On target: Palmer rifle squad aims for success

PALMER -- While many Palmer High athletes are found on the courts inside the school or fields around the building, one set of Moose are at home in the range.

The PHS rifle squad spends its afternoons at the Matanuska Valley Sportsman Rifle Range in Palmer, targeting individual and team success.

In just its third season as a varsity sport at Palmer High, the rifle squad has attracted a dozen athletes. The squad features four varsity veterans and eight newcomers to the squad.

The group of athletes ranges from novice to experienced shooters.

"The majority are basically new to the sport," Palmer head coach Dick Barlow said. "They're a bit green, we had to start right from the beginning."

The veterans WHO have returned bring a great amount of experience to the Palmer team. Allison Kolberg and Levi Lutz are three-year veterans and have been with the team for its entire duration as a varsity sport.

Tyler Chapman and Adrian Baer return after two years with the squad.

'The two-year people are coming up," Barlow said. "I feel by the middle of the season they ought to be competitive with the other varsity teams in the conference."

Barlow added that he is also seeing progress from his three-year athletes.

"They are coming right along," he said. "As good as I can expect, because we didn't do anything over the summer."

Last week in a dual meet with West Valley High School at the Matanuska Valley Sportsman Range, the Moose shooters defeated the Wolfpack 2,040 to 2,039.

Kolberg helped Palmer gain the one-point victory with a first-place finish. Kolberg shot 554 against West Valley.

Lutz was forth in the meet with 537 points.

Chapman shot a 285 and Baer scored a 462 to round out the varsity scoring for Palmer.

West Valley's Ida Peterson placed second with a 550.