Stories & Highlights
2008-09  season 

Devils Capture their 14th MAC Championship Title (3/9/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia mixed rifle team captured their 14th Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference Championship on Saturday, defeating Virginia Military Institute's mixed rifle team, 2049-2028 to win the MAC Sharpshooter Division Varsity Smallbore Championship.

This year's title is the mixed team's second consecutive sharpshooter division smallbore championship, having defeated VMI's mixed team last year as well. Coupled with the four MAC Championships won by the Devils' women's team, USP now can claim a total of 18 MAC Championships in the 33 years under the guidance and watchful eye of Head Coach Paul Klimitas.

Junior Glen Hirsh (Cherokee HS/Marlton, N.J.) led the Devils with a score of 532 (97, 90 prone; 82, 84 stand; 90, 89 kneel). Hirsh was followed by junior Courtney Cavalieri's (Highland HS/Highland, N.Y.) score of 526 (95, 96 prone; 84, 78 stand, 85, 88 kneel). Rounding out the Devils top four shooters were seniors Hannah Goess (Massapequa HS/Massapequa, N.Y.) and Alex Novin (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.). Goess shot 513 (93, 91 prone; 85, 77 stand; 82, 85 kneel) while Novin shot 478 (93, 91 prone; 63, 65 stand; , 74, 92 kneel).

This year's championship also marks the fourth championship squad that Cavalieri has been a part of, having been one of the shooters on last year's smallbore champions and as a member of the USP women's team's two MAC Marksman division championships in 2007.

VMI was led by Travis Travis who shot 522. John Khrahling followed with a score of 515. Clay Melton (505) and Michael Thompson (485) rounded out the VMI competitors.

On the air rifle side, the USP women's team was gunning for their fifth MAC championship in their fourth season of competition. However the air rifle squad from SUNY Maritime had other ideas, defeating the Devils 2110-1960 to capture the Sharpshooter Division Air Rifle title.

Sophomore Deborah Booth (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Millington, N.J.) led the USP women with a score of 532 (93, 89, 84, 91, 85, 90). Sophomore Nicole Churchill (Pocono Mountain West HS/ Albrightsville, Pa.) followed with a score of 486 (84, 80, 76, 81, 84, 81). Seniors Danielle Grimaldi (Staten Island Tech HS/ Staten Island, N.Y.) and Katie Bubacz (Padua Academy/New Castle, Del.) rounded out the Devils four competitors. Grimaldi shot 479 (71, 81, 76, 82, 88, 81) while Bubacz shot 463 (77, 80, 81, 81, 71, 73).

SUNY Maritime had all four shooters break the 500-point mark with Brandon Webber leading the wy with a score of 547. Amanda Thompson followed with a score of 532. Mark DeMarco (518) and James Worrall (513) rounded out SUNY's competitors.

Cavalieri also competed as an individual on the air rifle side, shooting a score of 555 (89, 93, 94, 98, 91, 90). Her score placed her 13th overall amongst the 41 air rifle shooters competing at the MAC Championship.

"The effort put forth by each team member competing was solid, " said Coach Klimitas. "Would they have liked to shoot better? Sure, but that's the mentality of a competitor. Coming back early during Spring Break takes its toll- training wise. It's a long season. We did just fine."

Army Tops USP in NCAA Qualifier Match (2/15/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia mixed rifle team competed against the 7th ranked United State Military Academy in Saturday's NCAA Qualifier match at West Point, New York. The Devils turned in a solid performance but lost to the Cadets 4625-4256.

Junior Courtney Cavalieri (Highland HS/Highland, N.Y.) led the Devils in smallbore competition, shooting 539 (91, 91 prone; 88, 90 stand; 90, 89 kneel) Senior Hannah Goess (Massapequa HS/Massapequa, N.Y.) was second high for the Devils, shooting 526 (93, 95 prone; 86, 81 stand; and 86, 85 kneel). Senior Alex Novin (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.) and junior Glen Hirsh (Cherokee HS/Marlton, N.J.) rounded out the Devils four scorers in smallbore. Novin shot 525 (94, 98 prone; 71, 82 stand; 89, 91 kneel) while Hirsh shot 520 (97, 94 prone; 76, 82 stand; 84, 87 kneel). USP's smallbore score was 2110.

