Rifle is one of Southern Lehigh’s oldest and most successful sports. Rifle team coach Mr. Robert Gaugler, a high school tech ed teacher, is confident that his team will continue their state championship winning streak of five years.
Students compete in teams of around eight under four team captains. During Spartan Periods, the captains help Mr. Gaugler plan schedules for the upcoming competitions.
The rifle team practices at the Hellertown Sportsman’s Association. At matches, ten students compete at the start of each match, and the top five students with the highest scores combine their scores for the overall total of that match.
The rifle team has risen in popularity over the years. After half a decade of success and the loss of ten senior team members, Coach Gaugler is looking to fill his team with motivated and driven members.
“Right now, we’re just dealing with inexperience,” Coach Gaugler said. “We have limited time to practice, so we just have to do the best we can within each practice.”
Although the rifle team is unlike other sports teams, it is still a place for students to form close-knit friendships and bonds.
“I really like being on the team because it has given me a chance to be able to talk to people I wouldn’t normally talk to,” senior Raegen Besido said.
Rifle is one of a select few co-ed teams at Southern Lehigh and is very mentally challenging. In this sport, precision and accuracy are crucial for success.
“I think we all just need to know what our mistakes are, and work on them which will help us win the state championship again this year,” sophomore Sophie Harte said.
The team is hopeful for another successful season this year and aims to maintain its half-decade-old state championship winning streak.
