelVecchio... (Air Pistol – 1st Team) 1990 Coach-Colonel G. B. Stackhouse... (348-105-1 record of last 10 years as head coach)... Team Captain-Leo Sihvonen-1st place sectional match smallbore... Douglas Herr took 2nd place smallbore... Douglas Herr 1st place-air rifle... Leo Sihvonen 2nd place-air rife... David McLeod 3rd place-air rifle... State Champions of South Carolina and North Carolina... First place in NCAA
1988 NRA All-American-Robert T. Patton... (Air, Free and Standard Pistol – 1st Team) 1987 NRA All-American-Robert T. Patton... (Free Pistol – 1st Team and Air Pistol Honorable Mention)... NRA All-AmericanDavid Laidler.... (Air and Standard Pistol – 1st Team)... NRA AllAmerican-Richard G. Almes... (Standard Pistol – 1st Team) 1986 NRA All-American-Richard K. Roberts... (Air and Free Pistol – 1st Team and Standard Pistol Honorable Mention)... NRA AllAmerican-Richard G. Almes...
1999 President-Mike Wood... Vice President-Andrew Smith... Secretary-Brian Cowart... Treasurer-Steve Alverson... Advisor-William C. Smith... SEARC Champions... NRA AllAmerican-Howard Brown... (Air, Free and Standard Pistol – 2nd Team)
17... Collected 6 out of 9 trophies at the Western Carolina Rifle Conference Match... NRA AllAmerican-M.A. Bucholz... (Air, Free and Standard Pistol – 1st Team) 1983 Coach- Colonel G. B. Stackhouse... Co-captains-Dale Hall and Anthony Morris... NRA All-American-M.A. Bucholz... (Air and Free Pistol – 1st Team) 1982 Coach-Colonel G. B. Stackhouse... Team Captains-Frank Gregory and Russell Farmer (Blue Team, White Team) 1981 Coach-Colonel G. B. Stackhouse... (1st year) and Citadel Provost Marshall... Team Captains-Frank Gregory and Ed Kelly (Blue Team, White Team)... Since 1957-the team has captured 10 Southern Conference Championships. 1980 Coach-Commander V.E. Levander, U.S.N., Ret.
1998 NRA All-American-Peter Marra... (Air Pistol – 2nd Team)
1979 Coach-Captain Sawtelle... CaptainMatt Burke
1996 NRA All-American-Howard W. Brown... (Air Pistol – 2nd Team)
1978 Coach-Captain Matthew Sawtelle... Assistant coach-Sgt. Flynn
1995 Coach-Douglas Herr.... Ranked 2nd out of National ROTC Schools... Lead by two seniors, Jason Lamar and John McKinney... NRA AllAmerican-Alan Geboy... (Free Pistol – 2nd Team) 1994 NRA All-American-Hendrik Booraem... (Standard Pistol – 2nd Team) 1993 NRA All-American-Soutsana Ounkham... (Air and Free Pistol – 1st Team)... NRA All-AmericanDouglas J. Herr.... (Air Rifle – 2 nd Team) 1992 Coach-Colonel G. B. Stackhouse... NRA All-American-Douglas J. Herr... (Air and Smallbore Rifle – 2nd Team)... Doug Herr-first Citadel member to be a two-sport NRA All-American... Team record
4
All-American Eric Sundstrom and NRA Southern Regional and sectional championships 4th in the prestigious Mardi Gras Invitational Championship 37-8-1 record in 1989-1990 season.
