Rifle Preview
October 08, 2009 10:16 AM | General
October 8, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Sequels are never given much respect. Constantly criticized as unoriginal and often deemed unfulfilling, they rarely pack as much excitement as their predecessors.
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| Brian Wallizer leads a talented and experienced WVU rifle team in 2010.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
The 2009-10 West Virginia University rifle team is looking to buck the trend, with hopes of not only repeating its 2009 NCAA Championship success, but building on the lessons learned and forging an easier road towards the title.
Tops on the Mountaineers’ list for the upcoming year is remaining focused on the ultimate goal for every season – qualifying for the national championship and bringing a title back to Morgantown.
“I’ve learned over the years that defending a championship is a lot harder than winning it. We still have a lot of work to do. This season will not be a case of, ‘Oh, we won the title already, that’s it,’” fourth-year coach Jon Hammond says. “We want to keep building upon the history and tradition of the university and this rifle team, and continue to be as successful as we can.
“Hopefully, that means more championships. We plan to just take each season as it comes, and move from there. The team really wants to build on our championship and continue to improve.”
Hammond, the 2009 College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Coach of the Year, returns all but one of his cast of characters that made the brilliant title run, snagged second place at the Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) Championship and finished at 11-1, 5-1 GARC for the season. Of the eight returning, seven proudly will carry the title of National Rifle Association (NRA) All-America before their name.
“I think the competitiveness on the team this year is going to be fierce,” Hammond explains. “We competed at last season’s NCAA Championship without two All-Americans – that’s almost unheard of. I think everyone will be fighting with each other for counting-team slots, but I think competition is good.
“There will be enough competition on the team to keep everyone motivated and focused. The ones with more motivation and better work ethics will rise to the top, I’m sure.”
At the top of the totem pole stands redshirt senior Bryant Wallizer. The three-time NRA air rifle All-American added to his collection last season, as he was named a first team air rifle honoree, a first-time award. A Little Orleans, Md., native, Wallizer made the transition from Murray State to WVU look easy, joining the Mountaineers last season after sitting out a year and leading the squad with a 588.79 air rifle average. Consistently tops in the discipline each match, Wallizer finished second overall with a final score of 691 at the NCAA Championship after shooting 591 towards the team-count.
Wallizer furthered his career over the summer, finishing first in air rifle at the USA Shooting National Championship with a score of 1228.4. Additionally, the all-GARC air rifle first team and combined score honorable mention honoree should continue to develop his skills in smallbore and provides the Mountaineers with necessary depth.
“Bryant is really important to the team; he’s going to be our leader this year,” Hammond says. “As a fifth-year guy, he has the experience needed to be our leader on the range and to continue the air rifle consistency.
“I think his work ethic and his personal goals will pull along the others on the team. He will be focused on what he wants to achieve, and that’s important. He has the right personality – he’s focused and vocal – that we need in a good leader.”
Juniors Andy Lamson and Kyle Smith, the top returning combined score and smallbore specialists, respectively, look to contribute significantly alongside Wallizer.
Lamson, a Colchester, Vt., native, returns for his third year after a breakout sophomore season in which he finished tops among the Mountaineers with a 1164.07 season average. The business and economics major collected his fair-share of season-ending awards, earning NRA first team air rifle All-America honors, as well as a spot on the GARC combined score first team. Additionally, Lamson proved his prowess in the classroom, earning ESPN The Magazine Scholastic All-America third team honors and a placement on the CRCA All-Academic Team. He also shared the GARC Scholar-Athlete Award with Smith.
Strong in both guns, Lamson finished third in air rifle at the NCAA Championship with a final score of 689.7 and a counting score of 589, and paced the Mountaineers in smallbore with a score of 574.
“Andy, by far, is the most improved shooter since day one,” Hammond says. “I fully expect and hope that his improvement and progression will continue this season. He is one of the most focused guys on the team, and I think he is ready to keep pushing himself to get better.”
Smith, saddled with an air rifle gun issue that forced him to focus solely on smallbore for the first four matches, used the hindrance to his advantage and became the top discipline shooter on a team laden with smallbore All-Americans. A DuBois, Pa., native, Smith concluded the year with a 579.01 smallbore average, both tops on the team and a program-best mark. An NRA first team smallbore All-America, Smith also was named to the GARC smallbore first team and the CRCA All-Academic Team, and shared the GARC Scholar-Athlete Award with Lamson.
Smith opened the 2008-09 season strong, shooting a school-record 587 smallbore in the victory over Morehead State. Hammond hopes the trend continues for Smith this season as well.
“Kyle really stood out last season; his smallbore really took a jump from freshman year,” he says. “Hopefully, he can maintain his form from last year and take it a bit farther this season. I’ll also be interested to see if he can get his air rifle going this year; he has shown that he has the talent for it.”
Rounding out this year’s junior class are Brandi Eskew, Tommy Santelli and Ashley Zultanky.
Eskew, a Petersburg, W.Va., native, returns for her third season after earning her second straight NRA smallbore first team All-America honor. One of the Mountaineers’ most dependable smallbore shooters, Eskew finished her sophomore year with a 578 season average, the second-best mark on the team. Named to the GARC smallbore and combined score second teams, Eskew finished fourth overall in smallbore at the league championship with a final score of 676.
