The first of nine regular season matches for the University of Tennessee at Martin rifle squad takes place this weekend as Morehead State visits the Skyhawk Rifle Range.
UT Martin's 2022-23 season opener will be spread out over a two-day period as the smallbore relays are set for Friday, Oct. 7 before the air rifle portion concludes the match on Saturday, Oct. 8. Activities on both days will start at 9 a.m.
This match marks the lone home outing of the fall semester for the Skyhawks, who will visit Murray, Ky. for a pair of neutral site matchups (Ole Miss on Oct. 16, Jacksonville State on Oct. 22) later this month. UT Martin then faces Morehead State for matches on back-to-back days (Nov. 5-6) before wrapping up the fall schedule at the JSU Invitational in Jacksonville, Ala. on Nov. 18-19.
The spring schedule features three consecutive home dates in the span of eight days, starting with a Jan. 14 match against Murray State. UT Martin then hosts UAB (Jan. 21) and Memphis (Jan. 22) before putting on the Ohio Valley Conference Championships at Skyhawk Rifle Range on Feb. 4-5. Two weeks later, UT Martin travels back to Murray State for a NCAA Qualifier before the 2023 NCAA Championships take place on March 10-13 in Akron, Ohio.
Head coach MJ Vowell enters her sixth season as head coach of the Skyhawk rifle program and returns five student-athletes from 2021-22. That list includes all three UT Martin representatives who received OVC postseason accolades in Nick Fares (second team smallbore, second team air rifle), Alayna Walther (All-Newcomer smallbore, All-Newcomer air rifle) and Jesse Chamberlain (All-Newcomer smallbore, All-Newcomer air rifle). Fares topped the Skyhawks in scoring three times in the final four matches on his way to a 581 average in air rifle and a 562 average in smallbore. Walther managed a 574 scoring average in air rifle and a 565 scoring average in smallbore a year ago while Chamberlain accounted for a 568 average in air rifle and a 553 average in smallbore.
Five-time All-OVC performer Rachel Sprague also returns for her graduate season after posting a 577 air rifle average and a 569 smallbore average in 2021-22. Sophomore Victoria Petersen completes the Skyhawk returners as the Hendersonville, Tenn. native was responsible for a 556 season average in air rifle and a 538 season average in smallbore.
A pair of freshmen will make their UT Martin debuts this season. Joey Kovach hails from Bedford, Pa. and helped guide Everett High School to a pair of state championships. A Manassas, Va. native, Jeffrey Bourassa prepped at James W. Robinson Jr. Secondary School and brings quality experience to the Skyhawks.
Original source can be found here
Alerts Sign-up