Rifle team wins; Corona qualifies for state

Published 10:58 pm Thursday, February 16, 2006

MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County High rifle team shot its third straight score of 1,152 and defeated Wilcox County by 54 points on Thursday in Rochelle.

Colquitt County is now 5-0 and on Thurs-day the fourth member of the team shot a state-qualifying score. Jessica Corona turned in a 290.

Co-rona joins Victoria Dampier, Yohann Brinson and Shontae Robinson in scoring a 290 or better out of a possible 300 to qualify individually for state.

Brinson turned a 286 on Thursday despite shooting with a broken finger on his trigger hand.

Dampier shot a 288 on Thursday and Robinson and first-year shooting Amanda Thompson each had a 287.

Megan Dubberly, another first-year shooter, had a 280.

The Marine Corps ROTC’s Lt. Col. Paul Nagy, who has been with the team since its inception nine years ago, said Thursday was the first time all six shooters have scored a 280 or better.

“I was really pleased with the effort tonight,” said the team’s coach, Gunnery Sgt. Emmett Bryant. “I think it speaks a lot for what the kids are doing.”

Corona shot a 98 in the prone position, a team-high 95 in the standing position and a team-high 97 in the kneeling for her state-qualifying 290.

Dampier, who has a 293 to her credit already this season, had a 98 in the prone position, a 93 standing and a 97 kneeling.

Robinson had a team-high 99 prone, a 93 standing and a 95 kneeling.

Thompson’s 287 was the first top-four score she has shot this season. She had a 98 prone, a 93 standing and a 96 kneeling to finish just three points short of a state-qualifying score.

Brinson broke the little finger on his trigger finger while at Fort Benning last week for the JROTC East Championships.

Despite shooting with a cast on his right hand, he was able to shoot a 94 in the prone position, a 96 standing and a 96 kneeling.

“The prone position was very, very hard for him,” Nagy said of Brinson. “I think what he did tonight speaks about him than the 293 he shot earlier in the season.”

Dubberly, like Thompson, a first-year shooter, had a 94 in the prone position, an 89 in the standing position and a 97 kneeling for a 280. Her 89 was the team’s only score below 93 in any position.

Nagy said the team’s performance was even more remarkable considering it came on the road.