Kaiserslautern sophomore Amanda Garcia fires from the standing position during the DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. The Raiders finished in second place while standing toe-to-toe with Wiesbaden at the top of the conference. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

WIESBADEN, Germany – Everyone competing in DODEA-Europe’s marksmanship league fires their own rifle.

But while it’s inherently an individual sport, shooters have to rely on their teammates to come out on top when it’s time for school bragging rights.

So when Wiesbaden senior and co-captain Cydnee Lassiter, who entered Saturday’s third clash of the DODEA-Europe Marksmanship Western Conference as one the top shooters in Europe, faltered a bit Saturday, her Warriors teammates were more than ready to give her a boost.

Lassiter said it was either nerves, or maybe the energy drink she downed before heading up to the firing line, that resulted in her 11-point backslide and fifth-place finish overall on the day in a meet involving seven schools.

Kai Malaga, who finished as the meet’s top shooter with 288 of a possible 300 points, and solid 90s across the board from Benjamin Pollak and Aidan Sweney gave the Warriors the boost they needed to edge out the 2024 defending champion Kaiserslautern for the second time this season.

The Raiders started off strongly with sophomore Amanda Garcia (282) and Raider veteran Noah Truschinski (286) holding the top spots for most of the day, but the Warriors pushed out to an 18-point lead after the fourth firing order. Kaiserslautern’s final shooter Auriana Davis (285) put up a respectable score that included a 98 from the prone, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.

With Wiesbaden finishing at 1,132 to Kaiserslautern’s 1,126, the battle for the top spot in the conference is neck and neck with two meets left in the regular season.

“We’ve been hitting a new record every single match,” Lassiter said while also noting many returning shooters, herself included, have broken their personal records this year as well. She said the Warriors will likely have a better showing at this year’s European championship in February after finishing in fourth place last year.

Wiesbaden senior Cydnee Lassiter fires from the standing position during a DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. The Warriors took first place with 1,132 points. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Alconbury’s Alan Smith fires from the kneeling position during a DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. Alconbury (1,095) finished fourth in the competition. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Baumholder’s Ashlyn Brech looks downrange at the illuminated targets from a kneeling firing position during the DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Competitors fire from the prone position during the seven-team DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. Wiesbaden (1,132), Kaiserslautern (1,126), and Ramstein (1,105), were the top three teams for the day. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Auriana Davis scored 285 points as Kaiserslautern’s last shooter of the day during the seven-team DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. Davis’ effort brought the Raiders within six points of Wiesbaden’s winning squad. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Lassiter (282) wasn’t the only competitor to have a bit of a slump. Many coaches and shooters acknowledged that overall scores were a few points lower than usual. Most attributed it to travel during the holiday break and an interruption to the training schedule due to Thursday’s national holiday.

“I think over the break, I kinda just got bad (and) forgot about shooting,” Kaiserslautern sophomore Amanda Garcia said. “Today was not our best day... but I think we’ll still make it to the top of euros and nationals this year and next.”

Kaiserslautern coach William Conley said despite losing the team’s top shooter in the off-season, and battling the complacency that sometimes accompanies a winning streak, the Raiders are still in a great position to capitalize on last year’s DODEA championship run that also featured the JROTC Air Force crown at Camp Perry, Ohio, and an eighth-place finish in the all-service competition.

“Our three varsity shooters today, that we expected a lot more from, just didn’t get there, and that’s gonna happen sometimes,” Conley said. “Sometimes it’s humbling for our team members when they experience a setback — and now the real coaching begins.”

Ramstein (1,105), led by Leni Taylor (285), captured another third-place finish. Alconbury (1,095), SHAPE (1,066), Baumholder (1,036) and Spangdahlem (1,004) finished in fourth through seventh place.

Kaiserslautern coach William Conley observes his team’s shot placement during the DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. The Raiders are the defending 2024 DODEA-Europe champions. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden mascot "Best Ever Air Rifle" (B.E.A.R) observes Spangdahlem's firing lane during a markmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Jan. 11, 2025. Many of the Western Conference teams travel with stuffed animal mascots. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Spangdahlem’s Amicay Farrer reloads her rifle during a DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein’s Taben Pfeifer adjusts his scope as he prepares to fire from the prone position during the DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden’s Kai Malaga (288), Kaiserslautern’s Noah Truschinski (286), and Ramstein’s Leni Taylor (285) took the individual top honors at the seven-team DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. Their teams also finished in first, second, and third place, respectively. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

SHAPE’s Francesco D’Errico fires from the prone while his teammate Nicole Grant reloads during the DODEA-Europe Western Conference marksmanship meet in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 11, 2025. SHAPE finished the day in fifth place. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)