LEXINGTON, Va. – After a strong 2024-25 season in which the rifle program shattered multiple program records, had four Junior Olympic qualifiers and
Lt. Col. Bill Bither was named
Southern Conference Coach of the Year for the second straight season, the VMI Rifle program dives into the 2025-26 campaign on Saturday, facing nationally-ranked Navy and TCU.
This will be the sixth straight year that VMI opens in Annapolis. The action gets going from Bancroft Hall Rifle Range at 9:00 a.m.
Live Stats
A Look at Last Year
As a team, the mixed and women's squads finished fourth and fifth at the SoCon Championship, leveling up from the 2024 SoCon Rifle Championships. Bither was named Co-Coach of the Year with Georgia Southern Head Coach Soren Butler and was the third time in his (Bither) earned the recognition.
Kyle Kemp,
Adrianna Sanders,
Elizabeth Stann and
Wuyue Xie all qualified and competed in the
Junior Olympic Rifle Championships.
Darian Tweedell also had a good 2024-25, earning the Virginia State Junior Olympic Small Bore
title.
Midway Foundation
The news of the summer was VMI's $75,000 grant by the
Midway Foundation which allowed Kilbourne Hall to receive brand new targets and scoring systems.
Rifle Returners
The 2025-26 teams boast a lot of returning shooters, as the mixed team has nine and the women's side has four.
Kyle Kemp and
Michael Ball figured to help lead the mixed team, while
Darian Tweedell and
Elizabeth Stann are also slated to compete on the mixed side.
Smita Lokeshwaran, Wuyue Zie and Laura Canady help lead the women's team.
Scouting Navy
The Midshipmen are a coed squad led by Isabella Baldwin, who claimed first place in the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in August as she was one of four athletes representing Team USA. Last year, Navy went 14-5, with senior Marleigh Duncan qualifying as an individual for the NCAA Championships. The Navy lineup features eight upperclassmen and four freshmen.
Scouting TCU
A powerhouse, TCU claimed the 2024 National Championship and was runner up from 2021-2023. TCU, which only fields a women's team, has now appeared in 19 straight National Championship matches, finishing sixth in 2025. The Horned Frogs are led by Katie Zaun, who was the 2024-25 CRCA Rifle Athlete of the Year.
