USP Rifle Team

  Press Release 

Philadelphia, Pa. (April 2, 2009) - Three members of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia’s mixed rifle team and two members of the USP women’s rifle team were named to the inaugural 2008-09 Mid Atlantic Rifle Conference (MAC) All-Academic Team.

USP mixed team members that earned MAC honors this season were juniors Glen Hirsh (Cherokee High School/Marlton, N.J.), Courtney Cavalieri (Highland High School/ Highland, N.Y.) and senior Raymond Janowski (Toms River North High School/Toms River, N.J.). Senior Danielle Grimaldi (Staten Island Tech HS/ Staten Island, N.Y.) and sophomore Deborah Booth (Watchung Hills Regional High School/Millington, N.J.) were the two members of the USP women's team that were recognized by the MAC.

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia had the highest number of athletes named to the 20-person team with five, followed by University of Akron with four and Massachusetts Institute of Technology with three. A total of eight schools are represented on this year's MAC All-Academic Team.

Shooters are nominated for the MAC All-Academic Team by their respective coaches. A mathematical formula combining a shooter's highest average in either gun along with a weighted grade score based on their fall semester grade point average or cumulative g.p.a. whichever is higher is used to determine the All-Academic Team, with the 20 highest scores earning All-Academic Team honors.

Cavalieri, a fourth year student, is a pharmacy major and sports a 3.362 overall grade point average and made Dean's List in the Fall with a 3.550 GPA. Courtney shot a career-high 551 in smallbore at the NRA Collegiate Sectionals on February 7, 2009 and a season high air rifle score of 565 on the same day and later equaled it one week later at the NCAA Qualifier event at West Point. Cavalieri led the mixed team in both guns, finishing the season with an air rifle average of 554.55 and a smallbore average of 534.58 in her third season of competition for the Devils. She was most recently named to the College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) All Academic Rifle Team and as the MAC Smallbore Shooter of the Month for February 2009.

Hirsh, a third year microbiology major, recorded a 3.826 g.p.a. in the Fall semester earning Dean's List honors. Glen finished his third season as a member of the Devils mixed rifle team with a smallbore average of 511.83 and an air rifle average of 522.90. Hirsh recorded his season-high for air rifle at the NCAA Qualifier in February at West Point, firing a score of 537. His season-high in smallbore came at the MAC championships at VMI on March 7, 2009 when he shot 532. Hirsh was also named to the CRCA All-Academic Rifle Team last month.

Janowski, a fourth year biology major is the third member of the mixed rifle team to be honored. Raymond recently completed his third season as a member of the USP mixed team, posting an overall grade point average of 3.728 and a semester gpa of 3.869 in the fall to earn Dean's List honors. Janowski recorded a season-high smallbore score of 530 at the NRA Sectional on February 7th and finished the season with a smallbore average of 492.73 and an air rifle average of 488.13. Janowski earned CRCA All-Academic Team honors last month.

Booth, a second year pharmacy major, has a 3.637 overall g.p.a. Deborah finished her second season as a member of the Devils squad leading the women's team with a smallbore average of 513.09 and an air rifle average of 541.27, recording an air rifle career high of 566 on October 11, 2008 against the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a season-high smallbore score of 537 at the NCAA Qualifier at West Point on February 14. She is also one of three shooters on the USP rifle teams that earned MAC Shooter the month, earning the first ever Air Rifle Award in November 2008. Booth is the fourth MAC All-Academic Team honoree to also have earned CRCA All-Academic Team honors this season.

Grimaldi, a fifth year pharmacy student, recently completed her fourth and final year as a member of USP's women's rifle team. Danielle has a cumulative grade point average of 3.807. In nine matches this season, Grimaldi had an air rifle average of 485.44 and a smallbore average of 472.38. She has earned Dean's List honors eight times and is a member of Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society. Grimaldi was also named to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Fall All-Academic Team in 2005 and again in 2006 when she was a member of the USP women's volleyball team.

"It's a nice honor for our student athletes, "said Head Coach Paul Klimitas. "And wonderful to see them recognized for their hard work in the classroom and performance in athletics. Each one deserves this recognition."

The MAC is the largest rifle conference in the nation and currently consists of 15 members in eight states from Virginia to Massachusetts and west to Ohio. The MAC strives, through the practice of riflery, to promote the highest ethical standards of athletic competition and individual conduct, foster the development of mutual understanding and cooperation among its member institutions, and work to develop complete mutual understanding of the sport among all member institutions

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