Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Erika Convery '19 and Dan Wesson '18 both received exemptions in the fall to dedicate more time to their primary sport of riflery.
Under Coach Bill Passy's guidance, Erika and Dan obviously used their time wisely.
Competing at the 28th annual David L. Swanson Memorial Match Dec. 3 in Connecticut, Erika and Dan tied for seventh in a field of 90 talented participants in the Junior Division.
The WMA duo both finished the three-day event with a final score of 293 points (out of 300), missing first place by just three points.
Erika was one of only a few shooters to finish a shooting position with a perfect score, firing a 100 in the prone position. Her total of 99 while kneeling was the second highest score in that position. She easily surpassed her goal of recording a 282 for the match.
"I was proud of myself considering how hard I've been working during my exemption," Erika said. "I was proud of Dan, too, considering we both placed high. I'm glad I had Coach Passy's help. Without him coaching me 3-4 days a week, I wouldn't have been able to score like that."
Dan, who typically competes in events that score 200 or 600 points, was hoping to crack the top 10 at the event. He scored a 97 at the standing position, which was the runner-up total for that category.
"I started running out of time at the end and I was lucky I got some of the shots I did," Dan explained. "But seventh is respectable, and it was out of 90 people. I'm happy with that."
The Titans are coming off a historic season, going undefeated and winning the Connecticut High School Riflery League Championship in 2016-17. Erika and Dan were selected to the All-State First Team by the Connecticut State Rifle and Revolver Association last season.
WMA's Riflery season begins Jan. 6 with a home match against Xavier High School of Connecticut at 1:30 p.m.