Rifle: Campriani, Wallizer Place at National Meet
September 29, 2009 12:36 PM | General
September 29, 2009
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| Bryant Wallizer |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University junior Nicco Campriani and senior Bryant Wallizer finished first and seventh, respectively, in air rifle at the Champion of Champions Match last week in Fort Benning, Ga.
Mountaineer newcomer Campriani, a Florence, Italy, native, dominated the competition, leading through the two preliminary matches with scores of 598 and 595 before shooting 103.4 in the finals and winning the men’s 10m air rifle title.
Wallizer, in eighth place through the preliminaries with scores of 587 and 589, finished strong in the finals, shooting 103.1 and placing seventh overall.
“Last week’s competition was definitely a learning experience. I now know that I need to prepare myself mentally for every match I compete in,” Wallizer says. “It was imperative for me to gain this experience; it will help me prepare for December’s national air rifle match, where selections for the U.S. World Cup will take place.”
Wallizer also performed well in smallbore, finishing 15th overall with preliminary scores of 1141 and 1146.
A Little Orleans, Md., native, Wallizer has built an impressive résumé over the last year, having won the air rifle title at the 2009 USA Shooting National Championships in June. The three-time air rifle National Rifle Association All-American shot 594 and 591 at the championships, with a final score of 103.4.
The win automatically qualified Wallizer for the U.S. National Development team.
Both Wallizer and Campriani now turn their focus on to the upcoming WVU season. The Mountaineers open competition Oct. 10-11 in Lincoln, Neb., where they will face Air Force on Saturday and Nebraska on Sunday. Campriani is eligible to compete with the team in January 2010.