Also shooting for the mixed team and recording a season high in smallbore was senior Vince Anthony (Bishop Shanahan HS/ Downingtown, Pa.). Anthony shot 507 (95, 95 prone; 82, 80 stand; 75, 80 kneel). Shooting as an individual in the match, women's rifle team member Deborah Booth (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Millington, N.J.) turned in a career high smallbore score of 537 (96, 93 prone; 87, 88 stand; 87, 86 kneel). Booth also shot air rifle, turning in a score of 557 (90, 90, 92, 95, 97, 93), the second highest air score by a USP shooter in the match behind Cavalieri

Cavalieri equaled her season high in air rifle, shooting 565 (93, 96, 95, 91, 94, 96) to pace the mixed team. Hirsh also recorded a season-high in air rifle with a score of 537 (89, 90, 87, 91, 91, 89). Goess and Novin rounded out the Devils four air rifle scorers with marks of 525 (94, 92, 87, 81, 86, 85) and 519 (90, 88, 89, 87, 82, 83) respectively. USP's team score for air rifle was 2146.

Women's team member, Carrie Hightman (Middletown HS/Middletown, Md.) also shot air rifle, producing a season high score of 516 (87, 87, 86, 85, 85, 86).

Army was led by U.S. olympian Stephen Scherer. Scherer shot 583 in smallbore and 593 in air rifle to earn medallist honors in both guns. Charles Ridge (574); John Manzano (571) and Sara Lehman (562) rounded out Army's four declared smallbore scorers, giving the Cadets a 2290 smallbore score. In air rifle, Wesley Hess finished four points behind Scherer with a score of 589. Ridge and Manzano rounded out Army's four air rifle scorers with marks of 581 and 572 respectively. Army's team air rifle score was 2335.

The rifle teams return to action on Saturday, March 7, 2009 when they compete at the Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference championships hosted by Virginia Military Institute on Lexington, Virginia.

Devils Produce Season Highs at Sectionals (2/9/09)

Junior Courtney Cavalieri of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia mixed team shot her best scores of the season in both guns and the USP women's rifle team turned in their best combined team score of the season in both guns as both teams concluded competition at last weekend's NRA Sectionals at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range on USP's campus.

Cavalieri's (Highland HS/Highland, N.Y.) best scores for the mixed team and the women's team's season high combined score, however were not enough to produce a victory on the weekend as the mixed team fell to Penn State 4473-4235; Princeton 2183-2077 (smallbore only); and SUNY Maritime 2162-2158 (air rifle only). The women lost to all three schools as well, dropping the match against Penn State 4473-4027; Princeton 2183-1970, and SUNY Maritime, 2162-2057. The mixed team's 4235 was their best combined score of the season.

Cavalieri fired a score of 551 (95, 92 prone; 86, 89 stand; 95, 94 kneel) in smallbore and a score of 565 (94, 96, 92, 94, 92, 97) in air rifle, both season highs. Senior Hannah Goess (Massapequa HS/Massapequa, N.Y.) also shot a season high in air rifle with a score of 554 (91, 94, 91, 92, 94, 92). Senior Alex Novin (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.) turned in scores of 516 (95, 92 prone; 69, 86 stand; 88, 86 kneel) in smallbore and 521 (87, 87, 85, 89, 85, 88) in air rifle. Junior Glen Hirsh (Cherokee HS/Marlton, N.J.) rounded out the Devils top four declared scorers in air rifle with a score of 518 (89, 86, 86, 84, 86, 87), giving the mixed team a total air rifle score of 2158. Hirsh and Goess also rounded out the top four declared scorers in smallbore with Hirsh recording a score of 516 (89, 88, prone; 83, 76 stand; 89, 91 kneel) and Goess shooting 494 (91, 93 prone; 71, 76 stand; 83 80 kneel). The mixed team had a total smallbore score of 2077.

