Rifle Welcomes Five New Freshmen
9/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rifle
TCU head rifle coach Karen Monez has announced the addition of five new members to the 2014-15 squad. The incoming class features two shooters from western Pennsylvania, two from Texas, and one from New Mexico.
With the addition of the five newcomers, the 2014-15 roster sits at 13 as the Horned Frogs gear up for a competitive season that is set to begin on Oct. 4.
Nicholle Benedict | Leetsdale, Pa. (Quaker Valley HS)
Benedict took up the sport of competitive shooting at 10 years of age after joining a local junior program.
Benedict competed each of the past four years in local and state championships representing Quaker Valley High School. She was the Pennsylvania State Prone Conventional Women's Champion in 2014 as a senior and in 2012 was the 4-H National Smallbore Gold Medal winner. Benedict also competed in the 2013 Junior Olympic Rifle Championships, as well as being a member of the regional and national 3-position air rifle gold medal teams.
Helping Nicholle develop her marksmanship skills was her dad, a competitive shooter with the Navy Reserve Marksmanship Team. Pursuing a degree in Nutritional Science, Nicholle's future plans include attending graduate school to become a registered dietitian. A talented pianist, Nicholle has been playing the piano since the age of eight.
Ariana Grabowski | Beaver, Pa. (Beaver HS)
Grabowski began her shooting career in sixth grade after joining a local BB gun program. She quickly progressed to precision smallbore shooting in seventh grade, eventually joining the junior program at the Frazier-Simplex Rifle Club (joining teammate and incoming freshman Nicholle Benedict on the junior rifle team).
Grabowski was the High Woman performer at the 2013 NRA Air Rifle Championship. She tallied a pair of first-place finishes at the JROTC All-Service National Championship in 2014 and at the West Virginia University Open in 2012 and 2013. Firing a personal-best 587 in smallbore at the Palmyra Invitational also netted her a third place finish there in 2014.
A biochemistry major, Grabowski's goal upon graduation is to pursue a career in prosthetics.
Mindy Miles | Weatherford, Texas (Weatherford HS)
Miles, the lone local product of the freshman class, boasts several championships on her resume. She won the Texas State Junior Olympic Air Rifle titles in 2012 and 2013 as well as the smallbore championship in 2013. Most recently, Miles was a Junior World Cup finalist (Suhl, Germany) and Junior Olympic Bronze medalist in 2014. At the 2013 Junior Olympics, she earned the silver in air rifle and bronze in smallbore. She also achieved the bronze at the Rocky Mountain Air Rifle Championships for air rifle in 2013.
Miles' shooting career began in eighth grade with a sporter air rifle. Over the years, she honed her skills at the Lone Star Gallery in Weatherford and the Parker County Sportsman Club. A member of the USA Shooting National Junior Team, Miles has her sights set on an Olympic medal in the future. Her future goals also include using her marksmanship skills and business degree to pursue a career in the firearms industry.
Meraleigh Randle | San Antonio, Texas (Vilseck American HS)
Randle began shooting in Germany with her high school JROTC team. Randle helped lead her high school to its first top finish at the European finals, while placing third on the squad and fifth overall in 2012-13. She also earned a medal at that event for being one of the top six competitors at the European Championships for Rifle in 2013. Randle collected the team's Sure Shot Award accolade in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 and took home the Top Gun Award in 2013-14.
Randle recently relocated to San Antonio after living the past seven years in Mantel, Germany. A member of the TCU Army ROTC, she plans on a career in the Army with a goal of joining the Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning upon graduation. She is majoring in political science with an emphasis in international relations.
Barrett Ray | Albert, N.M. (Mosquero Municipal HS)
Raised on a ranch in northeastern New Mexico, Ray grew up hunting, horseback riding and working cattle on the family ranch. Her involvement in competitive shooting began at the age of eight through her participation in FFA and the Mesa Roadrunner 4-H Club.
She appeared in the 4-H state shooting competition and finished first in both the .22 rifle and air rifle in 2014. Ray also came in second place individually for each contest in 2013.
A biology major, Ray plans to pursue her lifelong dream of working as a veterinarian. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and traveling to new destinations.
Players Mentioned
