LEXINGTON, Va. – The No. 17 University of North Georgia rifle team made program history en route to its win over VMI and Mount Aloysius on Saturday. 

After setting a new Smallbore scoring record at 2,308, the Nighthawks posted a 2,356 in Air Rifle as well. The total between the two disciplines led to a new aggregate scoring record at 4,664. UNG overtook the previous record of 4,657 points set last January against UAB.

The Nighthawks finished 79 points ahead of VMI and 118 points ahead of Mount Aloysius to earn their first victory of the season. UNG had seven of the match's top 10 competitors. 

It was thanks to a number of outstanding individual performances that the Nighthawks were able to set a new scoring mark. 

Freshman Alison Sutherlin made headlines by setting a new Air Rifle record with a 598 score. Sutherlin tied fellow teammate Elysa Walter's record from 2023 with the performance. Sutherlin then added a 579 in Smallbore to become the match's top performer with an aggregate score of 1,177. Sutherlin's aggregate score, in her second career collegiate match, rank as the sixth-highest individual aggregate score in program history. 

Junior Maya Cameron posted a 580 in Smallbore and a 582 in Air Rifle to finish second on the individual leaderboard with a 1,162 aggregate mark. 

Sophomore Corbin Jockers earned himself a top three finish with a 579 Smallbore mark and a 582 Air Rifle posting to total 1,161 aggregate points. 

Freshman Bri Walter (570 Smallbore, 586 Air Rifle), sophomore Abby Swain (567 Smallbore, 586 Air Rifle), freshman Wyatt Hicks (567 Smallbore, 581 Air Rifle) and sophomore Courtney Allison (562 Smallbore, 586 Air Rifle) all finished in the top 10 as well to round out a strong team performance. 

Jockers, Swain, Walter, Sutherlin and Hicks all posted personal records in Smallbore, Air Rifle and in the aggregate to highlight the victory. 

Now UNG will prepare for a Sunday match in Lexington, Ky. against Akron.