“To shoot, you have to be very calm. It’s like, if you get your heartbeat up too fast, then you’re shaking, and you can’t see clearly. It’s just, you need to be calm and that’s my biggest difficulty,” said junior Emma Velton, one of six members of Floyd Central’s Rifle team, who competed and won at the All Services National Precision Championship.
Last year the team faced a narrow loss, losing by a meager two points. This year,they returned to face down their previous opponents, a team that had held its spot as victors for the last eight years.
“We knew going into it that it was going to be a fight for first place. The team that we were supposed to beat has won eight years in a row. So, we knew it was going to be really hard and that we had to do really well,” said senior Megan Fondy.
Despite being the underdogs, when facing down over a thousand other teams, FC’s rifle team came out victorious and set a national record in the process.
“We ended up winning by 22 points, setting a new national record, and while we were there, we were able to win enough money to pay for our whole trip,” said junior Lacy Schilmiller.
As a sport, the Rifle team functions as both an individual and a team sport,with shooter scores going to an individual ranking and also being added to a team score. Even with the sport’s somewhat individualized nature, the group still functions as a team and the win was a moment of celebration for them all.
“We won and that was like one of the most amazing experiences that we’ve had together as a team,” said Fondy.
Succeeding at a sport like Rifle comes with a heavy workload, with the team practicing for up to two hours every day after school. The rifle team’s practice schedule varies by season, but practice continues even after the season ends.
“We practice five days a week, a minimum of two hours a day. By this time of year, we have their physical abilities down because we start shooting in August. Our season is over in April, but we actually shoot year-round,” said the Rifle team instructor and Floyd Central’s naval science instructor, Master Gunnery Sergeant Lynn Akerman.
Akerman became a ROTC instructor after he retired from the Marine Corps, beginning at New Albany High School, where he worked for 13 years before coming to FC five years ago. When it comes to competing on such a high level, nerves become a hurdle, with shooters having to keep their heart rate down, not only for focus but also to keep their hands steady.
“At this time of year, getting them ready for the national championship is more of a mental thing. Preparing them mentally, what to expect, what’s going to happen, don’t worry about the last shot,focus on one shot at a time, get ready for the next one and the next,” said Akerman.
Each member of the team had different methods for keeping their nerves in check, from breathing exercises to certain foods.
“Nerves are different for everyone, and how everyone deals with them is different. Me, I have food before a match because if I don’t have food, I turn into a very hangry person afterwards. And usually, just like eating a banana and having that potassium helps shooters with calming their heart rate,” said Schilmiller.
When it comes to actually competing, the most common high school rifle team event is the three-by-10, in which shooters fire 10 shots in each of the three positions.
“It’s five minutes to change into position. You get in your position and make sure everything’s fine and stuff. And then you have five minutes for sighters. Sighters are pretty much like your practice, and making sure your sights are in line, and everything’s in line. And then we have 10 minutes for 10 shots, which are your actual shots,” said senior Catherine Sorg.
For someone to be successful in a sport like the Rifle team, Akerman boils it down to one trait.
“Dedication. Because in years of coaching, I never have had any student just walk in and shoot really well. Most of them, if they are not dedicated, quit,” said Akerman.
