Over spring break, the fourth-ranked University of Memphis rifle team traveled to Murray, Ky., to compete in the 2014 NCAA Rifle Competition.
In an eight-team field, the Tigers finished fourth, setting a program record for highest finish at the championship in their first trip to the event since 2005.
Their record-breaking season was capped off with a 4669 point score after two days of competition on Friday and Saturday. West Virginia University placed first in the event with an aggregate score of 4707, setting a new NCAA championship record. The University of Alaska and University of Kentucky finished second and third, respectively.
Friday was the smallbore rifle competition, and the Tigers jumped into third place overall after Elizabeth Lee, Dan Hermsmeier and Amy Fister finished among the top 20 individuals. Lee and Hermsmeier both ranked in the top ten.
After the smallbore sessions, the Tigers trailed the WVU Mountaineers by only 18 points.
On Saturday, the teams competed in the air rifle portion of the championships, and Memphis finished with the fourth-highest score of 2349 for the day, led by top-20 finishes by Lee, Hermsmeier and Max Burkhardt.
Lee, a sophomore from Louden, Tenn., posted a 592 mark on day two after a 585 on Saturday, leading the team in individual scoring on both days and finishing sixth overall in the finals. She set a personal best in smallbore on Friday and was a point away from matching her best air rifle score and total score.
Another outstanding performance from Hermsmeier, a senior, resulted in a 588 score. His 14th place finish ended a season where he earned first team honors for the Great American Conference in small-bore, air rifle and combined.
The Chesterfield, Mo., native was also recognized nationally after the tournament with All-American honors in smallbore and air rifle.
The Tigers were ranked eighth nationally going into the tournament, but the performance boosted them to the fourth spot for the highest ranking in the history of the program.
