LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI Rifle Program heads south for the Southern Conference Rifle Championships hosted by Georgia Southern on Friday and Saturday. The action will take place at the Shooting Sports Education Center.

The Keydets will battle No. 19 UAB, The Citadel, No. 18 North Georgia, Wofford and No. 6 Georgia Southern, who has claimed the last four SoCon titles.

Smallbore competition will take place Friday, followed by air rifle on Saturday.

The Schedule (NCAA Stats – Live Scoring)
Friday, Feb. 6 (Smallbore)
8-9:30 am - Relay 1
10:05 am-11:35 am - Relay 2
12:10 pm-1:40 pm - Relay 3
2:35 pm - Smallbore finals (Top 8 scorers)

Saturday, Feb. 7 (Air Rifle)
7:45-9 am - Relay 1
9:35-10:50 am - Relay 2
11:25 am-12:40 pm - Relay 3
1:35 pm - Air Rifle finals (Top 8 scorers)

Scouting the Keydets
The Keydets, who have not competed as a team since November 15, had a busy fall beginning with facing No. 3 TCU and No. 9 Navy.  After some road contests, the VMI Mixed Squad defeated rival The Citadel at the Sills Shooting Range in Centreville, Virginia. Its aggregate of 4605 against The Citadel was the team's best score since facing Wofford in January of the 2023-24 season (4610 – program record).
In mid-December, Kyle Kemp, Zachary Mauriello, Alexander Pohlman, Soraya Sar and Wuyue Xie all competed in the USA Shooting Winter Air Gun Championships at Camp Perry (Ohio).

SoCon History
Last year, the Keydet Mixed and Women's Teams finished fourth (4541) and fifth (4512) respectively and Lt. Col. Bill Bither was named Co-Coach of the Year. Individually, Pohlman placed eighth overall in the air rifle.