On September 26, 2022, the Columbus High Rifle Team officially started their practices to prepare for the 2022-2023 season, with new members and a fresh start.
The week before the official team practices, shoot-offs took place, where each student tried to shoot as best they could to make the team. In total, there were 5 top scorers who were chosen to join the rifle team.
Along with the new members, all the shooters began to practice preparing for the first
competition. By starting earlier, each of the members has the opportunity to improve as much as possible.
Marissa Childs, co-captain of the rifle team, expressed her hope for the new season as she stated, “I am excited to lead the rookies to reach their future targets and see how far the team can go this year.”
Last year, the team ended a great season by competing in the state competition. This year, they hope to advance to state again with higher scores and even place in state.
Shruthi Sankar, co-captain of the rifle team, explained, “Last season, we went to state, and we did really well overall. I am hoping that this year we can even win state.”
Additionally, the shooters are excited to grow as a team together and build relationships as they shoot together.
Sankar explained, “I am excited about the growth in our team this year. Not only is everyone so hardworking, but they also put in so much effort and time for the team, which is why I consider them as my family. We are always here for each other both in an out of the range.”
To start off the season, the first competition is set to be on December 1, 2022 against Northside, a team that has been the long-standing rival of the Columbus High Rifle Team. Though it may be a challenging start to a new season, the new and old shooters are excited to be able to begin shooting again.