Make room for another riflery banner in the gym.
For the second year in a row the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Riflery team won the Connecticut High School League Shoot-Off, topping four other teams at Blue Trail Range in Connecticut Feb. 21.
The Academy posted a score of 961 (of 1,000), winning the championship event by five points.
"The team was incredible," Coach Bill Passy said. "As the stage got bigger throughout the year, their performance got better."
The back-to-back championships, though, came under different circumstances. Last season, WMA was an up-and-coming team, going decades without a league title. For the 2017-18 championship event, however, the Titans were the favorite.
"To validate what we did last year was important to us as a group," Coach Passy explained. "We wanted to show that we weren't just a one-trick pony. I don't think there's any question now about how good this team is."
And the Titans proved they weren't a one-person team either. Yes, Dan Wesson '18, once again led WMA, scoring a 195 (of 200).
The next two shooters, though, tipped the championship WMA's way. Nick Spellman '19 matched Dan with a 195, giving the Titans a powerful 1-2 punch at the top. Then, Sara Labbe '19 stepped up, shooting a career-best 191. Zihan "Leo" Liu '18 (191) and Pin Hsin "Irene" Fang '18 (189) completed the Academy's top five.
"The depth of this roster has been great for two years now," Coach Passy said. "It's always someone different stepping up for us. It's fun to watch them perform and see the smiles on their faces when they've done well."
Remarkably, WMA pushed its winning streak to 16 matches, with seniors Ben Bicknell, Michael Carson, Yitian "Janice" Zha, Dan, Leo and Irene going out on top.
"We want people to know that WMA has a riflery team," Coach Passy expressed. "The kids work hard, they're committed, they are well trained and respect the sport. The sport is safe, the kids are great, and the school should be very proud of them."
Xavier High School placed second with 956 points, followed by Suffield Academy (953), Bunnell High School (943) and North Haven High School (938). Other than WMA, all of the schools are from Connecticut.