(Standard Pistol – 1st Team)... NRA All-American-Dale W. Levering... (Standard Pistol – 1st Team and Air Pistol Honorable Mention)
1989 Coach Colonel G. B. Stackhouse... 64-30 record... Citadel swept North and South Carolina state open championships... Team Captain-Leo Shivonen - First sharp shooter to ever make it to the NCAA Championships in both smallbore and air rifle... David McLeod-1st place Resident State Championship in SC... Kevin Lindell-1st Sharpshooter in SC State Championship and Individual Champion... NRA AllAmerican-Robert T. Patton... (Air, Free and Standard Pistol – 1st Team)... NRA All-AmericanRichard Deer... (Air Pistol – 1st Team and Free Pistol Honorable Mention)
1985 Coach Colonel G. B. Stackhouse... Team won the Mardi Gras Rifle Tournament, the nation’s top tournament... (brought the Bulldogs an unofficial National Championship)... Team CaptainsTerry Smith and Rodney West... NRA All-American-Richard K. Roberts... (Air and Free Pistol – 1st Team)... NRA All-AmericanRichard G. Almes... (Standard Pistol – 1st Team)... NRA AllAmerican-Dale W. Levering... (Air Pistol – 1st Team)... NRA AllAmerican-John A. Crawford... (Free Pistol – 1st Team) 1984 Coach-Colonel G. B. Stackhouse... Captain-Dale Hall... Record-42-
1977 Coach-Captain Matthew Sawtelle... Team Captain-Bob Turner 1976 Coach Major George Lavezzi 1975 Coach Major George Lavezzi... Record 20-5 1974 Coach George Lavezzi... Southern Conference Champions 1973 Coach-Captain Schremp... Assistant Coach- Sgt. Needman... Co-Captains-Jim Meggs and Mike Pendley... Southern Conference Champions 1972 20-10 record... 2nd place in Southern Conference
Rifle in Review 1969 Coach Major Lape... Team Captain-Mike Selders... AllAmericans - Mike Selders, Don Johnson, Ken Elias... SC State Champions... Southern Conference Champions 1968 Coaches-SFC Valley and Major Kelley... Team Captain-Greg Dalton... NRA All-American-J. Eric Sondstrom... (Rifle – 2nd Team)... First Citadel 4 year NRA All-American... SC State Champions... Southern Conference Champions 1967 Coaches-Major E.A. Fox and Sgt. D.A. Valley... NRA AllAmericans- J. Eric Sondstrom, Edward Jones and Wayne R. Fitzgerald... (Rifle – 2nd Team)
1965 National Champions William Randolph Hearst Trophy Coaches-Captain Whitmire and Sgt. Willis... NRA All-American-J. Eric Sondstrom... (Rifle – 2nd Team) 1964 Coach-Captain Hilbert... Team Captain-Kit Leithiser... Team 2nd in the Nation 1963 National Champions William Randolph Hearst Trophy Coach-Captain Hilbert and Sgt. Willis... Team Captain-NRA AllAmerican-Dave Edgerly... (Rifle – 1st Team)... NRA All-AmericanKeels Dickerson... (Rifle – 2nd Team)... Southern Conference Champions... Coast Guard Invitational Champions... Third Army Area Champions 1962 Coach-Captain Donald C. Hilbert... Team Captain-Bill Fuller... NRA All-American-Dave Edgerly... (Rifle – 1st Team)... NRA All-American-Keels Dickerson... (Rifle – 1st Team)... Keels Dickerson-Top Score Nationwide-at William Randolph
1961 Coach-Capt. Richard E. Moore... Team Captain-Joe Syslo... Southern Conference Champions... Third Army Champions... SC State Champions 1960 Coach-Capt. Richard E. Moore... Team Captain-Vici Seiter... Undefeated Regular Season... NRA All-American-Robert C. Metsker... (Rifle – 1st Team) 1959 Coach-1st Lt. Richard E. Moore and Sgt. Lewis L. Crellin... Team Captain-Bob Motsker... Won 3 trophies and 16 individual medals at the NRA National Indoor and Third Army Area... Smallbore Sectional Champions... Air Force Team-National Air Force ROTC Champions 1958 Coach-Captain George E. Wood... Co-Captains-Joe Adams and Wyly Watson 1957 Coach-SFC Eynon... Captain-Ted Adams... 2nd place Southern Conference... 2nd place NRA Sectional match 1956 Advisors-Col. Coffey and Captain Wood... Sponsor-Miss Frances Enter... Captain-Derald Smith... SC State Champions... 2nd in NRA Sectional... Established a memorial award in honor of Richard Polk Caldwell who was co-captain and died in a car accident... The award is for the best marksmanship together with sportsmanship. 1955 Coaches-Sgt. Grier and Sgt. Johnson... Captain-George Thomas... Sponsor-Miss Cicily Kirchoff... Freshmen-undefeated regular season... Varsity SC Champions... 2nd in Southern Conference 1954 Coaches-Captain T. C. Williams and Sgt. Grier... Captain-Jim Coggins... Sponsor-Miss Patricia Thomas... Citadel, Army and Air Force handed the Marines their first defeat in 2 years... 2nd in Southern Conference
