The Georgia Southern Rifle Team secured a spot in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Championship for the first time in program history. The selection was announced on Feb. 24, and the event will take place on March 14-15 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Head Coach Soren Butler and player Bremen Butler shared their thoughts about this achievement and their preparation for the upcoming championship.
“We are super excited about this. When I came here a couple of years ago, my ultimate goal was to put together a team to win national championships, and the last couple of years, I have just been crossing off goals and getting one step closer,” Coach Butler said.
Coach Butler discussed the strengths of the team this season that will set them apart. “I think just ability; everyone is working hard in college. But you also have to work smart and be at a certain level,” he explained. When asked about managing pressure, Coach Butler said, “I am sure my team also felt this pressure; there’s a lot of work we do with the sports site crew of just getting them to be like, where’s that pressure coming from? Because the majority of the time, that pressure is coming from inside.”
Georgia Southern sophomore Bremen Butler was named a second-team All-American in air rifle and received an honorable mention squad in Smallbore rifle shooting. She described how the team reacted when they found out that they had qualified for the finals. “We were all excited together. Our performance wasn’t our best of the season, so we took a moment to pause and absorb it. Then to finally get the news that we were the top eight was really rewarding,” she said.
Bremen recalled her personal highlight of the season was setting a school record.“That was something really fun and really rewarding,” she said. It was 60 shots, and that is a long time. Just you know, stay in the moment and just keep doing what I had been practicing and to do it successfully.”
Many players get exhausted and drained. Bremen described how she gets back on track during meets, “Sometimes, putting the gun on the stand and just taking a breath will help. I also pray before and during my matches. I calm myself down emotionally and reconnect with my values, then I can be analytical about what’s going on in front of me. Winning a Championship will add to our legacy. We have just started building a name, and to do it so quickly is so exciting, but to do that is the pinnacle of this sport. How could you be anything less than thrilled?”
