Tech Takes Smallbore Expert Division at MAC Championships

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The MIT rifle team closed out a successful campaign in fitting fashion winning the smallbore expert division with a 2203-2196 victory over the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia at the Mid Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championships hosted by U.S. Coast Guard Academy this past Saturday. The win avenges a regular season loss to USP in January, though Tech defeated the Blue Devils in air rifle during the previous meeting. The Engineers finish the season at 14-3 in smallbore competition and 13-3 in air rifle. MIT’s tally was classified even higher at the master’s division level, but it wasn’t one of the top two to qualify for the MAC Championships.

In the expert division smallbore finale, the Engineers registered remarkably strong and consistent tallies across the board. Nigel Kojimoto and Emily Houston were separated by only one point with scores of 553 and 552, respectively. Close behind were Elizabeth Phillips (550) and Jennifer Paek (548). The quartet posted the points that counted on the charts, with Phillips’ mark ranking as a new personal high.

Among MIT’s non-scoring contingent, Lionel Sotomayor’s personal high of 531 topped the day as Timothy Jenks (509) and Christian Valledor (458) also competed.

The match concluded the collegiate careers for Houston and Paek and fellow seniors Justine Li and Matthew Pires. All will graduate in June.

“The team will certainly miss their dedication and friendship,” MIT head coach Jerry Mulloy said.