Big scores in smallbore and air rifle helped propel the Georgia Southern rifle team to the 2025 Southern Conference Rifle title at Shooting Sports Education Center. After winning the smallbore title with a 2,334 on Saturday, the squad kept the pressure on with a record 2,384 in air rifle on Sunday and roll past North Georgia by 102 points to claim their fourth-straight title. Additionally, junior Tori Watts captured her second title of the weekend, winning the air rifle finals.
It marks the second time in program history, and the second year in a row, the team has swept all three titles.
In the air rifle preliminaries, Bremen Butler dropped just two shots and posted a 598 to take first. She was followed closely by Ella Goldfaden and Tori Watts’s 597. Emme Walrath and Emma Pohlmann both shot 592s to round out the team.
With their scores, all five shooters advanced to the finals and once again, the Eagles went 1-5. Goldfaden placed fifth with Butler taking fourth. Walrath took the bronze and Pohlmann took her second runner-up title. Watts won the title on the final shot after the two were tied going into the last shot.
Goldfaden was given the Pinnacle Award, given to the student-athlete on the championship shooting team with the highest cumulative GPA. Head coach Soren Butler was named the co-coach of the year and Walrath was voted the co-freshman of the year
With the championship moved up a month this year and regular-season action still going for two more weeks, the SoCon Shooters of the Year and all-conference awards will be awarded after the season is completed.
Words From Coach Soren Butler: “I’m excited for the girls and some individual performances we had. Winning a conference championship is always a goal we have at the beginning of the year and accomplishing a goal is definitely reason to celebrate. We also know that despite a successful outcome, we have some work that needs to be addressed these next two weeks while we prepare to accomplish our next goal. I’m thankful for Bryan, LA, AJ, Anay, GS Athletics, Matt and the SSEC staff, as well as the SocCon staff for hosting a great event. Hail Southern. ”
THE SCORES
#4 Georgia Southern: 4,718 (2,334 smallbore; 2,384 air rifle)
North Georgia: 4,616 (2,272 smallbore; 2,344 air rifle)
UAB: 4,573 (2,260 smallbore; 2,313 air rifle)
VMI: 4,544 (2,233 smallbore; 2,308 air rifle)
VMI (W): 4,512 (2,213 smallbore; 2,299 air rifle)
The Citadel: 4,494 (2,214 smallbore; 2,280 air rifle)
The Citadel (W): 4,447 (2,200 smallbore; 2,247 air rifle)
Wofford: 4,429 (2,148 smallbore; 2,281 air rifle)
THE INDIVIDUALS (Alphabetical Order)
Bremen Butler
Sophomore – Fort Wayne, Ind.
Smallbore – 588 (1st; 3rd in finals)
Air Rifle – 598 (1st; 4th in finals)
Aggregate – 1,186 (1st)
Ella Goldfaden
Sophomore – Bat Hefer, Israel
Smallbore – 580 (3rd; 4th in finals)
Air Rifle – 597 (2nd; 5th in finals)
Aggregate – 1,177 (3rd)
Emma Pohlmann
Junior – Nentershausen, Germany
Smallbore – 580 (4th; 2nd in finals)
Air Rifle – 592 (5th; 2nd in finals)
Aggregate – 1,172 (4th)
Emme Walrath
Freshman – Kenosha, Wis.
Smallbore – 586 (2nd; 4th in finals)
Air Rifle – 592 (3rd; 3rd in finals)
Aggregate – 1,178 (2nd)
Tori Watts
Junior – Folsom, Calif.
Smallbore – 575 (6th; SoCon champion)
Air Rifle – 597 (3rd; SoCon champion)
Aggregate – 1,172 (5th)
Up Next: Georgia Southern will host Wofford and UAB in SoCon action next Saturday, Feb. 15 at the SSEC. Action begins at 8 a.m.
via: gseagles.com
