Friday, March 13
Columbus, OH
All Day
Georgia Southern University
at
NCAA Rifle Championships
NCAA Rifle Championship Set For This Weekend in Ohio
3/10/2026 1:30:00 PM | Women's Rifle
Eagles qualify for the second time in program history
STATESBORO – For the second time in program history the Georgia Southern rifle team will compete at the NCAA Rifle Championships as the Eagles are set to begin the 2026 Championship this weekend inside Ohio State's Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.
The national event will begin Friday with smallbore and conclude Saturday with air rifle competition. An individual final in each discipline will conclude each day of competition. Action both days will be spread across two relays with the first relay both days starting at 9:15 a.m. ET. A NCAA.com live stream of competition will be available online Friday and Saturday along with live targets through MegaLink.
NCAA RIFLE EVENT WEBSITE (Tickets, parking, etc.)
Below is the schedule and the Eagles' point assignments and competitors. All teams can change their lineup up until practice day.
Friday, March 13
7:30 a.m. – Covelli Center doors open
9:15 a.m.-3 p.m. – Smallbore Individual and Team Competition with Finals
Relay #1: Call to the line: 8:45 a.m.; Prep/Sighters: 9 a.m.; Competition: 9:15 – 10:45 a.m. (Bremen Butler, Pt 23; Emme Walrath, Pt. 24; Emma Pohlmann, Pt. 25)
Relay #2: Call to the line: 11 a.m.; Prep/Sighters: 11:15 a.m.; Competition: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Zahra Gonzalez Mazo, Pt. 20; Tori Watts, Pt. 21)
Individual Finals: Report time - 1:30 p.m.
Final: 2-3 p.m.
Saturday, March 14
7:30 a.m. – Covelli Center doors open
9:15 a.m.-2:15 p.m. – Air Rifle Individual and Team Competition with Finals
Relay #1: Call to the line: 8:45 a.m.; Prep/Sighters: 9 a.m.; Competition: 9:15 – 10:30 a.m. (Bremen Butler, Pt 23; Emme Walrath, Pt. 24; Emma Pohlmann, Pt. 25)
Relay #2: Call to the line: 10:45 a.m.; Prep/Sighters: 11 a.m.; Competition: 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Zahra Gonzalez Mazo, Pt. 20; Tori Watts, Pt. 21)
Individual Finals: Report time - 1 p.m.
Final: 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Awards: Upon Completion of Finals
The Eagles' NCAA qualifying score was the last factor determining the field for the 2026 NCAA Rifle Championship. Each team's three score aggregate average – the score based on each team's highest three regular season scores fired at three different locations – was already recorded. The qualifier score was added to that average and the teams with the eight highest combined scores qualified for the NCAA Championship.
Georgia Southern's three scores it counts as part of its NCAA Qualifying score are its 4,745 at The Citadel, its 4,744 at home, and its 4,738 fired at the Olympic Training Center. Adding Southern's 4,720 qualifying score, GS's total for NCAA selection was 9,462.33, which seeded the Eagles eighth. Kentucky is seeded first at 9,500.00 with Nebraska second (9495.33), TCU third (9490.33), defending champion West Virginia fourth (9,485.67), Ole Miss fifth (9,483.00), Alaska Fairbanks sixth (9,472.00) and Navy seventh (9,472.00). Seeding are only used for shooter placements as all teams start on equal footing at the event.
Southern is averaging a 2,345.929 in smallbore (7th in the NCAA) and 2,383.000 in air rifle (T-5th in the NCAA) for a season aggregate average of 4728.929 (7th in the NCAA).
NCAA NUGGETS
• This is the second team appearance for Georgia Southern Rifle at the NCAA Championship in its 13-year history of the program. The Eagles finished fifth last year in their maiden trip to the Championship.
• This year, the Eagles were once again dominant in the SoCon, posting a 7-0 mark and winning their fifth straight conference title. A strong season throughout paved the way for a school-record 25 dual match wins and a second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championship. Emme Walrath, who was the SoCon Smallbore Athlete of the Year, won both the smallbore and air rifle individual crowns and Bremen Butler earned SoCon Air Rifle Athlete of the Year honors as all seven Eagles earned all-conference accolades for the second year in a row.
• Four of the five shooters this weekend shot in last year's NCAA Championship with the team. Tori Watts and Emma Pohlmann will be making their third appearance at the Championship. Watts shot with Nebraska in 2023 (584-594=1,178) before transferring to Georgia Southern in 2024-2025 and Pohlmann made it as an individual in 2024 in air rifle (594; T-14th). Butler and Walrath shot for the Eagles' counting squad last year, in addition to Watts and Pohlmann.
• Zahra Gonzalez Mazo will make her debut at the NCAA Rifle Championship. Her sister, Marina, shot for Alaska Fairbanks at the Championship.
• Head coach Soren Butler shot at the 2016 and 2017 NCAA Championships for Alaska Fairbanks. Assistant coach Abby Gordon shot in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Championships with TCU, earning a podium finish all three times while assistant coach Lea Horvath shot with Ole Miss at the Championship five times, earning nine-time CRCA All-American honors in her career. She advanced to three NCAA Smallbore finals, taking fourth place in the smallbore finals in 2024.
• All five Eagles scheduled to shoot this weekend have earned CRCA All-American honors during their career. Emme Walrath, Emma Pohlmann and Bremen Butler have earned multiple All-America honors while Zahra Gonzalez Mazo was honored in 2024. Watts earned All-America honors in 2023 when she was with Nebraska.
• Georgia Southern will host the 2027 NCAA Rifle Championship in Statesboro at the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.
