Cresson, Pa. –  Mount Aloysius College is launching a co-ed NCAA rifle team, adding to the College's list of 17 varsity athletics programs for the 2024-25 academic year. The Mount will have the only NCAA team in Pennsylvania.

"There are 54 high school rifle teams across the commonwealth, 20 of which are in Cambria or the surrounding six counties," says McKeegan. "PA students who want to continue to participate in a sport they love in college currently have to look out of state, or to opt to not compete. With the launch of this new Mountie team, we are addressing a community need."

Under the NCAA structure for rifle conferences, the Mount, an NCAA DIII school, will compete against DI institutions such as Ohio State, West Virginia University, and the University of Kentucky, as well as DIII member MIT.

"We are proud to offer this additional opportunity to compete as a Mountie student-athlete," said Kevin Kime, athletic director at Mount Aloysius. "We expect a great turnout for this team's first season."

Siarra Crum, a Portage, PA, native, will coach the team. A 2019 graduate of Morehead State University in Kentucky, Crum was named to the Collegiate Rifle Coaches' Association's Scholastic All-American Team for her freshman and sophomore years, and as a senior, she qualified for the 2019 NCAA National Air Rifle Championship.

"Sports like rifle help develop important skills like control, discipline, concentration, and calmness, in addition to skills like teamwork and time management," said Crum. "These skills are also crucial in an academic environment. We are confident this program will draw in athletically and academically strong students."

The Mount Aloysius College Rifle Team will call the Portage Revolver & Pistol Club its home range. The team will travel across the country to compete at the NCAA level.

"There's no telling what the future holds for these student-athletes," said Crum. "This will be a historic year for the Mount."

For more information about the new rifle team at the Mount, visit MountieAthletics.com. For more information about Mount Aloysius College, visit mtaloy.edu.

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