VSD rifles pull off another undefeated season

The Valley Stream District Rifle Team capped off an undefeated winter season, taking home yet another county championship at Glen Cove High School on Feb. 15.

With a team score of 773 out of 800, Valley Stream took first place by a slim 4 points, squeaking to victory past the Sewanhaka district team. Junior and upcoming team captain, Priya Mangal, took second place overall with 186 out of 200. 

During the competition, each athlete had to aim their rifle at two targets, each with ten bull’s-eyes on them, according to coach Heather Zawislak. Athletes have 29 minutes to complete the 20 shots for a maximum score of 200.

Usually, six athletes compete per match. Out of those six, the team score is decided by the average of the top four individual scores for a maximum team score of 800.

Captains Nick Cavaliere and Ivan Ymaz along with varsity teammates Victoria Andreo, Emily Nothdurft, and Tiffany Wu and Keegan Banda also competed throughout the season and contributed to the team’s undefeated status. 

“The highlight for me was seeing the young, new athletes – ninth and tenth graders – with no experience or very little come in and be skilled and talented enough to compete in varsity matches,” said Zawislak. “It’s very unusual…but it’s great to see so much potential for the future.”

Upcoming athletes to look out for next season, according to Zawislak, are Innaya Ilyas, Shahid Khan, and Adam Bacchus, who also competed throughout the season at the junior varsity level and who will undoubtedly be moving up to varsity in the 2022-23 season. 

While Covid regulations have posed many challenges to the athletes in the past two years – limiting the team’s interactions with other competing schools and cutting away at practice time –Zawislak said that this season was far less stressful.

“It wasn’t as bad because this year, they were able to have an in-person competition and travel to other shooting ranges in other schools. They just had to wear their masks and keep a social distance, but it felt more normal…,” she said.  “They’re a remarkably skilled team and I cannot wait to see what they are capable of in future seasons. They make me incredibly proud to be their coach.”