The seventh-ranked Murray State rifle team had a strong showing at the 2023 Withrow Invitational presented by Lapua, finishing second with a season-high aggregate of 4721. The event, held at the Pat Spurgin Rifle Range in Murray, Kentucky, was won by Kentucky for the fifth consecutive year, with the team edging out Murray State by just six shots with a score of 4727.
On Saturday, the Racers began the event by firing a season-high in smallbore with a score of 2351, which they followed with a strong air rifle showing of 2370. Allison Henry had a particularly noteworthy performance, setting new career-highs in both smallbore (590) and aggregate (1182). Henry’s smallbore score led all shooters in the six-team event, while her aggregate was the third-highest of the day.
Scott Patterson also had a strong showing, firing an aggregate of 1182 on Saturday, fueled by a season-high performance in air rifle at 596. Matias Kiuru followed Patterson and Henry with an aggregate of 1181, shooting a 587 in smallbore and a 594 in air rifle.
On Sunday, the second squad for the Racers went shoulder-to-shoulder with Jacksonville State, falling 4661-4636. Kylie Wright led all shooters on Sunday with a career-best aggregate of 1172, which included a 584 in smallbore, a new career-high for her.
With just one match left before the 2023 OVC Rifle Championships, the Racers will travel to No. 13 Memphis for their final tune-up before the event. The team will be looking to build on their strong performance at the Withrow Invitational as they prepare to compete for the championships.