Rachel Sprague of the UTM rifle squad has been named the Ohio Valley Conference’s (OVC) “Freshman of the Year”.
Sprague becomes the sixth Skyhawk in UTM history to claim the OVC’s “Freshman of the Year” honor, joining teammate Kaitlin Korinek who claimed the accolade in 2017.
Going into the OVC Rifle Championships, Sprague led the Skyhawks in small-bore on six occasions while leading the team twice in two matches. Her aggregate scores paced the squad five different times.
The Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, native has been a force to be reckoned with in her first year of competing in collegiate rifle. Sprague notched her high in small-bore (586) and air rifle (583) as well as her highest aggregate score of the season at Jacksonville State back on Nov. 17, as she posted a score of 1,175. She collected an average of 573 in small-bore and an average score of 583 in air rifle during the regular season while also putting up an aggregate average of 1,156 on the year. Her small-bore score of 586 tied the program-high (matching Dacotah Faught in 2017).
“This is a well-deserved honor for Rachel,” head coach MJ Vowell said. “She is an amazing young lady and remarkable shooter. She has exhibited a great mental discipline to a largely mental sport. It is a great feeling to know that she is just a freshman and that we look forward to the years to come.”
