Rifle Preview: Tiger Open

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis rifle team opens its 2019-20 season this weekend, and the squad has the benefit of some Olympic and international experience to lean on this campaign.

Memphis hosts UT Martin in the Tiger Open Saturday, and the match begins at 8 a.m. (CT). The R.F. Fogelman Rifle Range, located on the UofM campus, is the site for Saturday's season opener.

Senior Levi Clark picked up some valuable international experience since the end of the 2018-19 season with trips to China (ISSF World Cup) in late April and Italy (World University Games) in July. The two-time NCAA Championships competitor and 2019 All-American returns as the squad's lone senior this season. Clark placed sixth in smallbore in his two NCAA Championships appearances in 2018 and 2019.

The Tigers also have former Ole Miss All-America Alison Weisz joining the staff as a graduate assistant coach for 2019-20. Weisz, who shot at Ole Miss from 2014-17, earned her way on the National Team after placing first at the USAS National Championships her senior year. Weisz won gold in air rifle at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru and trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., this summer.

Head coach Dan Hermsmeier comments
(On the season opener)
"We've been practicing for a solid three-to-four weeks now, and we're starting to put everything together. We're looking to use this weekend to gain match experience. We're looking to shoot as well as we can and take advantage of our first home match of the season and build from there."

(On his 6-member squad in 2019-20)
"We have small numbers, but we have a close, tight-knit team this year. Team bonding is going to be important for us. This allows us to be more accountable to each other on and off the range."

(On Levi Clark gaining international experience in the off-season)
"Back when I was shooting, going to the international matches was my favorite part of the sport, getting to see the world and shoot in some pretty neat environments against some of the best shooters in the world. I was glad Levi was able to go to both of those matches, get that experience and meet those shooters."

Tigers Tidbits

The Tigers field their smallest team – in terms of number of shooters – since the 1997-98 season. That 1997-98 squad had five on its roster. The 2002-03, 2004-05 and 2006-07 teams also had six members.
Memphis is opening a campaign in its Tiger Open for the third-straight season and the 11^thtime in the last 13 years.
The Tigers host UT Martin this weekend and face the Skyhawks a second time later this season at Murray State's Withrow Invitational in January. In 2018-19, Memphis finished ahead of UT Martin in all three matches in which the two programs competed (Tiger Open/Gamecock Invitational/Withrow Invitational).
Memphis head coach Dan Hermsmeier and UT Martin head coach MJ Vowell both are in their third seasons at the helm of their respective programs.
Memphis and UT Martin host their respective conference championships in 2019-20. For the first time in program history, the Tigers welcome the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Championships to the Bluff City in late February. The Skyhawks host the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) for the fifth time since 2012 in early February.
Sophomore Arielle Kimm made her collegiate debut in last year's Tiger Open and shot her second-best aggregate of her freshman campaign (1160). She shot a season-best 589 in air rifle in the season-opening match.

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Players Mentioned

Levi Clark

Arielle Kimm

University of Memphis Athletics