This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
02/17/2017 11:00 PMThe North Haven rifle team has been recording quality scores while staying poised under pressure throughout the winter season. As a result of their robust numbers, the Indians have qualified for the State Championship meet for the first time in three years.
North Haven recently wrapped up a regular season in which it went 2-4 as a member of the ultra-competitive Central Conference, posting both of its victories against Vinal Tech. Looking beyond the win-loss record, Head Coach Brent Heidenis said he’s been impressed with how his squad has performed this year as the Indians averaged a team score of 937.67 out of a possible 1,000 for the regular season. Ultimately, that total led to North Haven earning the fifth and final spot at the State Championship, which takes place at Indians’ home site of Blue Trails Range in Wallingford at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Heidenis’s club will be competing against Bunnell, Xavier, and Suffield Academy, along with Wilbraham and Monson Academy from Massachusetts, at the meet.
“I think it’s just great news and I’m so happy that we did it with such a young team. This isn’t a seasoned, veteran team, but a young, optimistic, eager team, and that bodes well for our future,” Coach Heidenis said. “We’ve always been relevant, but to perform at the highest level in the state and make it with such a young team, it’s such an amazing accomplishment and not something you typically see from a young team. It’s been an unbelievable ride and, overall, the group of kids we have are just jelling together. They’re a really great bunch of kids to be around and that’s inspiring.”
North Haven set a positive tone for the campaign by tallying a 938 in its season-opening win versus Vinal Tech. Multiple athletes shot lifetime-best scores at that meet to help North Haven record a better total than it did all of last season. The Indians sored a 928 against Xavier in their next meet, but facing Bunnell just two days later, they shot a 951, which tied the team’s top mark in Heidenis’s nine-year tenure as head coach by equaling the score from its third-place performance at the State Championship in 2011.
“We knew at that point in time that we could probably make a run at states and the point was, yes, we lost the match with a 951, but Xavier and Bunnell are the 1 and 2 seeds in the entire state, and so for us, it was more about numbers and ultimately trying to get to Feb. 22 and the state competition,” said Heidenis. “Throw out wins and losses and just keep pressing to find the skills to secure that spot to get there because, once you get to states, anybody can win. Bunnell and Xavier can have a bad day and we can have a great day and we’re just as much a candidate as anyone.”
North Haven hosted Xavier and Bunnell for a tri-match at Blue Trails on Feb. 14 and scored a 937 to drop decisions against the Falcons (962) and Bulldogs (953). Harrison Callahan shot a lifetime-best score of 193 out of 200 to lead North Haven, while Michaela Felipe scored a 187. With no seniors on the team, Callahan and Felipe are captaining North Haven as juniors this year. The duo is leading the team both as captains, as well as on the scoresheet with their season averages of 191 and 188, respectively.
“They are my most experienced participants in the program and they are just very knowledgeable and helpful and set a very calm demeanor that doesn’t lend itself to anxious or nervous energy, which is exactly the mentality that you want a team to have in a sport like rifle. So I credit them a lot with how they’re steering the ship in that direction,” Coach Heidenis said. “For averages, they’ve been trading the one and two spots all year and so to have them as your leaders, not only for their personality and leadership, but also their performance, is a win-win situation.”
Sophomore Camille Sahirul scored a 187 in the tri-match and is right behind Felipe with an average of 187.33 on the season. The Indians had another athlete shoot a 187 in sophomore Matteo Franco, who’s average is a solid 185.67. North Haven’s score was rounded out by sophomore Hannah Fruin, who put up a 183 and owns the fifth-best average at 182 in her first season on the squad. All five people who scored points at the meet are varsity athletes for the Indians this year.
“Camille has been in the top five all season and is ranked third on the team right now in terms of overall performance. She has been a very steady performer for us. Another person to highlight is Matteo Franco. He moved from JV status last year to varsity status this year. You have to score in the top five 50 percent of the time and his progression has been really good,” said Heidenis. “Hannah is new to the team this year and, in her first match, she shot an unbelievable 191, which is unheard of to shoot in your first match. She ended up making varsity status this year, as well, and I’m impressed with her as a brand-new shooter.”
Coach Heidenis added that “any one of my guys or girls on the team can crack the top five any day,” and North Haven features several other athletes who’ve either done that or come close this season. Freshman Joe Hendricks has placed in the top five twice and is averaging 178.5 points per meet. Sophomore Emma Pniewski made the top five once and has an average score of 178.33. Hendricks’s high score thus far is a 187 and Pniewski’s is 183.
North Haven’s roster also features sophomore Caleb Johns, who’s averaging a 177.67, along with fellow sophomores Max Petruzziello (176.83), Sean Richards (175.83), Sydney Santoemma (172.83), Gabby Bruno (172.67), and Nick Cristante (156.67). Johns’s best score is a 182, Petruzziello’s is 181, Santoemma’s top mark is a 182, Bruno’s is 183, and Cristante shot a 172 for his best showing of the year.
Along with complimenting his athletes for their performances this season, Heidenis also noted the positive impact that Dennis Bennett has made as North Haven’s assistant coach.
“Dennis is such a valuable piece to our program. He’s still a competitive shooter and is so knowledgeable,” said Heidenis. “I just can’t do it without him. He’s a great coach and mentor to the kids.”
From the Sidelines
In Connecticut high school rifle, each athlete takes 50 shots at a target in four different positions: sitting, standing, kneeling, and offhand (prone). An individual’s score is based on how many shots land on target. The best score in each position is a 50 and the top score that an individual can shoot is 200. Out of everyone who competes, the top five scorers’ point totals count toward their team’s final score. The maximum score that a team can record in a meet is 1,000.