Rightful Return
November 06, 2008 01:45 PM | General
November 6, 2008
 |
||
| Jon Hammond |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Two coaches. Six years. Sixty four matches. Yet when the dust settled on the West Virginia University rifle team’s rebuilding period, all appears right again. There stood the Mountaineers at the 2008 NCAA Rifle Championships, reclaiming their spot among the nation’s elite.
WVU rifle had once been synonymous with NCAA championships. The program captured 13 titles over the span of 15 seasons. In fact, the first championship team in 1983 boasted four first team All-Americans, and in the years that followed, WVU lost only four matches for a 150-4 record and had 72 additional first team All-Americans. Painting the Mountaineers as a dynasty would be an understatement.
“I think the WVU rifle program’s history is really special,” says Coach Jon Hammond. “There’s a lot of tradition here. I think it means a lot to the current team members, but especially to the people of the whole state, the people of West Virginia and the supporters of the whole athletic department. They take a lot of pride in the rifle team and its successful history.”
Hammond is in the midst of adding to the program’s rich tradition. The third-year coach inherited a team from Marsha Beasley, the 16-year, seven-time NCAA champion coach, that was deep in transition. Eight years have passed since WVU last hoisted the national trophy, and despite some past bumps in the road, the team is well on its way to reclaiming its national relevance.
“Success breeds success,” says Beasley. “I think there’s still that reputation of how good West Virginia has been, and it’s remarkable at how quickly Jon has brought them back.”
In only his second season at the helm, Hammond led the Mountaineers to an 8-3 record. The squad also finished in third place at the Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) Championships, its highest placing since the 2003 season. More importantly, the Mountaineers made their first return appearance since 2002 to the NCAA Championships and finished sixth. Additionally, five of the eight team members were named Smallbore All-Americans.
Volunteer assistant coach Lafe Kunkel, a 2008 first team All-America honoree, says that WVU’s appearance in the national championship was the result of several years of hard work and the team’s determination to recapture the program’s past luster.
“That (competing at the NCAAs) was a pretty good experience,” says Kunkel. “The team was a lot more motivated and more focused on its task. It was good to be in that environment, where everyone was constantly pushing each other.
“I definitely wanted to be a part of continuing the tradition, of rebuilding the tradition. Being a member of the first team back at NCAAs was great.”
Hammond says that more than the program’s pride is on the line when the Mountaineers compete.
“Everyone (in the state of West Virginia) seems to have a good knowledge of the rifle program and knowledge of the history,” Hammond explains. “Often, most people I come in contact with are really proud of the program. They often know more about the program’s history than I do. And with hunting being a big part of West Virginia, the residents around the university definitely associate with the rifle team.”
Beasley can attest to Hammond’s observations. She says that she was in awe of how revered the program was when she became head coach in 1990.
“When I first moved to West Virginia, I was continually surprised by how many people recognized the program and my name,” Beasley says with a hint of mystification in her voice. “I just found it incredible. Ed Etzel (Beasley’s 13-year predecessor) had such a good run. Everywhere I went, everyone I talked to, knew WVU had an excellent rifle team. People were excited to meet me. That’s how I first came to appreciate what rifle meant to the state.”
 |
||
| Lafe Kunkel |
The excitement around the program thrives again today. The Mountaineers remain undefeated (5-0 overall, 2-0 GARC) through the first quarter of their season, and with both conference and national coaches slotting WVU No.2 in preseason polls, the squad is poised to surpass the benchmarks achieved last year.
“To sit back and reflect on everything, it is really special to be a coach for any rifle team and to be responsible for their success, especially one that has such a great tradition and history,” Hammond says. “We’re a part of that tradition. We’re trying to do what other WVU teams have done. We want to add more All-Americans to the list, and hopefully down the road, more championships.
“The history is so deep. It’s exciting to be a part of it, but also a lot of pride is associated with it as well.”
Kunkel believes the Mountaineers offer a unique opportunity for potential newcomers.
“WVU is back to being one of the best, if not the best, rifle teams in NCAA,” he says. “The future of the team is secure – the team is in the best condition it’s been in for a long time. It’s only going to improve from here. WVU is definitely where a person can excel both academically and athletically.”
One coach. Three years. Thirty matches. Nineteen wins. With no dust in sight, the WVU rifle team is clearly once again on top – which is right where it belongs.
