2018-19 Schedule

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Head Citadel rifle coach William Smith released the 2018-19 Citadel rifle schedule Tuesday morning.

The slate of 13 dates includes seven home matches at the Inouye Marksmanship Center and six road matches. The season will be divided up into six matches during the fall of 2018 with the remaining seven, including the 2019 Southern Conference Championships, in the spring.

"I think this schedule will both prepare the team for going up against some very tough competition as well as set our shooters up for success throughout the season," said Smith. "We like to have a good balance when scheduling. This year, we had a very tough schedule, especially at the beginning of each semester, but it certainly helped the team mature a lot quicker and that helped us finish second in the SoCon."

The 21^st-ranked Bulldogs will start the season off on the road at 25^th-ranked VMI on Saturday, Sept. 15. The Citadel defeated VMI twice in head-to-head matches during the 2017-18 regular season, thus holding on to the VMI range flag as part of the friendly rivalry that has developed between the two programs in recent years. The range flags will be back on the line twice again in 2018-19.

After opening the season on the road, the Bulldogs will host three home matches in a row against some of the toughest competition of the year. 15^th-ranked NC State will first come to Charleston on Saturday, Oct. 6 for a dual match. No. 24 UAB and Wofford will then come to town the following weekend on Saturday, Oct. 13.

The three-match homestand will end with a tri-match where The Citadel will welcome No. 3 TCU and 22^nd-ranked Georgia Southern to the Inouye Marksmanship Center on Saturday, Oct. 20.

The Bulldogs will close out the month of October by traveling to Statesboro, Georgia, where they will face off against Georgia Southern for the second time in as many weeks on Saturday, Oct. 27.

The final match of the 2018 portion of the schedule will send the Bulldogs to the mountains of northern Georgia, where 20^th-ranked North Georgia awaits in Dahlonega. That match will take place on Saturday, Nov. 10.

Following the winter break, the Bulldogs will jump right back into the fire with a trip to Jacksonville, Alabama to take on 14^th-ranked Jacksonville State on Saturday, Jan. 12.

The following weekend, The Citadel will remain on the road with a tri-match against Georgia Southern and Wofford in Spartanburg on Saturday, Jan. 19. The match against the Eagles and the Terriers will mark the final regular-season road match.

The Bulldogs will then host four matches in Charleston to close out the regular season. 22^nd-ranked Georgia Southern and 25^th-ranked VMI will both travel to the Inouye Marksmanship Center on Saturday, Jan. 26 to begin the homestand.

The next week, 15^th-ranked NC State will once again travel to the Holy City on Saturday, Feb. 2 with the No. 20 Nighthawks of North Georgia coming to town on Saturday, Feb. 9.

The month of February will conclude with the Bulldogs hosting No. 22 Georgia Southern, 24^th-ranked UAB and Wofford in an NCAA qualifying match on Saturday, Feb. 16.

The Bulldogs will close out the campaign at the 2019 Southern Conference Rifle Championships, hosted by Georgia Southern in Statesboro at the Shooting Sports Education Center. The SoCon Championships will begin with smallbore on Saturday, March 2 and will conclude with the air rifle portion on Sunday, March 3.

The Citadel concluded the 2017-18 season by hosting the 2018 National Collegiate Men's and Women's Rifle Championships at McAlister Field House. The Citadel also hosted the Southern Conference Championships for the second straight season and placed second overall with Allison Auten claiming the individual air rifle crown. Auten, Alexander McAlear and Max Brabston each earned All-SoCon honors and Brabston was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year. The Bulldogs' co-ed team collected 14 head-to-head wins during the season and wrapped up the season ranked 21^st in the nation. Coach Smith was voted the SoCon and CRCA Coach of the Year.

Following the season, 11 cadet-athletes picked up Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholastic All-America honors, including seniors Carli Cline, Morgan Long, Colton Poole and Raven Wills. Juniors who were named scholastic all-americans include Auten, Lauren Pringle, Tommy Simrill and Lauren Pringle. Sophomore Tierra Price as well as freshmen Brabston, Maia Farina and Regina Miles rounded out the 11 CRCA Scholastic All-America honorees, giving The Citadel at least 10 for the sixth year in a row.

For more information on The Citadel rifle team, please visit CitadelSports.com or follow @CitadelOlympic on Twitter.

2018-19 Schedule