UTM rifle coach Bob Beard wasn’t too excited about opening his 2003-04 rifle season against nationally ranked Murray State, but even after losing the dual match Beard had reason to smile and accept defeat.

Murray State won the match by almost 200 points, but Beard’s Skyhawks shot 80 points better than last year’s finish in the NCAA. The Skyhawk mixed team shot an aggregate score of 6,001, a smallbore score of 4,491 and an air rifle score of 1,510.

Murray State shot an aggregate score of 6,199, a smallbore total of 4,648 and an air rifle total of 1551.

Beard’s second reason for smiling after the loss has to do with his young air rifle lineup.

The veteran coach used four freshmen and two of them turned in personal best scores. The mixed air rifle lineup included Stacy Loyd, Matt Furr, Jaymie Collar and Dan Rebhan. Collar shot 386 and Furr shot 379. Both were personal bests.

Rebhan shot a 374 and Loyd shot 371. Collar led the smallbore lineup with a personal best 1,139. Rebhan fired an 1,125, while Devra Harvey shot 1,115 and Carson Kuen shot 1,112.

The UTM women’s team shot a 5,929 aggregate score. In the air rifle competition, 2003 All-OVC shooter Jessie Wilson shot a personal best 387.

Jennie Fladebo also shot a 387, which tied her personal best. Latimer, who transferred to UTM from the University of Nebraska, shot a 372, while Chandra Braun shot a 369.

In smallbore, Wilson shot a personal best 1,130. Braun also shot a personal best 1,096. Fladebo shot an 1,100, while Latimer tied a personal best 1,089.

“If we had any surprises in this first match it was that the women’s team beat the mixed team,” said Beard.

The women’s and mixed rifle teams will compete in the Austin Peay Invitational tomorrow in Clarksville. The women’s team also will shoot against Morehead State.