2016 College Nationals at CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park
Saturday, March 12, 2016, brought the College Nationals to CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Talladega, Ala. More than 93 competitors gathered their gear—and their reserve—and set out on a windy, overcast morning for a great day of shooting steel targets.
Overall, the teams expressed their positive impressions of the beautiful facility. "This was well worth the drive," Dillon Irwin, one of 20 members from the Florida State team, stated. "And it's definitely different from anything I've ever done before." The environmental science major went on to say that his goal for the day was to "not get DQ'd."
Beyond not getting disqualified, other competitors in the match shared goals of having fun, doing well, and putting only one shot on each target. Many of the shooters admitted they were new to shooting steel...and to competing in Alabama.
Matthew Bright of Bob Jones University out of Greenville, SC, mentioned that this was his team's first year competing with SASP and their first time at the CMP. "It's an amazing facility. We don't have anything like this. So it's great to get our feet wet and get some experience as a team...and, of course, to have some fun shooting."
There seemed to be a lot of fun happening throughout the day. While waiting for his turn to shoot, Michigan's Alex Mullen took a moment to express his appreciation for the range and his anticipation for shooting the steel targets. His times for the stage were great, and Coach Carrie Cargill, who was watching nearby, added, "This is our third year to compete in this event. But we're so used to our indoor ranges. So I have to give a lot of credit to the kids, to absorb everything and to imagine a lot...and to always pull it together. Of course, our number-one objective is to win. We we want everyone to shoot their best game and to enjoy it."
College Nationals Match Results
1st place Centerfire: Texas A&M Corps of Cadets – Maroon (177.99)
2nd place Centerfire: West Point – 2 (188.05)
3rd place Centerfire: University of Florida – 1 (195.76)
1st place Rimfire: Texas A&M Corps of Cadets – Maroon (190.24)
2nd place Rimfire: West Point – 1 (195.93)
3rd place Rimfire: Michigan State University – 2 (196.89)
1st place Centerfire Open: University of Vermont - 1 (338.64)
1st place Rimfire Open: University of Vermont – 2 (289.82)
2nd place Rimfire Open: Western Kentucky (392.98)