1953 National Champions William Randolph Hearst Trophy Coach-Sgt. Harvey... Captain-Pete Shoemaker... Sponsor-Miss Mary Grace Shoemaker... Won the J.C. Moore Trophy... SC State Champions... 2nd in Southern Conference 1952 Coaches-Major Sgt. Chavious and Major Sgt. Harvey... 2nd in Southern Conference 1951 Coaches-Major Sgt. Chavious and Sgt. Wood... Team Captain-B.E. Bookout... 3rd straight year winning SC State ROTC Championship (the W.E. Moore Trophy)... Took honors in William Randolph Hearst Trophy match... 1st year NRA Club was organized at the Citadel... 2nd in Southern Conference 1950 Won SC State ROTC Championship (the W.E. Moore Trophy) 1949 Won SC State ROTC Championship (the W.E. Moore Trophy) 1948 Coach-Major Ralph B. Sessoms, Jr.... Manager-K.F. Kast 1947 Coach-Major John Harden... Captain-D.P. Gaillard... Team Leader-Bob Clement 1946 Coach-1 st Lt. J.W. Lewis... CoCaptains-Mickey Burn and M. Pete Moser... Manager-Bob Clement... Sponsor-Mrs. Henrretta L. Moser... 70 tried out, 16 made the team, 3 returned, 7 ended up with letters... Two Citadel teams fired in the Hearst Trophy Matches and were 5th place 1945 Coach-Captain P.F. Byther... Captain-Billy Wells... SponsorMrs. Josie McCullers Wells... Placed 2nd in Fourth Service Command matches scoring 3,386 out of possible 4,000... 4 out of 10 who made the National Intercollegiate matches were called to the armed services (World War II)... Citadel finished 20th out of 27
1943 Coach-Captain P.F. Byther... Captain-W.A. Pashley... ManagerW.C. Guier... Sponsor-Miss Jane Kraft... G.K. Webb was the high scorer for the team with 374 out of a possible 400... Hearst Trophy Competition-2nd place, Team: 906 out of a possible 1,000... Webb: team high scorer-189 of possible 200... National Intercollegiate matches fired 7,607 of a possible 8,000 1942 Coach-Lt. P.F. Byther... CaptainW.W. Gates-lost before the season began to the army (World War II)... NEW Captain: Johnny Wooten... Manager-W.A. Pashley... Team-lost only once... Freshmen Squad Captain-B.D.Starkey... Freshmen squad defeated once in 6 matches... Won 1st place-ROTC Fourth Corps Area Rifle Competition by the highest score ever received by the Citadel: 3,718 (tied the school’s high score in 1941) 1941 Coach-1 st Lt. P.F. Byther... Captain-Edgar Terrell... 180 men tried out for the team, but only 18 could be taken... 4th place in ROTC Fourth Corps Area Rifle Competition with score of 3,718... Two five men Citadel teams entered in Hearst Trophy Competition... Team placed 3rd936pts, won trophy, and several individual medals... High Team Scorers for the year-M. Mosteller, W.W. Gates, E.A. Terrell and H. E. Groom 1940 Coach-Major R.J. Kirk Jr.... Captain-Alex Kelly... Alt. CaptainA.L. Broadwater... Sponsor-Miss Kitty McNeil... 1st place-ROTCFourth Corps Area Rifle Competition... Undefeated in regular season 1939 National Champions William Randolph Hearst Trophy 2nd place was 22 pts behind them... Coach-Major Robert J. Kirk... Captain-Harold Chandler... Sponsor-Miss Elle Carswell... No collegiate losses in regular season. 1938 Coach- Major Robert J. Kirk... Captain-Tommy Symmes... Alt. Captain-”Speedy” Spedden...
5
Citadel Rifle
1966 Coaches-Major Jerry C. Whitmire and Sgt. Henry Jenks... Team Captain-NRA All-American-J. Eric Sondstrom... (Rifle – 1st Team)... NRA All-American-John T. Collins... (Rifle – 2nd Team)... Team 2nd in the Nation
Hearst Competition (199 of a possible 200 points)... Southern Conference Champions
Review & Administration Manager-Charlie Begg... SponsorMiss Nancy Moorer 1937 Coach-Captain J.S. Robinson... Assistants-Dean McCown and George Rosenburg... Captain-G.V. Rosenburg... lt. Captain/Manager”Speedy” Spedden... Sponsor-Mrs. S. H. Rosenberg 1936 Coach-Captain Stewart... Assistants-Major McGee and Col. Holliday... Captain-A.H. Ferguson... Manager-McCown 1935 Coach-Lt. Stewart... AssistantsCadet Cantrell and Cadet Williams... Captain-Etter...
