READING, Mass. -  Norwich Rifle traveled to Reading, Mass. this past Saturday in the first of three head to head match ups against the MIT Engineers. The Reading Rifle and Revolver Club hosted both teams for the day and each team shot season best scores. The Engineers narrowly came out on top with an aggregate score of 4397 to the Cadets 4264. Norwich falls to 1-1 in conference action on the young season. The Cadet score set a new program high score, since Rifle was reinstated as a varsity sport last season, besting the mark they set at West Point by 41 points.

The Cadet charge was led by Sophomore Aiden Burris with an aggregate score of 1101 (539 smallbore and 562 in air rifle) and was the second best score of the day behind MIT's Danny Antonelli who finished with 1125. However, the day was highlighted by the emergence of three freshmen shooters for Norwich. Ben Kelley finished second overall on the team with a new collegiate high 1072 aggregate score (533 smallbore, 539 air rifle). In her first NCAA match, Sage Kontny finished second on the team, and fifth in overall air for the day, in Air Rifle with a score of 545. Evan Elders, who also competed in his first NCAA match, finished third on the team with a combined score of 1041 (523 smallbore, 518 air). Sophomores Jacob Cohn (505 smallbore) and Brady Simmons 1001 (502 smallbore, 497 Air Rifle) rounded out the Norwich scoring in the match.

The Cadets will have their first home match of the season on Veterans Day. John Jay College will travel to Northfield on Saturday November 11th for another NCAA and conference matchup. In last season's matchup, John Jay came away with the victory as they edged Norwich by only 98 points.