From Bishop Carroll Catholic High School
Bishop Carroll Catholic High School has sponsored a Rifle Team since 2016. Each year, the team improves and grows. One of the All-Star members of the team is junior Emily Bennett.
Emily is the daughter of Steven and Becky Bennett of Brush Valley Township. Her younger brother, Isaac, will be a freshman at Bishop Carroll in the fall. Emily has been an avid hunter and recreational shooter her entire life. While in 8th grade, she discovered that Bishop Carroll was one of the few schools in the area to have a rifle team. Her first year of competitive shooting was as a freshman at Bishop Carroll, and it has not taken her long to become a stand out on the team, in the state, and the country.
This season, Emily placed second in the state match, with a score of 564/600. During the regular season, she also shot a personal record of 279/300. In addition to her success at Bishop Carroll, Emily is also a member of the Jerome Junior Rifle Team and is the top shooter on the Allegheny Valley Rifle League Clymer Team. She recently qualified to try out for the Junior Olympics, where she finished in the top ten in both air and smallbore. She is awaiting results on if she will be competing at the Junior Olympics this summer. In April, her Jerome Team will compete at 4H States, and then hopefully they will qualify for nationals in Nebraska. Last season, her team took first in Nationals for smallbore.
Emily competed at the Walther Cup International Competition at West Virginia University in December, scoring a 581.2/600. She also met and trained with Olympic Gold Medalist Ginny Thrasher.
Emily believes that being a part of the Rifle Team has been a benefit to her in many ways. She commented, “Rifle teaches discipline, commitment, and dedication. Practices are three nights a week and are year-round. It also teaches one how to control nerves under stress and pressure.” Emily continued, “My experience has shown me how to achieve goals that I never thought were possible. I never thought that the Olympics were possible, but now they are within reach.”
Teammate Teresa Golden said of Emily “She works hard, puts the time in, and it shows. Emily is a good leader on our team and encourages everyone to try to become better shooters!”
In addition to being on the Rifle Team at Bishop Carroll, Emily is a member of the National Honor Society and the Student Ambassadors. The entire BC community is proud of Emily’s contributions to the team and her personal accomplishments. We wish her well in her competitions!
