Rifle: First Win of Season After One-Point Loss
November 14, 2004 05:59 PM | General
November 14, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rifle team won its first match of the season Sunday after losing on Saturday. The Mountaineers lost to Mississippi on Saturday by one point, 4575-4574, before defeating Texas Christian on Sunday, 2307-2210, in an air rifle only match.
Junior Brian Launer and freshman Lafe Kunkel led the Mountaineers in the win over TCU with personal bests of 586 and 585, respectively. Freshman Amy Smith followed with 572 and senior Heather Sawyer with 564.
Emily Conway led the Horned Frogs with a score of 561 in the team’s first-ever meeting with West Virginia.
“There were some real positives in the personal-best air scores,” said WVU coach Marsha Beasley. “Our scores are going in the right direction. As a team we try not to focus on outcome and instead look to improve our performance. That’s why personal bests are so important.”
Launer paced West Virginia in its one-point loss to Ole Miss with a match-high 575 smallbore score equaling the Rebels’ top smallbore score shot by Mara Polonsky. The remaining smallbore team for West Virginia comprised of Smith (568), Kunkel (565) and Sawyer (561).
Kunkel, who set his career high twice this weekend, led the Mountaineers with a 585 air rifle score, a score also matched by the Rebels’ air rifle leader Megan Sandage. The other counting air scores for the WVU were Launer (583), Smith (571), and senior Eric Hensil (566).
WVU improves to 1-3 on the season with the non-conference win over TCU (0-3), while the loss in Great America Rifle Conference action against Ole Miss (3-2, 2-2) drops to the team’s GARC record to 0-2.
“Ole Miss was a good match,” Beasley said. “One point is a fraction of a millimeter difference. We aren’t happy with a 1-3 record, but having the one win moves us in the right direction.”
West Virginia returns to action for the Mountaineer Invitational on Dec. 4, while its next dual match is slated for Jan. 14 against Nebraska at Palmyra, Pa.
