Mt. Aloysius President John McKeegan (from left), student Sydney Castel, coach Siarra Crum, student Elissa Barron and athletic director Kevin Kime pose with the logo of the newly formed Mountie Rifle Team. Mirror photo by Conner Goetz
CRESSON – Mount Aloysius College will be the first university in Pennsylvania with an NCAA student rifle team, the college announced at a news conference Wednesday.
While Mount Aloysius is a member of the NCAA Division III Allegheny Mountains Conference and offers 17 varsity sports, the new Mounties Rifle team will compete against Division II and I schools in the unique format of the NCAA Rifle Competition.
The college shooting season begins in October with regular meets through the holidays before resuming in January. The national championships will be held March 8-9 in Morgantown, West Virginia at the WVU Coliseum.
Mount Aloysius athletic director Kevin Kime noted how “excited” college leaders are to offer the emerging sport in a co-ed format.
“It is the only NCAA sport in which men and women compete head-to-head, and Mount is the only institution in Pennsylvania that will compete at the NCAA level,” Kime said.
Team training takes place on the grounds of the Portage Revolver & Pistol Club.
“They were great to work with because we understood the logistics of this team,” Kime said. “We are proud to call this club the home of the Mountie Rifle Team.”
College President John McKeegan said the team, coach and student-athletes represent a very bright future for Mount Aloysius.
“The launch of our team is, in part, a reflection of the growing importance of this sport both nationally and in our region,” McKeegan said.
With more than 50 high schools across the state offering shooting teams, Mount Aloysius sees the new team as a way to “serve a need in the community,” McKeegan said, as student-athletes no longer have to leave Pennsylvania to pursue their passions.
“These students can now search close to home,” he said.
Experienced shooter and Portage native Siarra Crum brings years of experience to her new role as team coach.
Crum, who competed for Portage Area High School, earned Collegiate Rifle Coaches' Association Scholastic All-American honors two years in a row and qualified for the 2019 NCAA National Air Rifle Championship while at Morehead State University in Kentucky .
Since small-caliber rifle and air rifle are high-precision sports in which medals are won by extremely tight margins, coaching tailored to each shooter's individual needs is essential.
The key to this process is becoming familiar with the rifles themselves – which are often fully customized instruments that can cost over $1,000 each.
“Athletes can bring their own equipment and their own weapons,” Crum said. “In addition, Mount Aloysius will have some home weapons and home equipment so we can offer these to students if they cannot afford them.”
While these rifles, along with new electronic targets, represent a significant expense for the aspiring rifle team, they will also be an investment.
“I know it's important for me to go to college, I bought all my own rifles and everything, and that was definitely an extra expense, but again, those lasted four years and I still have them today, and “I can still go out and shoot,” Crum said.
Crum said she plans to regularly train alongside her athletes to give them valuable hands-on experience.
“I’m just excited,” Crum said. “I think this is a great opportunity for this area and it’s really necessary for our high school students to see that we believe in them.”
Sydney Castel, a Mount Aloysius freshman, is one of two athletes in the inaugural Mountie Rifle cohort. While the minimum team size required to compete in NCAA competition is five, Castel said she hopes to eventually have eight to 10 teammates.
“I plan to help the team and help this sport reach the next level and find new competition,” Castel said.
Castel, who started shooting in sixth grade, placed 12th nationally in the Portage Area High School air rifle competition and wanted to continue with the shooting team after a “rewarding” first experience.
As fellow Portage graduates, Castel first met Crum years before their reunion at Mount Aloysius.
“I worked with her throughout high school,” Castel said. “She is a great trainer, very friendly and respectful and always there when you need something. That’s why I plan to help her because she showed me that I can do anything I put my mind to.”
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