Rifle: WVU Second After Day One
March 11, 2011 07:04 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 1 West Virginia rifle team shot 2329 smallbore and sits in second place through day one of the 2011 NCAA Rifle Championships in Columbus, Ga.
Kentucky, one of two teams to defeat the Mountaineers (11-2, 5-1 GARC) this season, shot 2336 and won the national smallbore title at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning. Jacksonville State shot 2315 and is in third place, while defending champion TCU shot 2313 and sits in fourth place.
Today’s score is the Mountaineers’ fourth best this season. WVU set a school record with its winning score of 2337 at the 2011 Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) Championships on Feb. 26.
“We went out and did what we needed to do today,” says coach Jon Hammond. “This is a solid start. While we wanted to win the smallbore title, we had two shooters in the finals and are not very far behind Kentucky. We’re happy with where we are, but we know we have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
Seniors Nicco Campriani and Tommy Santelli finished second and fourth, respectively, in the individual finals.
Kentucky’s Ethan Settlemires finished first overall with a 691.0 score. Settlemires shot a championship-best 590 relay score and 101.0 in the finals.
Campriani, the GARC Senior and Shooter of the Year, was in third place following the open relays with a team-best 586 (197 prone, 193 standing, 196 kneeling) score. His finals score of 103.0 pushed the Florence, Italy, native past UK’s Heather Greathouse and into second place.
“Nicco shot an incredible smallbore final,” Hammond says. “I know he would have liked to win, but he really pushed himself in the finals and should be proud of his finish.”
Santelli shot 584 (197 prone, 192 standing, 195 kneeling), one shot short of his personal-best mark, in the day’s first relay at 8 a.m. He shot 99.8 in the finals for a fourth-place score of 683.8.
“Tom had a great match today and got us off to a solid start,” says Hammond. “He also had a great showing in the finals. I’m happy for him, and I think he will carry some confidence with him into tomorrow’s air rifle competition.”
Sophomore Petra Zublasing just missed qualifying for today’s finals. After shooting 582 (196 prone, 190 standing, 196 kneeling) in the open relay, she was tied for eighth place and moved on to a five-shot shootout with three other shooters for the finals’ last spot. Memphis’ Daniel Hermsmeier edged out Zublasing, 50.8-50.3. He advanced and finished fifth overall (582, 100.6, 682.6).
Junior Justin Pentz shot 577 (199 prone, 185 standing, 193 kneeling) and was the final Mountaineer to count toward the team score. Additionally, senior Andy Lamson shot 575 (197 prone, 185 standing, 193 kneeling).
Today’s team smallbore finish is the Mountaineers’ best in recent history, as they placed sixth in 2009 and third in 2010.
The Mountaineers continue their quest for a nation-best 15th national title tomorrow with the air rifle competition. The championships will move to Columbus State’s Frank G. Lumpkin Center, and the first relay is set to begin at 8 a.m.
Kentucky, one of two teams to defeat the Mountaineers (11-2, 5-1 GARC) this season, shot 2336 and won the national smallbore title at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning. Jacksonville State shot 2315 and is in third place, while defending champion TCU shot 2313 and sits in fourth place.
Today’s score is the Mountaineers’ fourth best this season. WVU set a school record with its winning score of 2337 at the 2011 Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) Championships on Feb. 26.
“We went out and did what we needed to do today,” says coach Jon Hammond. “This is a solid start. While we wanted to win the smallbore title, we had two shooters in the finals and are not very far behind Kentucky. We’re happy with where we are, but we know we have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
Seniors Nicco Campriani and Tommy Santelli finished second and fourth, respectively, in the individual finals.
Kentucky’s Ethan Settlemires finished first overall with a 691.0 score. Settlemires shot a championship-best 590 relay score and 101.0 in the finals.
Campriani, the GARC Senior and Shooter of the Year, was in third place following the open relays with a team-best 586 (197 prone, 193 standing, 196 kneeling) score. His finals score of 103.0 pushed the Florence, Italy, native past UK’s Heather Greathouse and into second place.
“Nicco shot an incredible smallbore final,” Hammond says. “I know he would have liked to win, but he really pushed himself in the finals and should be proud of his finish.”
Santelli shot 584 (197 prone, 192 standing, 195 kneeling), one shot short of his personal-best mark, in the day’s first relay at 8 a.m. He shot 99.8 in the finals for a fourth-place score of 683.8.
“Tom had a great match today and got us off to a solid start,” says Hammond. “He also had a great showing in the finals. I’m happy for him, and I think he will carry some confidence with him into tomorrow’s air rifle competition.”
Sophomore Petra Zublasing just missed qualifying for today’s finals. After shooting 582 (196 prone, 190 standing, 196 kneeling) in the open relay, she was tied for eighth place and moved on to a five-shot shootout with three other shooters for the finals’ last spot. Memphis’ Daniel Hermsmeier edged out Zublasing, 50.8-50.3. He advanced and finished fifth overall (582, 100.6, 682.6).
Junior Justin Pentz shot 577 (199 prone, 185 standing, 193 kneeling) and was the final Mountaineer to count toward the team score. Additionally, senior Andy Lamson shot 575 (197 prone, 185 standing, 193 kneeling).
Today’s team smallbore finish is the Mountaineers’ best in recent history, as they placed sixth in 2009 and third in 2010.
The Mountaineers continue their quest for a nation-best 15th national title tomorrow with the air rifle competition. The championships will move to Columbus State’s Frank G. Lumpkin Center, and the first relay is set to begin at 8 a.m.
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