JACKSONVILLE -– Top-ranked Jacksonville State opened the 2013-14 season with a win at the Ole Miss Invitational, topping No. 4 TCU to capture the team title.
The Gamecocks registered a 2317 in smallbore and a 2356 in the air rifle portion for an aggregate score of 4673. Jax State finished 12 points better than the Horned Frogs, who scored a 4661 total. The UM Invitational featured 10 collegiate teams, including No. 9 Murray State, No. 11 Ole Miss, No. 12 Memphis, No. 17 Columbus State and No. 19 UT-Martin.
Junior Cole Tucker posted a mark of 593 in air rifle and was the top collegiate finisher in the field of 97 competitors. Sophomore Samantha Bullard maintained her high marks in air rifle after a solid freshman season as she scored a 589 to claim ninth. Freshman Brandon Muske began his collegiate career with a 588 and a top-10 finish.
JSU was led by juniors Dan McCall and Brent Books in the smallbore competition. McCall turned in a 584, while Books tallied a 581. Bullard carded a 578 for another top-10 placement.
"This was a great season opener for us, said head coach Ron Frost. We had exceptional performances by Brent Books and Dan McCall in Smallbore, with their respective scores. I'm happy to see that the practice we've put in over the past five weeks has definitely paid off, giving us a great start for the season."
The Gamecocks open the 2013-14 home schedule on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Gamecock Rifle Range, hosting UT-Martin.
