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2008-2009 Season Update - Bears Have Great Season; Look Forward to Nationals |
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 Alyssa McDonald won the silver medal in women’s sport pistol and to Heather Johanson who won the bronze medal in women’s air pistol.
The 60 shot combined team consisted of senior Alyssa McDonald (525), sophomore Josh Schwartz (522), sophomore Brenden Kelley (504), and freshman Kent Hunt (539). Everyone shot very solid scores, right in line with their average despite the immense pressure. The exception was Hunt, his 539 was a personal best which is only three points below the likely cut score for individual invitations to the National Championships. Quite the accomplishment for a first-year pistol shooter.
The combined team score, a 2090, just about guarantees an invite to the National Championships in the 60 shot air pistol event.
Freshman Adam Petersen shot a personal best as well, a 537, just two points behind Hunt.
The women’s air event consisted of McDonald, sophomore Heather Johanson, sophomore Jillian Hoffman, freshman Leslie Stenkamp, freshman Brooklyn Andreasen and freshman Melissa Gilday. The highlights for the Bears were that Johanson shot a personal best, 533/600 and 356/400. Her 356 is a very good score and is likely to earn her a personal invite to the Collegiate National Championships in Women’s Air pistol.
McDonald was right behind her with a 351, which may get her an invite as well. Stenkamp also posted a personal best of 496 in the 60 shot event and almost set a personal best in the 40 shot even with a 328. Gilday also posted a personal best, shooting a 474/313 in the two events. The women's team score (McDonald, Johnson, and Stenkamp) totaled 1034. In the last four years, this score would have been good enough to get the women's team an invite to nationals two of the four years so we are crossing our fingers for the ladies.
In Free Pistol, six men shot: senior Weston Kruse, senior Rabii Boughdiri, sophmore Josh Schwartz, sophomore Brenden Kelley, Hunt and freshman Adam Petersen. Kruse shot a personal best (486) which is a possible personal invite to Nationals, Schwartz shot his best score of the year (475), Hunt shot a personal best (449), and Petersen shot a (433). This was a really great team effort, their team score of 1843 virtually guarantees a team invite to nationals in this event. Boughdiri and Kelley both smashed their past scores, shooting personal bests of 477 and 480 respectively.
In Women’s Sport pistol, McDonald, Johanson, Hoffman and Stenkamp all competed. The scoring team consisted of McDonald, Johanson, and Stenkamp. McDonald shot one of her two highest scores ever with a 543, Johanson shot a personal best with a 525, and Stenkamp shot a personal best with a 503. Their team score of 1571 should be a lock on a team invite to nationals in Women’s Sport pistol. McDonald is very likely to get a personal invite to Nationals with her 543 and Johanson has a good chance with her 525.
In Standard Pistol, 12 cadets shot: McDonald, senior Mike Langelier, Kruse, Boughdiri, Schwartz, Kelley, sophomore Dan Cahill, Johanson, Hoffman, Hunt, Stenkamp, and Petersen. Based on recent performance, the scoring team consisted of McDonald, Kruse, Langelier, and Schwartz for the four-man scoring team. McDonald shot a (507) which her second highest score of the year, Langelier shot above his average with a (502), Kruse shot a 510, and Schwartz shot a 505. This was a really great team effort, their team score of 2024 virtually guarantees a team invite to nationals in this event. For the first time in two years, the Coast Guard team beat MIT in Standard Pistol. Kudos especially to McDonald who won the silver medal in women’s sport pistol and to Heather Johanson who won the bronze medal in women’s air pistol.
The overall scores mean Coast Guard will, most likely, go to nationals with teams in open air pistol, standard pistol, free pistol, and sport pistol with a 50/50 chance of an invite in women’s air pistol.
The team is extremely excited and now prepares for an intense three week packed training schedule in order to get ready for Nationals in Fort Benning, Georgia.
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