Santelli, a proven big-match competitor, is skilled in both guns, as proven by his 2009 NRA smallbore and air rifle second team All-America honors.
The Prosperity, Pa., native had moments of brilliance as a sophomore, evidenced by his first place overall finish at the GARC Championship with a combined score of 1169. A member of the league’s smallbore and combined score second teams, and air rifle honorable mention squad, Hammond looks for Santelli to capitalize on his potential and emerge as a another consistent shooter for the Mountaineers.
“Tommy is one of the most talented shooters on our team,” says Hammond. “Some of the stuff he shoots in practice is incredible; I’d love to see him bring more of his ability to the matches and duplicate his practice shots.
“Hopefully, he can settle in to more of a team role this season and let his talents come to the forefront. He has a lot of potential there. I’m excited for him and excited to see how he can progress this season.”
Zultanky, a Garwood, N.J., native, will continue to develop her knowledge and skill in her third year with the team. A member of the CRCA All-Academic Team, Zultanky shot a personal-best 564 smallbore last season to finish ninth against Memphis.
Sophomores Michael Kulbacki and Justin Pentz, both DuBois, Pa., natives, return after promising rookie campaigns.
Kulbacki proved his air rifle capabilities in his first year, as he played an important part in the team’s air rifle turnaround at the NCAA Championship, shooting 587 towards the squad’s counting score and finishing sixth overall with a score of 686.9.
An NRA air rifle second team All-America honoree, Kulbacki has already etched his name in the Mountaineer record book, as he shot a program-best 596 air rifle in the team’s win over TCU.
Though he did not shoot at the NCAA Championship, Pentz’s strong season-long contributions were recognized, as he earned NRA smallbore and air rifle second team All-America honors. A solid first-year shooter, Pentz, a multiple all-GARC honoree, should continue to foster his talents in his second season and further expand his impact with the Mountaineers.
“Mike and Justin had great results last year,” Hammond says. “I think there is a lot of room for improvement from those two, but they got through that tough freshman season. This season would be the time to see some consistency; I know the level of scores they are capable of achieving – now I want to see that on a more consistent basis.”
Junior Niccolo “Nicco” Campriani is the lone Mountaineer newcomer this season. The Florence, Italy, native is one of the most decorated recruits to ever join the WVU program. A six-year member of the Italian National Team, Campriani recently finished second in smallbore 3P at the 2009 Milan World Cup, shooting 1173, and qualified for October’s World Cup Final in Wuxi, China.
Campriani also has Olympic experience to his name, as he not only represented Italy at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, but finished 12th in air rifle with a score of 594. He also finished 38th in prone and 39th in 3P. Due to eligibility issues, Campriani will not join the Mountaineers in competition until January.
“Nicco is a fantastic talent,” Hammond enthuses. “He is arguably the best Italian shooter at the moment. He will change the dynamic of this team; I think having something different on the squad is going to be the key to this season. He will keep things fresh. You always need to shake things up a bit, and I think having a high quality international recruit come in is really going to do that.”
WVU’s 2009-10 schedule is littered with national-caliber squads, such as 10-time NCAA champion Alaska-Fairbanks and recent national runner-up, Kentucky.
“I think Alaska and Kentucky will be tough tests,” Hammond says. “We’re going to encounter a few tests throughout the season, and GARC will be another great championship as well. We have plenty to look forward to this year.”
The Mountaineers begin their quest for a championship sequel in Lincoln, Neb., and face Air Force and Nebraska on Oct. 10-11. The Falcons are the only new addition to WVU’s schedule, and the match will be the first between to the two since 1974.
WVU continues its season opening road trip at Ohio State on Oct. 17, and at Akron on Oct. 18.
After a month-long break, the Mountaineers will open their home season on Nov. 14 and welcome GARC-foe Army to the WVU Rifle Range. WVU defeated the Black Knights, the 2008 league champion, 4659-4616, last season at West Point.
The Wildcats visit the range one week after Army, with WVU’s sights set on avenging its lone regular-season defeat from a year ago. Besides losing to UK, 4649-4639, in Lexington during the regular season, the Mountaineers also lost to the Wildcats, 4650-4645, at the 2009 GARC Championship.
Following a winter break, the Mountaineers will play host to NC State on Jan. 17, and will conclude their home schedule with the Nanooks on Jan. 21.
WVU’s regular season finishes with matches against Ole Miss in Cookeville, Tenn., on Jan. 30, and Memphis at the Winthrow Invitational on Jan. 31. The team will then progress through the postseason, first with an NCAA qualifying match against a yet-to-be-determined opponent on Feb. 13, then with the GARC Championship, Feb. 20-21, in Oxford, Miss. The 2010 NCAA Championship is scheduled for March 12-13 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Though sequels may get a bad rap, the 2009-10 Mountaineers are pushing for a repeat of last year’s success, and possibly, the beginning of the program’s second dynasty.
“I think, with all athletes, when you achieve success, you want more of it,” Hammond says. “It can be addictive; you enjoy it. I think this year’s team wants to come back and prove that they were the rightful champions last season. They don’t want anyone to say that they were lucky. We all want to go out there and prove that WVU is the best team.”