The national event will begin Friday with smallbore and conclude Saturday with air rifle competition. An individual final in each discipline will conclude each day of competition. Action both days will be spread across two relays with the first relay both days starting at 9:15 a.m. ET. A NCAA.com live stream of competition will be available online Friday and Saturday along with live targets through MegaLink.
NCAA RIFLE EVENT WEBSITE (Tickets, parking, etc.)
Below is the schedule and the Eagles' point assignments and competitors. All teams can change their lineup up until practice day.
Friday, March 13
7:30 a.m. – Covelli Center doors open
9:15 a.m.-3 p.m. – Smallbore Individual and Team Competition with Finals
Relay #1: Call to the line: 8:45 a.m.; Prep/Sighters: 9 a.m.; Competition: 9:15 – 10:45 a.m. (Bremen Butler, Pt 23; Emme Walrath, Pt. 24; Emma Pohlmann, Pt. 25)
Relay #2: Call to the line: 11 a.m.; Prep/Sighters: 11:15 a.m.; Competition: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Zahra Gonzalez Mazo, Pt. 20; Tori Watts, Pt. 21)
Individual Finals: Report time - 1:30 p.m.
Final: 2-3 p.m.
Saturday, March 14
7:30 a.m. – Covelli Center doors open
9:15 a.m.-2:15 p.m. – Air Rifle Individual and Team Competition with Finals
Relay #1: Call to the line: 8:45 a.m.; Prep/Sighters: 9 a.m.; Competition: 9:15 – 10:30 a.m. (Bremen Butler, Pt 23; Emme Walrath, Pt. 24; Emma Pohlmann, Pt. 25)
Relay #2: Call to the line: 10:45 a.m.; Prep/Sighters: 11 a.m.; Competition: 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Zahra Gonzalez Mazo, Pt. 20; Tori Watts, Pt. 21)
Individual Finals: Report time - 1 p.m.
Final: 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Awards: Upon Completion of Finals
The Eagles' NCAA qualifying score was the last factor determining the field for the 2026 NCAA Rifle Championship. Each team's three score aggregate average – the score based on each team's highest three regular season scores fired at three different locations – was already recorded. The qualifier score was added to that average and the teams with the eight highest combined scores qualified for the NCAA Championship.
Georgia Southern's three scores it counts as part of its NCAA Qualifying score are its 4,745 at The Citadel, its 4,744 at home, and its 4,738 fired at the Olympic Training Center. Adding Southern's 4,720 qualifying score, GS's total for NCAA selection was 9,462.33, which seeded the Eagles eighth. Kentucky is seeded first at 9,500.00 with Nebraska second (9495.33), TCU third (9490.33), defending champion West Virginia fourth (9,485.67), Ole Miss fifth (9,483.00), Alaska Fairbanks sixth (9,472.00) and Navy seventh (9,472.00). Seeding are only used for shooter placements as all teams start on equal footing at the event.
Southern is averaging a 2,345.929 in smallbore (7th in the NCAA) and 2,383.000 in air rifle (T-5th in the NCAA) for a season aggregate average of 4728.929 (7th in the NCAA).
NCAA NUGGETS
• This is the second team appearance for Georgia Southern Rifle at the NCAA Championship in its 13-year history of the program. The Eagles finished fifth last year in their maiden trip to the Championship.
• This year, the Eagles were once again dominant in the SoCon, posting a 7-0 mark and winning their fifth straight conference title. A strong season throughout paved the way for a school-record 25 dual match wins and a second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championship. Emme Walrath, who was the SoCon Smallbore Athlete of the Year, won both the smallbore and air rifle individual crowns and Bremen Butler earned SoCon Air Rifle Athlete of the Year honors as all seven Eagles earned all-conference accolades for the second year in a row.
• Four of the five shooters this weekend shot in last year's NCAA Championship with the team. Tori Watts and Emma Pohlmann will be making their third appearance at the Championship. Watts shot with Nebraska in 2023 (584-594=1,178) before transferring to Georgia Southern in 2024-2025 and Pohlmann made it as an individual in 2024 in air rifle (594; T-14th). Butler and Walrath shot for the Eagles' counting squad last year, in addition to Watts and Pohlmann.
• Zahra Gonzalez Mazo will make her debut at the NCAA Rifle Championship. Her sister, Marina, shot for Alaska Fairbanks at the Championship.
• Head coach Soren Butler shot at the 2016 and 2017 NCAA Championships for Alaska Fairbanks. Assistant coach Abby Gordon shot in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Championships with TCU, earning a podium finish all three times while assistant coach Lea Horvath shot with Ole Miss at the Championship five times, earning nine-time CRCA All-American honors in her career. She advanced to three NCAA Smallbore finals, taking fourth place in the smallbore finals in 2024.
• All five Eagles scheduled to shoot this weekend have earned CRCA All-American honors during their career. Emme Walrath, Emma Pohlmann and Bremen Butler have earned multiple All-America honors while Zahra Gonzalez Mazo was honored in 2024. Watts earned All-America honors in 2023 when she was with Nebraska.
• Georgia Southern will host the 2027 NCAA Rifle Championship in Statesboro at the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Rifle
/ Women's Rifle
/ Women's Rifle
/ Women's Rifle
/ Women's Rifle
Georgia Southern Football Media Availability (3/3/26)
Tuesday, March 03
The GATA Zone - Women's Basketball Post Season
Tuesday, March 03
2026 Only For Southern
Thursday, February 26
2026 Georgia Southern Football Ticket Video
Wednesday, February 25
