West Point, NY - The John Jay College rifle team opened its 2026-27 campaign on Sunday at the Tronsrue Marksmanship Center, competing alongside national power West Virginia and Norwich.
The Bloodhounds posted a 4,329 aggregate team score, recording a 2,098 in smallbore and a 2,231 in air rifle, while totaling 112 centers.
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West Virginia led the three-team competition with a 4,756 aggregate score, firing a 2,367 in smallbore and 2,389 in air rifle. Norwich finished with a 4,380 aggregate behind scores of 2,135 in smallbore and 2,245 in air rifle.
JB Zhao turned in John Jay's top smallbore performance of the season opener, firing a 551 with nine centers. Zhao posted series scores of 91, 93, 94, 97, 85 and 91.
Mahek Dalwala followed with a strong 531 and nine centers. Dalwala recorded an 84 and 85 in kneeling before producing scores of 90 and 95 in prone and 84 and 93 in standing.
Marian Kopram also surpassed the 500-point mark, finishing with a 522 and 11 centers, the most centers among John Jay's smallbore shooters. Kopram opened with back-to-back 90s in kneeling and added a 95 during the prone portion.
Cassidy Derosia recorded a 494 with six centers.
Allana Dan rounded out John Jay's smallbore competitors with a 488 and two centers.
Dalwala delivered John Jay's top individual performance of the competition in air rifle, firing a 581 with a team-high 30 centers. She was remarkably consistent throughout her six series, recording scores of 94, 98, 96, 98, 97 and 98.
Maria Belov turned in the Bloodhounds' second-highest air rifle score with a 555 and 15 centers. Belov closed her performance with a 93 after recording scores of 92, 94, 92, 94, and 90 through the first five series.
Maria Belov, competing in air rifle, finished with a 555 and 15 centers behind scores of 92, 94, 92, 94, 90 and 93.
Zhao rattled off a 548 with 16 centers followed by Derosia with a 547, who also hit 16 centers while Dan concluded the rotation with a 544 and 14 centers.
West Virginia produced the top individual performances of the competition. Griffin Lake led the Mountaineers with a 1,195 aggregate, firing a 598 in smallbore and 597 in air rifle. Jennifer Kocher and Océanne Muller each totaled 1,192, with Kocher recording a perfect 600 in air rifle.
For Norwich, Meryah White posted a team-best two-gun aggregate of 1,076 after recording a 520 in smallbore and 556 in air rifle.
John Jay Individual Results
Smallbore
Air Rifle
John Jay will return to competition on Saturday, October 17, when the Bloodhounds travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to compete against MIT and Rhode Island at the DuPont Rifle Range.
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