Rifle: WVU Opens Season With Two Home Matches
October 03, 2008 11:14 AM | General
October 3, 2008
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| Brandi Eskew |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rifle team opens its 2008-09 season on Oct. 4 against Ohio State at the WVU Rifle Range at 8 a.m. The Mountaineers then welcome Morehead State on Oct. 5, also at 8 a.m. Fans are encouraged to attend throughout the days, as the matches will last into the afternoons.
“I think both Ohio State and Morehead State are solid teams,” says Head Coach Jon Hammond. “I’m confident we can come in this weekend and shoot some pretty high scores. After plenty of weeks of practices and practice matches, I think the team is excited and ready to go.”
Saturday’s match marks the 34th all-time meeting between WVU and OSU, with the Mountaineers winning every match. The squads last met Oct. 14, 2007, in Columbus, Ohio, and WVU earned a 4623-4452 victory.
Sunday’s match is the first meeting between the Mountaineers and Morehead State.
WVU, picked second in both the Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) and Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association preseason polls, concluded the 2007-08 season with an 8-3 overall record and a 4-2 showing in GARC action. The squad took third place at the GARC Championships and finished sixth at the NCAA Championships, the team’s first return to the national stage since the 2002 season.
Four sophomore smallbore All-Americans return this season: first team honoree Brandi Eskew, second team members Tommy Santelli and Kyle Smith and honorable mention honoree Andy Lamson.
Redshirt junior Bryant Wallizer, a Murray State transfer, will make his WVU debut against Ohio State. Wallizer is the fifth All-American on the Mountaineer squad, as he earned air rifle honors in 2006 and 2007.
Following their two-match season-opening weekend, the Mountaineers will break from regular-season play to host their annual Alumni Match on Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. at the WVU Rifle Range.