On the women's team, all four of USP's declared scorers shot a season high in one of the two guns. Sophomore Deborah Booth (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Millington, N.J.) turned in a career-high performance in smallbore with a score of 528 (90, 92 prone; 85, 82 stand; 95, 84 kneel). Shooting season-high scores in smallbore were senior Danielle Grimaldi (Staten Island Tech HS/ Staten Island, N.Y.) and sophomore Nicole Churchill (Pocono Mountain West HS/ Albrightsville, Pa.). Grimaldi shot 491 (84, 95 prone; 80, 79 stand; 76, 77 kneel) while Churchill shot 478 (87, 91 prone; 80, 78 kneel; 60, 82 stand). Junior Elisha Shumard (Toms River North HS/Toms River, N.J.) rounded out the Devils four smallbore scorers a mark of 473 (91, 92 prone; 75, 65 stand; 76, 74 kneel). Shumard also fired a season high in air rifle with a score of 527 (89, 93, 81, 89, 87, 88). This mark was the second high on the team behind Booth's 547 (94, 92, 92, 90, 88, 91). Churchill and Grimaldi rounded out the Devils top four declared scorers with marks of 503 (80, 85, 79, 86, 89, 84) and 480 (71, 80, 81, 81, 87, 80) respectively. The women's team finished with a total smallbore score of 1970 and a total air rifle score of 2057.

Jennifer Hawk led Penn State with scores of 567 in smallbore and 579 in air rifle. Nicole Harpster followed with a 559 effort in smallbore and a score of 571 in air rifle. George Peters and Albert Rogers rounded out the Nittany Lions four scorers. Peters shot 550 in both smallbore and air rifle while Rogers also shot 550 in smallbore and 547 in air rifle. The Nittany Lions had a total smallbore score of 2226 and a total air rifle score of 2247.

Princeton, who shot only smallbore at the sectional, was led by the Fong sisters, Abigail and Sandra, the top two shooters in the Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference (MAC) this year. Abigail, who is also a member of the Olympic Development Team, shot 579. Sandra, a 2008 Olympian, shot 577. Paul Markoff followed with a score of 542 and Zeb Blackwell rounded out the Tigers four scorers with a smallbore score of 485. The Tigers finished with a score of 2183.

SUNY Maritime shot only air rifle, turning in a team score of 2162. Brandon Webber led SUNY with a score of 554 followed by Mark DeMarco's 551. Amanda Thompson (535) and Karly Moise-Duquella (522) rounded out the scoring for the Privateers.

The Devils return to action on Saturday, February 14, 2009 when they travel to West Point, New York to take on the United States Military Academy (Army) in their NCAA Qualifier match.

Rifle Teams Earn Wins Against Greyhounds (2/1/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia mixed and women's rifle teams completed their weekend of action on Sunday as both teams earned a win against Loyola College (Maryland) at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range on USP's campus.

Shooting smallbore only, the mixed team defeated the Greyhounds 2093 to 1772. The women's team was also victorious, 1864 to 1772. As both teams enter sectional competition next week, the mixed team now sports a record of 6-7 overall while the women improve to 4-9 on the season.

Leading the way for the mixed team was junior Courtney Cavalieri (Highland HS/Highland, N.Y.). Cavalieri shot 538 (92, 94 prone; 91, 88 stand; 83, 90 kneel), pacing the quartet of USP shooters who shot over the 500 point mark. Finishing right behind Cavalieri was senior Alex Novin (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.) with a score of 522 (94, 92 prone; 82, 79 stand; 86, 89 kneel). Senior Hannah Goess (Massapequa HS/Massapequa, N.Y.) and junior Glen Hirsh (Cherokee HS/Marlton, N.J.) rounded out the Devils top four scorers. Goess shot 519 (93, 91 prone; 79, 84 stand; 85, 87 kneel) while Hirsh was five points behind Goess with a score of 514 (93, 94 prone; 73, 80 stand; 82, 92 kneel).

Also shooting a career high in the weekend's matches was junior Mark Cifelli (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Gillette, N.J.). Cifelli turned in a smallbore score of 429 (87, 85 prone; 31, 58 stand; 85, 83 kneel) to better his mark of 417 set a week ago against Navy.

