EL PASO, TEXAS – The Jacksonville State rifle team will head in to the 2020 Ohio Valley Conference Rifle Championships after splitting a pair matches against the University of Texas at El Paso.

The Gamecocks posted their second-highest aggregate mark of the season on Friday with a 4644.  The final tally was the best since a match against The Citadel and North Georgia in Charleston, South Carolina last November.  Jax State shot 64 points better than the Miners, who recorded a 4580.  UTEP bounced back to edge JSU by eight marks, 4610-4602, on Sunday.

In Friday's outing, JSU had the top-three scores, led by Michael Dietz.  Dietz, from Peralta, New Mexico, was 1- marks better than the second-place finisher.  Dietz accumulated a final mark of 1172 after carding a 593 in air rifle and adding a 579 in smallbore.  Mackenzie Van Patten placed second with an 1162, while Zach Schmidt rounded put the top-three with an 1160.  Sam Payne and Kaila Jones added an 1148 and 1144 respectively to round out JSU's final tally.

Dietz and Van Patten continued to pace the Gamecocks in the Sunday shoot as the two finished behind UTEP's Jonna Warnken's top score of 1165.  Van Patten collected an 1160 after combining a 586 in air rifle and a 574 in smallbore.  Dietz claimed third with an 1155 as he carded a 582 and 573.  Jones and Payne turned in an 1144 and 1141 respectively on Sunday.

JSU will now turn its attention to the OVC Rifle Championships on February 8-9 in Martin, Tennessee.  The Gamecocks will be looking to secure their 10^th overall rifle title and first since 2015.