Tech hosts James Newkirk Invitational this weekend
The Tennessee Tech rifle team will host a pair of important meets in the next few weeks at the TTU Rifle Range in Tucker Stadium , beginning this weekend with the James Newkirk Invitational, named to honor former Tech coach and Hall of Fame member Jim Newkirk.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech rifle team will host a
pair of important meets in the next few weeks at the TTU Rifle
Range in Tucker Stadium as the spring portion of the 2008-09
schedule gets underway.
This weekend, the Golden Eagles host the James Newkirk
Invitational, and on Feb. 7-8 will serve as host of the Ohio Valley
Conference Championships.
"The James Newkirk Invitational holds special meaning for our
program, because of what coach Newkirk meant to building this
program," said head coach Steve Law. "It's our first meet back
after the break, and it will be a really good chance for our kids
to get back into competition."
Joining Tech at the Newkirk event will be Jacksonville State and
Murray State from the Ohio Valley Conference, plus the University
of Memphis. The meet will also include 10 of the top Junior
shooters from across the state.
Shooting begins Saturday at 8 a.m. with two relays, running until
around 6 p.m. The schedule Sunday also begins at 8 a.m., and
features one relay, ending around 1 p.m.
Two weeks later, Tech will host the OVC Championships. In between,
Tech will shoot at the Murray State Invitational.
In smallbore competition during the fall, junior Patrick Stidham
produced the team's top score with a 568 at the Jacksonville State
Invitational. Junior Curtis Gagne had the second-best smallbore
score with a 567 at the Murray State Invitational.
Stidham also posted the team's top score of the fall schedule in
the air rifle discipline, shooting a 583 at the Akron Invitational.
Sophomore Austin Litherland had the next highest air rifle effort
with a 577 at the JSU event.
Tech's top aggregate score came in the JSU meet when Stidham shot
a combined 1,147.
