The TCU women’s rifle team hopes to extend its 18-game winning streak when it competes against Air Force Sunday at the USAFA Cadet Rifle Range.

“We were ranked number one based upon the scores that were fired in the fall,” head rifle coach Karen Monez said. “Now there’s still a lot of shooting ahead of us in the next month, but we finished in a good spot at the end of the fall semester.”

While many students were enjoying winter break, members of the rifle team were practicing their shooting technique and keeping up their skills.

“A couple of the girls are on the national team, and they were shooting different events, state and Junior Olympic matches,” Monez said. “The girls were keeping their skills up, but with our sports it’s really muscle memory.”

Monez said they were driven to succeed. “They set some high goals and they are willing to work to achieve those goals,” Monez said.

Air Force’s rifle team lost to the University of Alaska Nanooks 4,653-4,616 on Dec. 2. Prior to that loss, Air Force competed against the University of Nevada-Reno and lost 4,622-4,617.

As for the Frogs, going undefeated is a very big accomplishment for the rifle team, sophomore Caitlin Morrissey said.

“I know last year we were really excited to win the championship and then come in this year and keep on winning,” Morrissey said. “It’s not the winning for us; it’s about shooting good scores.”

While TCU’s rifle team is all-female, the Air Force squad is coed. Monez and Morrissey didn’t think it would make a competitive difference in the match.

“No, I think the females are more focused and that has a lot to do with how well you shoot,” Monez said.

Morrissey said, “We’ve all been shooting so long we’ve shot with everyone throughout the years, so really it’s like going to see your friends and shooting at the same time. But the coed thing doesn’t really matter to us. Everyone shoots the same (type of rifle), you just go out there pull the trigger and shoot 10’s and hopefully walk away with a win.”

TCU’s next home match will be also be against Air Force on Feb. 10.

Sports editor Ryne Sulier contributed to this article.