Rifle: Mountaineers Beat Buckeyes for Second Win
January 24, 2005 11:57 AM | General
January 24, 2005
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| Launer |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rifle team defeated Ohio State, 4537-4499, in a non-conference match at the Mountaineer Rifle Range on Sunday. The win marked the Mountaineers’ second of the season and first for a match consisting of both smallbore and air rifle disciplines.
West Virginia (2-5) outshot Ohio State (8-7) in smallbore, 2264-2248, and air rifle, 2273-2251, despite Buckeye senior Ryan Kohatsu shooting a match-best 583 smallbore and 581 air rifle score.
Junior Brian Launer shot a season-high 580 in smallbore, which is six points better than his previous high for a 60-shot course set on Nov. 13 vs. Mississippi. The Johnsonburg, Pa., native also fired a 575 air rifle course.
Lafe Kunkel led the Mountaineers in both events with a 581 smallbore and a 578 air rifle marking. The freshman from Hackettstown, N.J., is averaging a team-best 575 smallbore and 581.5 air rifle sum for the five 60-shot smallbore matches and six 60-shot air rifle matches.
The Mountaineers’ previous win this season came over Texas Christian on Nov. 14 in an air rifle-only match, 2307-2210, while WVU also lost to Nebraska in a match using the old 120-shot smallbore and 40-shot air rifle course.
West Virginia has the week off before returning to action Saturday, Feb. 5, for a triangular match at Kentucky with Rose-Hulman.