The Women's team was paced by sophomore Deborah Booth (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Millington, N.J.). Booth turned in cards of 93, 86 prone; 79, 80 stand; and 87, 83 kneel to finish with a score of 508. Senior Danielle Grimaldi (Staten Island Tech HS/ Staten Island, N.Y.) followed with a score of 471 (92, 93 prone; 63, 72 stand; 72, 79 kneel). Rounding out the Devils top four scorers were sophomore Nicole Churchill (Pocono Mountain West HS/ Albrightsville, Pa.) and junior Elisha Shumard (Toms River North HS/Toms River, N.J.). Churchill shot 455 (86, 92 prone; 79, 61 kneel; 77, 60 stand) while Shumard shot 430 (94, 94 prone; 54, 59 stand; 64 65 kneel).

Loyola was paced by Will Pica's score of 480. Justin Barden followed with a score of 452. Alex Canale and Joshua Downey rounded out the Greyhounds scorers with marks of 450 and 390.

The women's team also posted scores against Army and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) over the course of the weekend. Army defeated the women's team 4232 to 3844 and IUP also narrowly earned a win over the women 3906-3844.

The Mixed and women's Rifle teams will compete in the NRA Sectional meet on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 6-8, 2009 at the Colonel William Shea Rifle range. The Devils will host Penn State, SUNY Maritime, and Princeton University. Princeton currently has the top two shooters in the Mid Atlantic Rifle Conference in 2008 olympian Sandra Fong and her sister Abigail.

Mixed Team Defeats IUP, loses to Army (1/31/09)

As the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia mixed rifle team prepares for their upcoming Sectionals, the Devils faced the United States Military Academy (Army) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania this weekend in non-league competition, splitting the match with a win against IUP and a loss to the Cadets of Army.

Army defeated the Devils 4627-4232 while USP defeated the Crimson Hawks of IUP 4232-3907. The Devils are now 5-7 overall with the split of the two matches.

Junior Courtney Cavalieri (Highland HS/Highland, N.Y.) led the Devils in both guns, shooting 538 (92, 94 prone; 91, 88 stand; 83, 90 kneel) in smallbore and a 559 (92, 94, 93, 95, 93, 92) in air rifle. Second high scorer on the Devils in smallbore was senior Alex Novin (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.) with a score of 522 (94, 92 prone; 82, 79 stand; 86,89 kneel). Senior Hannah Goess (Massapequa HS/Massapequa, N.Y.) and junior Glen Hirsh (Cherokee HS/Marlton, N.J.) rounded out the Devils top four scorers in smallbore. Goess fired a score of 519 (93, 91 prone; 79, 84 stand; 85, 87 kneel) while Hirsh was five points behind Goess with a score of 514 (93, 94 prone; 73, 80 stand; 82, 92 kneel). USP's smallbore total score was 2093.

Army's smallbore squad was led by Stephen Scherer's 588. Sara Lehman follwed with a score of 576. Ken Ridge and Tommy Carr rounded out their top four declared scorers with marks of 570 and 566 respectively, giving the Cadets a smallbore score of 2300

Indiana's top scorer was Sean Cordell with a score of 509. Julie Vavreck followed with a score of 501. Joshua Steiner and Jacob Snyder rounded out IUP's top four with scores of 489 and 473 respectively. IUP's smallbore score was 1972.

Switching to air rifle, Cavalieri's 559 paced the Devils with Goess close behind her with a score of 545 (94, 89, 92, 94, 84, 92). Hirsh added a score of 529 (85, 92, 91, 87, 88, 86) and Novin shot 506 (88, 81, 83, 83, 83, 88) to round out USP's top four scorers. USP's air rifle score of 2139 is their best air rifle score so far this season.

Scherer paced Army with a score of 590, followed by Wesley Hess' 589. John Manzano had a score of 580 and Lehman added a mark of 568 to round out the Army foursome with a total score of 2327.

Cordell also led IUP in air rifle, shooting 493. Steiner and Vavrick shot 483 and482 respectively and George Yauneridge rounded out their top four scorers with a mark of 477, giving the Crimson Hawks an air rifle total of 1935.

The Devils conclude their weekend matches against Loyola College (Maryland) on Sunday, February 1, 2009 at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range on USP's campus.

