Panthers' senior Kathryn Gillooly excelled in all shooting disciplines during DODEA Eastern Conference's first marksmanship matchup of the season in Vilseck, Germany on Dec. 7, 2024. She earned first place overall, assisting Stuttgart in winning Saturday's match with a collective 1,149 points as a team. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

VILSECK, Germany – For those who have only been following the DODEA-Europe marksmanship scene for the last two years, Stuttgart might be something of an afterthought.

After all, the Panthers didn’t even finish in the top four a year ago when Kaiserslautern won its first title. And they were a distant second to Ansbach the year before when the Cougars broke through for their first crown.

But in the nine seasons before that, no one could beat Stuttgart.

The Panthers got a good start on returning to relevance in Saturday’s season opener by coming out on top in a five-team Eastern Conference meet, outdistancing their nearest competition by 17 points. Five Stuttgart shooters were in the top 10 of the event and the top four combined for a team total of 1,149. No other team other than Kaiserslautern last season topped the 1,140 mark during the regular season.

“I think that we have a very good chance of taking first (in Euros) this year,” coach Robert Randall said. “Last year was a really bad year for us. We had a lot of issues going on between shooters and school … this year the team is better coordinating with each other.”

Stuttgart started off hot early in the day, dominating the kneeling position by outshooting second-place Ansbach 387-376. The Panthers expanded on that lead in the second discipline – prone – with Kathryn Gillooly, Aurora Mayo and Jaqueline Polkowski all earning perfect 100s. Ansbach’s Laysha Bobbitt matched that score, but the Panthers topped the Cougars 399-395 that round.

DODEA's Eastern Conference held its first marksmanship matchup in Vilseck, Germany on Dec. 7, 2024. Stuttgart's team took first overall followed by Ansbach, Vilseck, Vicenza and Hohenfels respectively. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The Stuttgart Panthers' Aurora Mayo, a second-year shooter, came second place overall during a marksmanship meet in Vilseck, Germany on Dec. 7, 2024. She earned an impressive 291 points out of a possible 300, tying her teammate, Kathryn Gillooly, but coming up short by two true bullseyes. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The Stuttgart Panthers' Aurora Mayo, a second-year shooter, adjusts her rifle prior to shooting in the kneeling position during a marksmanship meet in Vilseck, Germany on Dec. 7, 2024. Mayo placed second overall for the day dominating the prone position with a perfect 100 score. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Panthers' senior Kathryn Gillooly took first place overall at DODEA Eastern Conference's first marksmanship matchup of the season in Vilseck, Germany on Dec. 7, 2024. Stuttgart came out on top in Saturday's match earning a collective 1,149 points as a team. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

DODEA's Eastern Conference held its first marksmanship matchup in Vilseck, Germany on Dec. 7, 2024. Stuttgart's team took first overall followed by Ansbach, Vilseck, Vicenza and Hohenfels respectively. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

A shooter with the Ansbach Cougars prepares to shoot in the prone position during their first match of the season against four other DODEA Eastern Conference schools on Dec. 7, 2024. The Vilseck-based match saw the Stuttgart Panthers as the overall winners for the day with Ansbach falling short by 17 points to place second. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

DODEA's Eastern Conference held its first marksmanship matchup in Vilseck, Germany on Dec. 7, 2024. Stuttgart's team took first overall followed by Ansbach, Vilseck, Vicenza and Hohenfels respectively. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Ansbach Cougar Laysha Bobbitt, a fourth-year shooter, earned the number three spot in Saturday's marksmanship matchup hosted at Vilseck. She helped lead the Ansbach team to a second place spot with 1,132 points overall, 17 points behind the Stuttgart Panthers. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

DODEA's Eastern Conference held its first marksmanship matchup in Vilseck, Germany on Dec. 7, 2024. Stuttgart's team took first overall followed by Ansbach, Vilseck, Vicenza and Hohenfels respectively. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Panthers’ co-captains Gillooly, a fourth-year shooter, and Mayo, a second-year shooter, were a clear dynamic duo, side-by-side on the firing lines and ending their days with a near tie. Both finished with combined totals of 291, with Gillooly getting the overall win due to more bullseyes (18 to 16).

“(Mayo) actually took seventh in the region … (as) a first-year shooter, it’s remarkable. As you see today, she is tied with (Gillooly), who’s a fourth-year shooter … they’re both pretty neck and neck,” Randall said.

Toward the end of the match, Mayo struggled a bit with her sights, affecting her performance. Typically the team’s most reliable standing shooter with consistent 98s in practice, she managed only a 93 on Saturday. Still, the Panthers and Cougars both scored 366 in the final round, giving Stuttgart a comfortable victory.

Not that Ansbach didn’t go down fighting.

Bobbitt proved why she is the team’s captain in her final season, delivering an impressive performance with a 289 out of a possible 300 for third place on the day.

“I had a goal for myself, which was to shoot in the high 280s and I did that. So, I was really happy with it and I almost reached 290, which is my next goal going forward,” Bobbitt said.

She said she’s confident that with increased communication and encouragement, her team has the potential to be the team to beat at the European Championships in January.

The host Falcons (1,111) finished in third, led by Camdyn Deese (287).

The Vicenza Cougars (1015) and Hohenfels Tigers (935) finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively.