Rifle: WVU Defeats VMI, Sets School Records
February 16, 2008 06:15 PM | General
February 16, 2008
VMI Results
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.- The West Virginia University rifle team defeated Virginia Military Institute, today, 4647-4398 at the WVU Rifle Range, setting three team records in the process. The Mountaineers are currently 8-3 on the season and are on a four-match win streak.
The Mountaineers defeated the Keydets 2318-2176 in smallbore which tops the previous smallbore record of 2317 set on Oct. 6, 2007. WVU then won 2329-2222 in air rifle to top the previous mark of 2322 set on Jan. 28, 2008. The Mountaineers’ aggregated team score of 4647 broke the record of 4626, set on Jan. 18,2008.
Senior Lafe Kunkel topped the field in smallbore with a score of 583 before freshman Andrew Lamson shot a career high of 588 in the air rifle competition.
“Everyone shot really solid today,” comments Head Coach Jon Hammond. “It was a great result, and it gives us a great high as we head into the conference championships next week.”
Today’s match will factor into WVU’s NCAA qualifying score, along with their wins over Ohio State on Oct. 14, Alaska-Fairbanks on Jan. 18, and Tennessee Tech on Jan. 27. The top eight teams in the country will make the NCAA Tournament, held March 15-16, at West Point Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. The NCAA will announce the teams who made the tournament late next week.
The match was Kunkel and fellow senior, Natasha Dinsmore’s last regular season match. Kunkel is now in good position for All-America honors, while Dinsmore scored a perfect 100 in her sixth set of the air rifle competition.
Next up, the Mountaineers will head to Ole Miss for the GARC Conference Championships on Feb. 23-24.
