Higby captures state honors in rifle for Falcons

Leanne Higby scored 286 points in smallbore and 288 in air rifle, out of 300 possible points, to claim first place at the state rifle competition Saturday at West Point Military Academy.

The South Lewis junior set a new school record with her accomplishments.

The Falcons, who finished third in the team standings out of 15 schools, claimed third place in the .22 caliber event. Aarron Weaver, a South Lewis senior, took second with a 283 air rifle score and third with a 281 in the .22 caliber. Weaver was also the only competitor at the tournament to shoot a perfect score in the prone position. Eighth-grader Jessica Haig registered a 258 smallbore score and a 257 in air rifle, while sophomore Ian Wilson scored 253 in air rifle and 248 in smallbore for the Falcons.

On Feb. 11, South Lewis captured the Section 3 championship, defeating perennial power Central Square in both the smallbore and air rifle divisions. Central Square had claimed the sectional title for more than 40 consecutive years.