The University of Memphis Rifle Team looks to begin a successful campaign after a program best fourth place finish last year at the NCAA Championship.
The only coed sports team on campus, the rifle program is billed as one of the premier shooting teams in the nation. Butch Woolbright, a distinguished rifle shooter and coach, leads the program. In 1998, Woolbright won Conference USA rifle coach of the year. He is certified as a master of small-bore and high-power rifles.
In his 22 seasons as head coach of the program, Woolbright has seen it develop into a successful one. He feels that this season will be a banner year for the team.
“We’ve got a heck of a good team,” Woolbright said. “We’ve got people trying to make the Olympic team, national developmental team, and an All American, maybe even two or three All Americans by the end of the season. We also boast a 3.5 GPA, which I’m really proud of.”
The first big challenge for the Tiger rifle team will be replacing 6-time All-American Dan Hermsmeier, who recently graduated.
But there is room for optimism as sharpshooters such as Elizabeth Lee and Amy Fister return to the team and are primed to lead the Tiger rifle team after a successful season last year.
They also have newcomers such as Eli Reichling and Mackennon Doran joining the team, as well as National Olympic Developmental trainer Haylea Broughton rounding out the team.
Competitions are scored in two categories, Small Bore and Air Rifle. In Small Bore competitions, shooters use a 22-caliber rifle from three different positions, shooting for the best score. In Air Rifle competitions, shooters are limited to 60 shots from an air rifle.
The points are scored by a computer that uses sensors to triangulate the scoring and are precise enough to score within a tenth of a point.
The Tigers will enter in 13 competitions this season in various locations across the country. They hope to qualify for the national championship, where only the top eight teams in the country will be allowed to compete.
After the teams compete to try and accumulate the highest score, top individuals also shoot for the chance to be named individual national champion.
The Tiger Rifle Team kicks off their season on Oct. 4 at the Ole Miss Invitational at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. The competition starts at 8 a.m. and will be live streamed on the University of Mississippi website.
