The Ohio State pistol team opened its season by capturing two of five individual medals at the Ohio Cup competition Oct. 7-8, while the rifle team opened its season with a loss to Kentucky Oct. 15-16.
Senior Anthony Douglass and sophomore Teresa Meyer both won an aggregate championship to lead the OSU pistol team at the Ohio Cup.
Douglass won the three-gun aggregate championship with a score of 1,575 and won the free pistol competition with a score of 501, tying with Ernest Oelkler, who competed unattached. Douglass finished third in the air pistol competition and fourth in the standard pistol competition.
"Overall I'd say it was decent," Douglass said. "It's an ongoing thing. Everyone continues to improve as I hope that I will."
Douglass earned All-American honors in all three open events last season, and will try to repeat the achievement this season.
Meyer won the women's two-gun aggregate championship with a score of 939. Meyer finished second in the standard pistol, air pistol, and women's sport pistol competitions and finished third in the women's air pistol competition.
Junior Chip Mardis earned the Buckeyes' second individual title, winning the standard pistol competition with a score of 551. Mardis finished one point ahead of fellow Meyer.
"Mardis is shooting all three events for us this year," coach James Sweeney said. "He is the defending National Champion in standard pistol, and will be a three-gun all around shooter this year."
Kristina Kask of Garrett won the air pistol competition with a score of 561, and Judy Tant finished one point ahead of Meyer to win the women's sport pistol competition with a score of 574. Tant competed unattached.
This season, the Buckeyes have an experienced team, returning five seniors. Douglass and Mardis are joined by seniors Rich Hart, Nate Hamm, Rodrick McNeil. Junior Krystin Schmid and sophomores Meyer, Lauren Diefenderfer, and Justin Walters round out the squad.
"We have some soft spots," Sweeney said. "We aren't going to be a dominant team like last year. We'll be good even by national standards - good but not great."
The goal for the team this year is a national championship.
"Our number one goal is to win another open national title," Douglass said.
"That's what we strive for and use our resources for," Sweeney said.
The women's team has high expectations despite losing two players - Stephanie Mack and Jennifer Trickett - from last year's team that captured the National Championship.
"We have an important secondary goal and that is to win the women's national championship," Sweeney said. "We are going for a three-peat. It will be tight this year. We had a dominant team last year."
On the other end of the shooting teams, the OSU rifle team fell to Kentucky 4,638-4,507 in its first competition of the year. The Buckeyes finished the competition with a score of 2,272 in smallbore and 2,235 in air rifle. The Wildcats recorded a score of 2,318 in smallbore and 2,320 in air rifle.
"For the first match, it was a very promising performance," senior Ryan Kohatsu said.
Kohatsu was the top shooter for the Buckeyes, finishing second overall in the meet with an aggregate score of 1,162. Kohatsu scored 583 in smallbore and 579 in air rifle.
"It was under par for sure," Kohatsu said. "I haven't practiced a lot yet. It was a work-out-the-bugs match. It was under par but getting better."
Senior Linnea Nygren was the second best shooter for the Buckeyes, finishing with an aggregate score of 1,136.
"The seniors are our strength," coach Patrick Cherry said.
Kentucky's Andrew Roland was the best overall shooter of the competition with an aggregate score of 1,163, one point better than Kohatsu. Roland scored 587 in smallbore and 576 in air rifle.
Kohatsu and Nygren are the only seniors on a young OSU team that features three freshman and three sophomores. Junior Andrew Wesel rounds out the squad.
"We have good freshmen this year," Cherry said. "Freshman Jeff Naswadi is coming in real strong. Steven Nozaki has shown a lot of promise."
In his first collegiate match, Naswadi finished with an aggregate score of 1,115. He had 566 in smallbore and 549 in air rifle.
"I think I did pretty good," Naswadi said. "There was a little bit of nervousness there, but I think I managed it well."
Naswadi said he has more to offer the Buckeyes than just good scores.
"I have the ability to get people to do stuff," Naswadi said. "I'm a motivator."
Cherry has a shooting philosophy for the team that he hopes will help the Buckeyes reach their larger goals.
"I set goals to establish the best shooting procedure to shoot a ten and then repeat it every shot," Cherry said. "We hope to make the NCAA cut for final and return to being conference champions."
"We've got a good team this year," Cherry said. "One of the best we've had here."
The OSU rifle team is in action again at the Boilermaker Invitational Oct. 22, while the pistol team will host the Buckeye Invitational Oct. 21-22 at Converse Hall.
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