Mixed Team Falls to Navy (1/24/09)

Junior Courtney Cavalieri equaled her season high in both guns but the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia mixed rifle team lost on Saturday afternoon to the United States Naval Academy 4622-4203 at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range on USP's campus.

The loss drops the mixed teams record to 4-6 overall. The Midshipmen, ranked #5 in the country, add another win to their impressive total, improving to 14-1 on the season.

Cavalieri (Highland HS/Highland, N.Y.) shot 541 (89, 94 prone; 90, 90, stand; 87, 91 kneel) in smallbore and 563 (93, 93, 91, 95, 95, 96) in air rifle, giving her an aggregate total of 1104. Senior Hannah Goess (Massapequa HS/Massapequa, N.Y.) shot 516 (94, 92, 80, 78, 87, 85) in smallbore and 533 (92, 85, 88, 88, 91, 89) in air rifle for a total score of 1049. Junior Glen Hirsh (Cherokee HS/Marlton, N.J. recorded a score of 522 (93, 86 prone; 83, 80 stand; 93, 87 kneel) in smallbore and 530 (88, 85, 87, 94, 87, 89) in air rifle (1052 total score). Senior Alex Novin (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.) rounded out the Devils four declared smallbore scorers with a mark of 514 (95, 91 prone: 77, 76 stand; 87, 88 kneel). Junior Ray Janowski (Toms River HS North/ Lakewood, N.J.) was the Devils fourth declared scorer in air rifle, firing a score of 484 (85, 83, 78, 80, 76, 82).

Navy's Chris Burleson had the high smallbore score of the day, shooting 579 while Alex Karacsonyi and Lisa Kunzelman each shot 590 in air rifle. Karacsonyi shot 571 in smallbore and Kenan Wang added a score of 573 to round out the Mids four declared shooters. In air rifle, Alison Lankes had a score of 577 and Burleson added a 575 to round out their top four declared scorers. Burleson finished the day with an aggregate score of 1161 while Kunzelman's was 1157 and Burleson's 1154.

Two other shooters for the Devils recorded either season or career highs in one or more disciplines. Sophomore Allan Whisler (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) had a career high 486 (85, 86 prone; 73, 79 stand; 84, 79 kneel) in smallbore and a season high 476 (79, 79, 73, 81, 85, 79) in air rifle. Junior Mark Cifelli (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Gillette, N.J.) had a career high in smallbore with a score of 417 (89, 89, prone; 49, 38 stand; 74, 78 kneel).

The USP mixed team returns to action next weekend when they participate in the NRA Sectional meet at the Colonel Shea Rifle Range on campus.

Midshipmen Defeat Devils (1/24/09)

Navy's Lisa Kunzelman earned medalist honors in both disciplines as the United States Naval Academy defeated the University of the Sciences women's team 4606-3938 Friday afternoon at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range on USP's campus.

The win improves the fifth ranked Midshipmen's record to 13-1 overall. The USP women drop to 3-7 overall.

Kunzelman led all shooters in smallbore with a score of 581 and followed that up with a 589 effort in air rifle, giving her an aggregate total of 1170 (out of 1200).

Leading the way for the Devils was sophomore Deborah Booth (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Millington, N.J.). Booth shot a career high 526 (91, 95 prone; 84, 89 stand; 86, 81 kneel) in smallbore and a score of 549 (95, 90, 92, 94, 92, 86) in air rifle for a total score of 1075.

Joining Booth amongst the Devils top four declared scorers in smallbore were senior Danielle Grimaldi (Staten Island Tech HS/ Staten Island, N.Y.), junior Elisha Shumard (Toms River North HS/Toms River, N.J.) and sophomore Nicole Churchill (Pocono Mountain West HS/ Albrightsville, Pa.). Grimaldi shot 476 (92, 92 prone; 67, 74 stand; 77, 74 kneel) while Shumard finished with a score of 473 (92, 92 prone; 68, 68 stand; and 72, 81 kneel). Churchill fired a score of 417 (93, 86 prone; 52, 69 stand; 69, 48 kneel). In air rifle, USP's declared scorers included Churchill, Grimaldi and senior Katie Bubacz (Padua Academy/New Castle, Del.). Bubacz shot 507 (84, 83, 81, 90, 88, 81) while Grimaldi shot 495 (85, 85, 82, 78, 79, 86) to give her a total score of 971. Churchill shot 505 (86, 85, 83, 86, 83, 82) and finished with an aggregate score of 922. Shumard added a 482 score to her smallbore total to finish with an aggregate total of 955.

