High five for Valley Stream rifle team

Nothing, it seems, can stop the Valley Stream Central High School District’s rifle team. The squad won its fifth consecutive state championship earlier this month, taking home the trophy in both the .22 smallbore and air rifle competitions.

The team was led by North High School senior Jumell Wilson, Central High juniors Dean Rossano and Nick Rishkel and Central sophomore Danielle Cuomo. Though no one on the team posted the best individual marks at the state championship, solid shooting from the entire group put the team in first place. “We want to win as a team instead of individually,” Wilson said.

Rishkel placed third in air rifle and Wilson was third in .22 smallbore. Each of the four top shooters finished in the top 10 in both events.

The team did break some records on its journey. Twice this season it topped its own high score at the county level. The old record of 757 points (out of a possible 800), set by Valley Stream several years ago, was broken by the quartet of shooters with a score of 761. Later this season they improved on the mark, posting a score of 766.

At a meet this season, Cuomo set a county record by hitting 15 centers — a shot that takes out the bulls-eye. That bested the old county record by one, and Cuomo scored 195 out of a possible 200 points in that competition on her way to winning the individual county championship in air rifle.

Rossano was the county champ in .22 smallbore, scoring 280 out of 300, his career best. Rishkel, meanwhile, had the best season average in the county, 276.

Wilson had the highest average in the county in air rifle for the season, 191 out of 200. He said that air rifle, which is shot in the standing position, is his stronger event. “Air is easier,” he said, “but you have to have more control and patience.”

The team worked hard to prepare for the state championship, which took place at West Point. With two weeks in between the county and state competitions, squad members practiced at the district’s rifle range in the basement of Memorial Junior High School. During their week off from school in February, they were there every day. “We basically gave up our break to practice,” Wilson said.

Cuomo said that team members worked on controlling their emotions, learning not to get upset if a shot was not on target. When they’re aggravated, she explained, it becomes even more difficult to make a shot.

Rossano said that he and his teammates try to treat a big competitions as if it’s just another match. “Just do the same exact thing you do at practice,” he said.

The shooters said they were confident going into the state meet. “Everybody was favoring us,” Rishkel said. “Everybody knew we were their competition to beat.”

Coach Blake McCauley said that Valley Stream is now known across the state as a rifle powerhouse. He never goes to the championship expecting a win, however, he added. One of his rules is that he makes no predictions.

But he said that team members went into the meet as ready as they were going to be, and their dedication to preparation paid off. “I’m proud of their hard work and dedication, and their commitment to good sportsmanship,” he said.

District Athletic Director Scott Stueber noted how remarkable the squad’s accomplishment is. Because air rifle and .22 smallbore are separate events, the team has captured two state titles each year, a total of 10 in five years. “It’s an amazing feat to be that successful for such a long period of time,” he said, adding that it is a credit to both the coaches and the shooters.

Stueber noted that the Valley Stream Police Activities League has a rifle team that essentially feeds the high school team. The strong PAL program, he said, prepares the students well to succeed at the high school level.

Joining the team at the state championship were two alternates, Sean Wraith, a sophomore at South High School, and Saffraz Bacchus, a freshman. Although their scores didn’t count toward the team’s overall scores, they did get to participate, and Wraith placed first overall among alternates in air rifle.

For Wraith, who attended the state tournament for the first time, it was a different experience. It was the first time he had ever shot at an electronic target instead of paper. “It was a lot of fun,” he said. “I was a bit nervous. It was something new.”

He and Bacchus will likely vie for the fourth spot on the team next year, replacing Wilson, who will attend Morehead State in Kentucky, where he received a rifle scholarship.

McCauley described Wilson as a natural leader and a great athlete, and said he will miss the team’s co-captain next year. But Rishkel, Rossano and Cuomo will return, and practice and compete together for the third straight year.

And the season isn’t over for two of those shooters. Rishkel and Cuomo will compete in the Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs, Cuomo from March 30 to April 4 and Rishkel from April 5 to 10. They each placed in the top three in the state qualifying match in both events. Wilson qualified as well, but will not be making the trip.

The Junior Olympics will be different for Cuomo and Rishkel. They will have to shoot from a distance of 50 meters instead of 50 feet. Rishkel said there really is no way to prepare for that. “You just go there and do it,” he said. “You have to be on your A game.”

Rishkel added that he is looking forward to competing against shooters from around the country whom he has never seen before.

With five straight state championships and seven consecutive county championships in both air rifle and .22 smallbore, the shooters attribute their success to their coach. McCauley, they say, will do anything for them. “He treats us like his own children,” Wilson said. “He’s a great role model.”