Manager-McMillan... Had the best college indoor and outdoor target ranges in the state. 1934 Coach-Lt. G.C. Stewart... CaptainHoyt McMillan... ManagerStarkes... Cadet Coach-Ramsey... Sponsor-Miss Sara Sherwood 1933 Coach-F.D. Austin Jr.... CaptainM.L. Powell, Jr.... Manager-H.M. Reed... Sponsor- Miss Mary Ledbetter 1932 Captain-Bert Hamilton... Manager-Harold Norton... First record of a rifle team.
2001-2002 in Review Matt Fussell and Boyd Pritchard received All-Academic Rifle Scholar recognition from the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association in 200. “I couldn’t be happier for these guys,” said Smith. “It’s not often you find someone who excels in academics and shooting. These two young men will be anchor points of this year’s team.” Fussell is a senior from Suwanee, GA majoring in Business Administration. On the range, he led the Bulldogs to a victory at the Clemson Sectional rifle match by shooting a 370 out of a possible 400. Boyd Pritchard is a sophomore from Chapin, SC. Pritchard fired a 359 at the Austin Peay match. Junior Keith Kacmar was twice named The Citadel’s Bulldog-of-the-Week for his efforts in the South Eastern Air Rifle Conference in 2001. Kacmar led The Citadel to a score of 1479 as they won the conference championship defeating NC State (1452) and Wofford (981). The win solidified a victory in regular season and conference action and marked the first conference championship following the reinstatement of rifle as a varsity sport. Kacmar lead the team in shooting and continually posted scores in the 370-380’s out of possible 400 points. He was a few points away from making the NCAA’s as an individual.
Citadel Rifle
The Citadel Administration Major General John S. Grinalds, United States Marine Corps (Retired), was named eighteenth President of The Citadel on his 59th birthday, January 5, 1997. General Grinalds was graduated with honors from the United States Military Academy in 1959, earning a BS degree. He continued his education at Brasenose College, Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography and, once again, graduating with honors. General Grinalds served as a White House Fellow in 1971 and completed his MBA at Harvard Business School with distinction in 1974. When he retired following 32-yearsof serviece he held the rank of major general and served as the commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, a base with the responsiblity for recruiting and training 22,000 new Marine recruits annually. General Grinalds is a member of the South Carolina selection committee for the Rhodes Scholarship Trust and has served on the board of the George C. Marshall Foundation. He also is a member of the Officer’s Chirstian Fellowship, the White House Fellows Association, the Association of American Rhodes Scholars and the Sons of the American Revolution. General Grinalds is married to the former Norwood Dennis, his childhood sweetheart from Macon, GA and they have three sons, Dummond, Southy and Allen, and one daughter, Kate. They also have six grandchildren.
Les Robinson, the winningest baskestball coach in Citadel history, is in his third year as the director of athletics at The Citadel. With nearly four decades of college athletic experience to his credit, Robinson in only the fifth athletic director in Citadel history. He continues to serve on the prestigious NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee as he was one of four new members chosen by the 34-member selection panel prior to the 1999-00 season. The Men’s Baskeball Committee is one of the NCAA’s most influential committees, as the group is responsible for the site selection for each round of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championships, chooses the at-large teams that will compete in the field of 65, and makes other important decisions regarding Division I men’s basketball. Robinson earned a bachelor of science degree in education and recreation from NC State in 1965 aand added a master’s degree in education and guidance from Western Carolina in 1969. Robinson is married to the former Barbara Simon of St. Albans, WV. The Robinsons, who live on Sullivan’s Island, have four children: Greg, Robby, Kelly and Barbara, and seven grandchildren.
6
Citadel Rifle
7
NCAA NEWS Straight Shooters - Rifle misconceptions can pose negative connotations, but advocates are shooting hole in those ideas Most collegiate student-athletes use field hockey sticks, golf clubs or basketballs to shoot their way to a national championship, but at the more than 40 schools nationwide that sponsor rifle, student-athletes are hitting that target with guns and live ammunition.