Navy's three remaining declared scorers all recorded aggregate scores of over 1100. Chris Burleson shot 577 in smallbore and 581 in air rifle for a 1158 total, while Alex Karacsonyi recorded a smallbore score of 568 and an air rifle score of 582 (1150 total). Alison Lankes rounded out the Mids four scorers with a 556 in smallbore and a 572 in air rifle (1128 total).

The USP women's team returns to action next weekend when they participate in the NRA Sectional meet at the Colonel Shea Rifle Range on campus.

Bloodhounds Out-Shoot Devils (11/23/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia mixed and women's rifle teams closed out the fall portion of their 2008-09 campaign on Saturday with both teams losing to John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range on USP's campus.

The Bloodhounds defeated the mixed team 4411-4209 and out shot the women's team 4411-3954. With the losses, the mixed team falls to 4-3 and the women's team to 3-4.

Junior Courtney Cavalieri (Highland HS/Highland, N.Y.) led the mixed team in both guns, shooting a 539 (92, 91, prone; 90, 87 stand; 89, 90 kneel) in smallbore and firing a score of 563 (96, 95, 92, 95, 94, 91) in air rifle. Both scores are season highs. Junior Glen Hirsh (Cherokee HS/Marlton, N.J.) also shot season highs in both guns, scoring 528 (91, 96 prone; 85, 74 stand, 91, 91 kneel) in smallbore and 516 (86, 84, 89, 89, 79, 89) in air rifle.

Rounding out USP's four declared shooters in both guns were seniors Alex Novin (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.) and Hannah Goess (Massapequa HS/Massapequa, N.Y.). Novin fired a season high 526 (94, 86, 81, 84, 90, 91) in air rifle and a score of 499 (93, 91 prone; 68, 74 stand; 85, 88 kneel). Goess shot 517 (95, 93 prone; 85, 71 stand; 87, 86 kneel) in smallbore and 521 (89, 86, 83, 91, 84, 88) in air rifle. The Devils finished the match with a total smallbore score of 2083 and a total air rifle score of 2126.

The Bloodhounds were led by Stephen Wilson who shot identical 571 marks in both guns. Jenna Hansen shot 559 in smallbore and turned in a score of 533 in air rifle. Stephen Zawislak had a score of 552 in smallbore and 564 in air rifle. Dmitry Gordeychuk rounded out John Jay's four declared smallbore scorers, firing a score of 546 which included a 197 from the prone position. Fiorella Villar was the Bloodhounds' fourth scorer in air rifle with a score of 515. The Bloodhounds finished the match with a total smallbore score of 2228 (a John Jay school record) and a total air rifle score of 2183.

The USP women's team was led by Sophomore Deborah Booth (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Millington, N.J.). Booth shot 501 (87, 91 prone; 74, 85 stand; 79, 85 kneel) in smallbore and 532 (85, 83, 89, 85, 95, 95) in air rifle. Junior Elisha Shumard (Toms River North HS/Toms River, N.J.) followed with score of 489 (94, 97 prone; 79, 71 stand; 74 74 kneel) in smallbore and 508 (86, 89, 86, 81, 79, 87) in air rifle. Senior Danielle Grimaldi (Staten Island Tech HS/ Staten Island, N.Y.) equaled her season high in smallbore with a score of 477 (83, 93 prone; 67, 71 stand; 85, 78 kneel). Grimaldi also shot 493 (79, 86, 84, 78 85, 81) in air rifle.

Sophomore Carrie Hightman (Middletown HS/Middletown, Md.) rounded out the Devils top four declared scorers in air rifle, shooting a career-high 498 (84, 79, 86, 83, 81, 85). Sophomore Nicole Churchill (Pocono Mountain West HS/ Albrightsville, Pa.) rounded out the Devils declared scorers in smallbore, shooting a season-high 456 (87, 91 prone; 68, 61 stand; 74, 75 kneel). The women's team had a total smallbore score of 1923 and a total air rifle score of 2031.

