Georgia High School Association State Championship

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Northside's Mouhot claims GHSA individual riflery state title as Patriots finish second overall

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Sports - High School / Sunday, Apr. 04, 2010

Northside's Mouhout takes home individual state riflery title

Leads Northside to second place

By CHRIS WHITE

cwhite@ledger-enquirer.com

Robin Trimarchi rtrimarchi@ledger-enquirer.com Andrea Malagan, center right, and her twin sister Alexandra Malagan, center left, of Chattahoochee County High prepare to compete in the prone position in the GHSA 3 position air rifle state championship at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit ranges on Fort Benning Saturday. 04.03.10

Robin Trimarchi rtrimarchi@ledger-enquirer.com Alexandra Malagan, front, and her twin sister Andrea Malagan of Chattahoochee County High compete in the GHSA 3 position air rifle state championship at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit ranges on Fort Benning Saturday. 04.03.10



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Northside’s Arielle Mouhot took to the firing range window without glancing at the scoreboard, and her coach and teammates knew better than to tell her their state title hopes rested on her making up a five-point difference in an already tight meet.

No matter how bad the situation seemed when it was her turn Saturday afternoon at the GHSA State Rifle Championship at Fort Benning’s Pool International Shooting Complex, Mouhot was enjoying the thought that it was far worse.

“I love the pressure when I’m shooting last for us,” Mouhot said. “The more pressure there is, the better I shoot. I just think, ‘I’ve got to do this.’ That’s when I do my best.”

Mouhot tied the day’s highest 3x10 score to rally Northside from five points behind the leader to within three for a second-place finish and then followed it up with the highest score among the field’s top eight shooters to claim the individual state title.

Still deep in focus even after the individual finals were over and Mouhot knew she was a winner, the senior remained stonefaced until Northside coach Col. Richard Brewer offered a congratulatory hug.

“It feels pretty good right now,” Mouhot said. “I’m definitely happy with how I did.”

Mouhot led the Patriots with a 291 in the 3x10, which consists of 10 shots each from the prone, standing and kneeling positions, and won the individual gold medal with a 102.4 on 10 shots from the standing position. Union Grove shooters Alex Hughes, whose 291 in the 3x10 tied Mouhot’s score, and teammate Steven Frazier finished second and third, respectively, in the individual standings.

Luealla finished first with a 1,151, just three points ahead of Northside and its 1,148. East Coweta took third with a 1,142.

Chattahoochee County finished fifth with a 1,136, and Panthers shooter Andrea Vautrin led the team with a 289 in the 3x10. Vautrin’s score ranked seventh heading into the individual finals, where she improved to finish in fourth place with a 100.3 for a 389.3 total. Her score in the individual final was the second only to Mouhot.

Vautrin was a member of the Chattahoochee County JROTC riflery team that placed first among the Army teams and second among all the services’ teams at last weekend’s JROTC National Air Rifle Championships in Anniston, Ala. Coming off such an impressive finish in a national tournament made Saturday’s fifth-place team finish tough to accept, Vautrin said.

“We just won a national title, so today wasn’t the best day for us,” Vautrin said. “We usually do a lot better.”

Vautrin, Mouhot and Northside’s Jimmie Cooper were recognized as the Georgia Sport Shooting All-State honorees.

Columbus’ riflery team did not reach the state meet, but the Blue Devils did qualify two individual shooters, Erin Hoover and Caroline Henley. Hoover shot a 287 to finish 14th overall, and Henley shot a 274 to finish 58th.

Hoover, a junior, said she was pleased with her performance in her first appearance at the state meet and hoped to return again next season. She shot a 287 total, which she said was her season average, and might have finished higher without a lower-than-usual score from the standing position.

“I was going really good and was probably going to finish with a 97 or a 95,” said Hoover, who finished with a 92 in that portion of the relay. “Then I shot too low on my last two shots, and that cost me.”

Other scores

Northside’s Taylor Bishop shot a 288; Cooper shot a 283 and Matt Sitler shot a 286 to put Northside five points behind first-place Luella heading into Mouhot’s portion of the relay.

Mouhot began the rally with a 99 from the prone position, but Luella’s Jacob Brown shot a 100 to move Luella yet another point ahead. Mouhot then outshot Brown 96-93 in the standing position to close the gap to three points and put her teammates on edge as they watched.

“It was intense and very nerve-racking,” Bishop said. “We know when she’s our last shooter she’ll do well for us, and it was intense watching her shoot like that.”

But Brown matched Mouhot’s 96 from the kneeling position to stop the Patriots from getting any closer.

The Patriots won in 2005, 2006 and 2007 before taking second- and fourth-place finishes leading up to this season. None of the Patriots’ senior shooters — Mouhot, Cooper and Bishop — were part of the state championship teams, but none were let down by taking second in their final attempt for one of their own.

“Second place is still better than what we could do last year,” Cooper said. “I think we did our best, and that’s an accomplishment.”

Added Sitler: “We had a great group of guys and gals on this team, and we’re proud of what we did. I’m already looking forward to coming back next season.”

Team standings: 1. Luella 1,151; 2. Northside 1,148; 3. East Coweta 1,142; 4. Union Grove 1,141; 5. Chattahoochee County 1,136; 6. Woodward 1,132; 7. Elbert County 1,130; 8. Colquitt County 1,127; 9. Parkview 1,121; 10. Madison County 1,110; 11. Roswell 1,099; 12. St. Vincent’s 1,095; 14. Mays 1,062.

Local teams: No. 2 Northside: Taylor Bishop 99-94-95-288; Jimmie Cooper 98-88-97-283; Arielle Muohot 99-96-96-291; Matthew Sitler 100-91-95-286. No. 5 Chattahoochee County: Breanna Kasl 100-91-93-284; Alexandra Malagon 96-90-93-279; Andrea Malagon 96-92-96-284; Andrea Vautrin 95-97-97-289. Columbus (DNP): Erin Hoover 99-92-96-287; Caroline Henley 95-86-93-274.

Individual finals: 1. Arielle Mouhot, Northside, 102.4-393.4; 2. Alex Hughes, Union Grove, 98.7-389.7; 3. Steven Frazier, Union Grove, 99.5-389.5; 4. Andrea Vautrin, Chattahoochee County, 100.3-389.3; 5. Tyler Dayton, East Coweta, 98.9-388.9; 6. Trey Lester, Elbert County, 95.7-385.7; 7. Jacob Brown, Luella, 96.6-385.6; 8. Patrick Nelms, Luella, 96.4-385.4.


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[From GA]

Complete results book is at http://www.ghsa.net/