Citadel Rifle
While it is easy to promote the more conventional sports, the negative stereotypes surrounding guns and the fact that rifle typically is not a fanfriendly sport make the sport a challenge for marketing departments. Indeed, rifle must overcome many misconceptions — but then it has done so for more than two decades. This is perhaps the most common misconception about rifle. But few doubters would try to hit a 0.2 millimeter diameter dot from 50 feet, either. That’s what it takes to get a perfect 10 score in rifle’s smallbore competition, but amazingly, that standard is being met more often. In fact, overall scores are approaching perfection at the collegiate level. The NCAA champion generally shoots a score of 394 or better, but on more than one occasion, Matt Emmons of the University of Alaska Fairbanks has fired a perfect 400 in air rifle competition, shooting a 0.5 millimeter dot 40 consecutive times. “The guns themselves are a tool to accomplish a sport, just as a golf club and a golf ball are a means to play golf,” said Harry Mullins, head rifle coach at the University of Kentucky. The general public isn’t educated on what competition rifle is. Further, since rifle receives little media coverage and is sponsored by only a few high schools, people link whatever exposure they’ve have had to guns or shooting to competitive rifle. The concept of using a gun as a piece of sports equipment is a foreign concept to many. Throw in people’s association of guns with crime and it’s no wonder that rifle has a difficult time with its image. “Any time something happens with handguns, it affects the sport in a
8
negative way,” Mullins said. “We lose a lot of ground when someone chooses to use a gun in a destructive way.” As a rule, competitive shooters are anything but aggressive, short-tempered individuals who just want to fire a weapon. Some even liken rifle with the martial arts. “Rifle provides a wonderful opportunity to learn many life skills such as selfdiscipline, concentration, the ability to relax under pressure, goal-setting, sportsmanship and teamwork,” said Marsha Beasley, head rifle coach at West Virginia University. In other words, just shooting a rifle or being able to hunt doesn’t necessarily translate into being a top collegiate rifle competitor. But the precision, strength and focus that rifle student-athletes need to be successful almost always translate into success in other fields. Not so, according to Mullins. Rifle is allowed only 3.6 scholarships per team, and many teams are funded through student activity funds instead of through the athletics budget. Funding from the athletics department is not a requirement for NCAA sponsorship. Growing the sport Rifle advocates know that those and other misconceptions are tough to overcome, and they would like to see the sport enjoy greater acceptance and understanding in the public eye. Starting any new athletics program is difficult, but Timothy Dillon, athletics director at Canisius College and chair of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Rifle Committee, said the cost effectiveness and gender-equity benefits of rifle make it an attractive program for schools to consider. Since many rifle student-athletes own their equipment and nearly any space can be converted into a shooting range, the budget for a rifle program is considerably less than for other sports.
Title IX compliance also is an incentive for programs to add rifle, which is a coed sport and thus boosts women’s participation numbers. When Birmingham-Southern College made the transition to Division I, it had the daunting task of adding more athletics programs to fulfill NCAA requirements. Administrators compared the benefits of rifle with those of women’s softball and men’s and women’s golf, other programs added in the previous year. And when current head rifle coach Randy Youngblood, who also is chief of campus police, demonstrated the sport at an administrators’ retreat, the sport was welcomed. “When you see guns in an academic setting, you realize a gun used for sport and a gun used as a weapon are two very different things,” Youngblood said. The spectator quandary Rifle competitions are not conducive to spectators, who are left watching for a shot from 50 yards away and must view competition that may last for more than five hours. The facilities also tend to be unique. Last year’s national championships were conducted in a hotel ballroom. Targets that are difficult to see and detailed scoring add to the list of spectator challenges. Dillon said in the future, the rifle committee will explore various scoring methods that provide the instant gratification fans enjoy with other athletics events. “Fast-paced Americans are used to slamming a basketball and seeing the score change, but rifle scoring takes time and patience,” said Dillon. Mullins believes the more people become accustomed to the sport and its nuances, the more they will latch on to its appeal. “Currently, rifle is not a spectatorfriendly sport,” he said, “but when people become more educated and when the facilities become available that promote fans, the popularity will grow.”