Both teams return to action in January when the Devils will host the United States Naval academy over the weekend of January 23-24, 2009 at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range.

Rifle Teams Fall to Nationally Ranked Akron (11/9/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia mixed and women's rifle teams lost their first home match of the young season falling to nationally ranked University of Akron on Saturday at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range on USP's campus.

Akron, ranked 12th in the College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) national poll, defeated the mixed team 4562-4242 while the women's team fell to the Zips 4562-3877. The mixed team's record drops to 4-2 overall while the women fall to 3-3.

In smallbore, senior Hannah Goess (Massapequa HS/Massapequa, N.Y.) led the way for the Devils, shooting a career-high 542 (91, 91 prone; 91, 91 stand; 89, 89 kneel). Junior Courtney Cavalieri (Highland HS/Highland, N.Y.) followed with a score of 535 (94, 91 prone; 83, 89 stand; 88, 90 kneel). Senior Alex Novin (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.) fired a season-high smallbore score, shooting 529 (90, 93 prone; 88, 79 stand; 90, 89 kneel). Junior Glen Hirsh (Cherokee HS/Marlton, N.J.) rounded out the Devils four declared scorers with a mark of 521 (96, 92 prone; 88, 70 stand; 85, 90 kneel).

The Zips were led by Megan Reinking's 579. Joel Nuzum followed with a score of 572. Jenna Compton and Zac Szabo rounded out Akron's top four scorers with marks of 569 and 555.

Sophomore Deborah Booth (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Millington, N.J.) led the women's team in smallbore, shooting a career high 513 (94, 90 prone; 75, 85 stand; 84, 85 kneel). Junior Elisha Shumard (Toms River North HS/Toms River, N.J.) followed with a score of 491 (89, 92 prone; 73, 78 stand; 83, 76 kneel). Rounding out the women's top four scorers were senior Danielle Grimaldi (Staten Island Tech HS/ Staten Island, N.Y.) and sophomore Carrie Hightman (Middletown HS/Middletown, Md.) . Grimaldi shot 456 (83, 86 prone; 70, 64 stand; 79, 74 kneel) while Hightman (77, 75 prone; 70, 54 stand; 77, 55 kneel).

In air rifle, Compton and Reinking led the Zips with scores of 580 and 571. Ryan Stein and Brittany Jones rounded out Akron's top four declared scorers with marks of 569 and 567.

USP's mixed team was led by Cavalieri and Goess. Cavalieri shot 556 (91, 94, 93, 96, 87, 95) while Goess shot 543 (89, 88, 92, 92, 91, 91). Hirsh followed with a score of 521 (89, 86, 88, 89, 83, 86). Novin rounded out USP's top four declared scorers with a mark of 495 (81, 84, 75, 87, 84, 84). In addition to USP's declared scorers, junior Ray Janowski (Toms River HS North/ Lakewood, N.J.) fired a career-high score of 510 (86, 87, 84, 83, 85, 85)

Booth led the USP women's team in air rifle, shooting 532 (89, 84, 91, 98, 93, 87). Grimaldi followed with a score of 505 (86, 88, 83, 78, 87, 83). Senior Katie Bubacz (Padua Academy/New Castle, Del.) and Hightman rounded out USP's top four declared scorers. Bubacz shot 492 (88, 81, 80, 81, 79, 83) while Hightman shot 480 (82, 82, 76, 86, 79, 75). Additionally sophomore Nicole Churchill (Pocono Mountain West HS/ Albrightsville, Pa.) shot 512 (88, 82, 85, 87, 85, 85).

The Devils return to action for their final first semester match on Saturday, November 22, 2008 when they host John Jay College at the Colonel William shea Rifle Range at 10:00 a.m.

Mixed Rifle Team Wins Home Opener (10/12/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia mixed rifle team opened the home portion of their season on Saturday, defeating both Hofstra University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range on the USP campus.

USP defeated IUP 4219-3915 and Hofstra in a smallbore only match 2120-814. With the two wins, the Devils improve to 3-1.

