Feb. 8, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy rifle team looks to continue its late-season surge on Saturday morning, as it will host Army in the annual Star Match, beginning at 9:00 am in the Bancroft Rifle Range. The Mids enter the contest with a 7-1 overall record, and their scores have gotten progressively better as the year has gone on. Army, meanwhile, enters the match with a 9-1 overall record and boast the nation's second-highest score to date.

Navy's scores have shown vast improvement over the last few weeks. After entering January with the 12th-best average in the country, the Mids have pieced together three straight strong scores, including a season-high 4651 (2309 smallbore, 2342 air rifle) in their last competition, a win over the University of the Sciences on Jan. 26. Both disciplines were season highs and the overall score was the team's season high by 18 points. Josh Albright and Chris Burleson led the Mids in smallbore with a 585 and 580, respectively, while Lisa Kunzelman and Alex Karacsonyi scored a 590 and 589 in air rifle.

Albright continues to lead the Mids with an overall average of 1156.8. He has shot both disciplines in all eight competitions and has been over 1150 in six of the eight matches. Albright, last year's NCAA smallbore champion, is averaging 576.8 in smallbore and 580.0 in air rifle. Lisa Kunzelman is pacing the squad in air rifle with a 588.8 average, including a season-high score of 593 on Jan. 25. Currently, her average would rank as the second-best air rifle average in school history, trailing just Matt Albright's 588.9 average in the 2004-05 season by just 0.1 point.

Head coach Bill Kelley has also gotten strong contributions lately from a pair of freshmen in Burleson and Alison Lankes. Burleson owns a 568.1 smallbore average with his last three scores each being at least 574. Meanwhile, Lankes is averaging 572.2 in smallbore, including a 579 against Alaska on Jan. 24.

Army boasts a formidable lineup and have the nation's second-best average. The Black Knights shot a 4671 in its last competition, a win over Kentucky on Jan. 27. Chris Abalo leads Army and will likely become an eight-time All-American when his career winds down next month. In seven of Army's dual meets this year, the team has produced scores of at least 4660. The Black Knights also won the President's Trophy at Bancroft Rifle Range on Nov. 3, by shooting a five-person score of 5817. Abalo set an NCAA smallbore record in that match with a 590.

Army leads the all-time series, 36-29, and have won two straight duals against Navy, coming by 41 and 67 points. Before the current two-match Army streak, Navy had won 12 matches in a row against the Black Knights.

The match will count towards the annual Star Game series between the two service academy rivals. Navy leads this year's overall record by an 11-5 count, including 10-2 in Star Game competitions. A Navy win will clinch at least a tie for the Mids in the Star Game series, with nine other Star Games still yet to be completed. Navy has won the Star Game series for 11 straight years.

# GO NAVY #