Wa-Hi student accepted to West Point rifle team

Walla Walla High School student accepted to West Point rifle team - By Wa-Hi JROTC Program
Walla Walla High School Senior Cadet Captain Nathan Brewer officially signed his Letter of Intent for the US Military Academy at West Point to shoot on their 2015 NCAA Division I Rifle Team.

“This young man has done a tremendous amount of work to get to this point.” said Rifle Coach Mark Mebes after the signing. “In addition to the untold hours spent on rifle ranges across the country, he has had to discipline himself both physically and mentally in order to earn this appointment.”

Although the 2014/15 high school rifle season is less than halfway through, Brewer has been grabbing headlines in the sport since last year. Last June, he competed on the Walla Walla High School Precision Rifle Team that traveled to the Junior Olympic National Championship in Camp Perry, Ohio. There he gained the attention of Rick Johnson, the assistant rifle coach at Westpoint.

“Rick seemed immediately impressed with Nathan” said Mebes “When we got back to Walla Walla, they began an almost weekly dialog by email. Every time he had an exceptional practice, or competed in a match Nathan would send him the scores.”

The US Military Academy receives over 10,000 applications each year. Only about 1 in 10 cadets are accepted. Even recruited NCAA athletes must be top scholars and submit an extensive application packet that details their academic achievements, volunteer work, athletic resume, leadership experience and extracurricular activities. Additionally, cadets must complete a fitness assessment, a medical evaluation, security clearance background check and receive a nomination from their US Congressional Representative.

“I found out that I received my nomination from Cathy McMorris Rodgers on December 24, ” Brewer said. “That was quite a Christmas surprise.”

Once Brewer notified the rifle coach at Westpoint that he had received his nomination, the final pieces fell quickly into place with his official offer of appointment arriving on January 10.

“This may be the first Wa-Hi rifle athlete to shoot at West Point” noted Mebes after the signing. “It will be a challenging four years at the academy, but I am confident that Nathan will represent our program well and pave the way for other prospective athletes from here.”

Photo: Sabrina Keenan