In smallbore, the Devils were led by junior Courtney Cavalieri (Highland HS/Highland, N.Y.). Courtney led all smallbore shooters with a score of 534 (96, 93 prone; 83, 83 stand; 86, 93 kneel). Two points behind Cavalieri was senior Hannah Goess (Massapequa HS/Massapequa, N.Y.). Goess fired a score of 532 (89, 91 prone; 81, 95 stand; 86, 90 kneel). Junior Ray Janowski (Toms River HS North/ Lakewood, N.J.) finished just two points behind Goess with a career high of 530 (89, 95 prone; 85, 81 stand; 90, 90 kneel). Junior Glen Hirsh (Cherokee HS/Marlton, N.J.) rounded out the Devils top four declared scorers, shooting 524 (93, 92 prone; 81, 78 stand; 88, 92 kneel).

Also shooting a career high smallbore score for the Devils was sophomore Allan Whisler (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) who fired a score of 479 (85, 93 prone; 76 62 stand; 84, 79 kneel).

In air rifle Goess fired a career high score of 547 (87, 91, 93, 93, 91, 92) to lead the Devils. Cavalieri followed with a score of 531 (87, 90, 90, 87, 89, 88). Rounding out the Devils four declared scorers were senior Alex Novin (Washington Township HS/Sewell, N.J.) and Hirsh. Novin shot 513 (80, 86, 89, 84, 90, 84) while Hirsh shot 508 (81, 88, 82, 87, 87, 83).

Three additional shooters in the match recorded career-high air rifle marks. Janowski shot 498 (89. 79, 82, 85, 85, 78) while junior Mark Cifelli (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Gillette, N.J.) shot 427 (78, 66, 79, 58, 79, 67). Sophomore Parth Shah (Montville Twp. HS/Towaco, N.J.) shot 422 (67, 76, 59, 77, 75, 68).

IUP was led by Josh Steiner (501 smallbore; 499 air rifle). Hofstra was paced by Allen Yount-Roe’s smallbore score of 239.

The Devils return to action on October 25, 2008 with a match at Virginia Military Institute.

Women Shooters Sweep through Home Opener (10/12/08)

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia’s women’s rifle team completed a two team sweep in their home opener on Saturday, defeating Hofstra University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania at the Colonel William Shea Rifle Range on the USP campus.

In a smallbore only match, the Devils beat Hofstra 1893-814 while the Devils narrowly defeated IUP with a total score in both smallbore and air rifle of 3985 to 3915. The two wins boost the Devils record to 3-1.

Sophomore Deborah Booth (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Millington, N.J.) led the Devils shooting a career-high 520 in smallbore (89, 95 prone; 87, 82 stand; 85, 82 stand) and a career-high 566 (93, 95, 92, 96, 97, 93) in air rifle. Booth’s score of 566 was the highest air rifle score in the match. Junior Elisha Shumard (Toms River North HS/Toms River, N.J.) shot 472 (95, 97 prone; 67, 76 stand; 66, 71 kneel) in smallbore and 519 (85, 86, 92, 90, 81, 85) in air rifle as the Devils #2 shooter in the match.

Senior Danielle Grimaldi (Staten Island Tech HS/ Staten Island, N.Y.) and sophomore Nicole Churchill (Pocono Mountain West HS/ Albrightsville, Pa.) rounded out the Devils four declared shooters in both guns. Grimaldi shot 466 (89, 92 prone; 67, 73 stand; 73, 72 kneel) and equaled her career high in air rifle with a score of 495 (88, 89, 83, 80, 71, 84). Churchill shot 435 (71, 84 prone; 73, 71 stand; 69, 67 kneel) and a career-high 512 (83, 88, 93, 80, 86, 82) in air rifle.

Sophomore Carrie Hightman (Middletown HS/Middletown, Md.) also shot career high score in both smallbore and air rifle, shooting 396 (80, 79 prone; 48, 62 stand; 63, 64 kneel) in smallbore and 487 (81, 81, 81, 86, 85, 73) in air rifle.

IUP was led by Josh Steiner (501 smallbore; 499 air rifle). Hofstra was paced by Allen Yount-Roe’s smallbore score of 239.

The Devils return to action on October 25, 2008 with a match at Virginia Military Institute.