Rifle: Luck Announces 2011-12 Schedule
July 26, 2011 04:15 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University Director of Athletics Oliver Luck announced today the 2011-12 rifle schedule, which features eight home matches, including five against past NCAA champions.
“Coach Jon Hammond believes that great teams only get better by competing against the best, and the schedule he has put together for the 2011-12 rifle season supports his reasoning,” Luck says. “The Mountaineers have solidified their place as one of the nation’s top teams over the last few seasons, and I am excited to follow them this year as they pursue their nation-best 15th national title.”
“We have to shoot against the best teams and see where we stack up each year,” says sixth-year Mountaineer coach Hammond. “There aren’t any prizes for having the best record at the end of the season. Obviously we want to win every match that we compete in, but we also know that we have to test ourselves against the best teams and prepare ourselves for the end of the year.”
WVU’s slate features five teams from the 2011 national championships field, all former NCAA champions, including first-time winner and Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) foe Kentucky. The Wildcats will visit the WVU Rifle Range on Feb. 3.
UK earned a 2-1 edge over the Mountaineers last season, as it trumped WVU in the regular-season shoulder-to-shoulder match in Lexington, Ky., and at the NCAA Championships; WVU scored a victory over UK en route to its second straight GARC title. The Mountaineers own a 14-7 regular-season series advantage over the Wildcats.
“Kentucky will probably open this year as the favorite because they are the defending champion and return most of its roster,” says Hammond. “This year’s team will be one of its toughest yet. It will be a good competition, and it’s nice to shoot that match at home, but like any other year we know we will see them again after that.”
Including UK, WVU will face five of the seven programs that have won a national title since 1980: Alaska-Fairbanks, Murray State, Army and TCU.
“I think we definitely have enough tough matches scheduled for this season to get us prepared for another championship run,” Hammond says. “I feel like we’re doing everything we possibly can to get the best preparation that we can. Time will tell, and it’s a testy schedule, but we’re looking forward to a new season with new challenges.”
After opening the season on the road Oct. 15-16 against Air Force and GARC foe Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., the Mountaineers will welcome Army to the WVU Rifle Range on Oct. 22. WVU will not travel again in the fall, as the team also will play host to Memphis, Murray State and Ole Miss.
The Mountaineers return from winter break and play host to Akron on Jan. 14 before welcoming UAF on Jan. 20. WVU has won its last three straight shoulder-to-shoulder matches against the Nanooks and is one win short from tying the all-time series record.
WVU closes out its road schedule with matches at Ohio State on Jan. 22 and at TCU, the 2010 national champion, on Jan. 28.
Following its Feb. 3 match against UK, WVU will close out its regular season against NC State on Feb. 5. The Mountaineers also will face an unannounced opponent in an NCAA qualifying match on Feb. 18.
The Mountaineers seek to defend their second straight GARC title at the conference championships on Feb. 25-26, in Oxford, Miss. The 2012 NCAA Championships is scheduled for March 9-10, in Columbus, Ohio.
The Mountaineers return three National Rifle Association All-Americans – seniors Michael Kulbacki and Justin Pentz, and junior Petra Zublasing - from a team that went 11-2 and finished second at the national championships.
The complete 2011-12 rifleschedule can be found HERE.
“Coach Jon Hammond believes that great teams only get better by competing against the best, and the schedule he has put together for the 2011-12 rifle season supports his reasoning,” Luck says. “The Mountaineers have solidified their place as one of the nation’s top teams over the last few seasons, and I am excited to follow them this year as they pursue their nation-best 15th national title.”
“We have to shoot against the best teams and see where we stack up each year,” says sixth-year Mountaineer coach Hammond. “There aren’t any prizes for having the best record at the end of the season. Obviously we want to win every match that we compete in, but we also know that we have to test ourselves against the best teams and prepare ourselves for the end of the year.”
WVU’s slate features five teams from the 2011 national championships field, all former NCAA champions, including first-time winner and Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) foe Kentucky. The Wildcats will visit the WVU Rifle Range on Feb. 3.
UK earned a 2-1 edge over the Mountaineers last season, as it trumped WVU in the regular-season shoulder-to-shoulder match in Lexington, Ky., and at the NCAA Championships; WVU scored a victory over UK en route to its second straight GARC title. The Mountaineers own a 14-7 regular-season series advantage over the Wildcats.
“Kentucky will probably open this year as the favorite because they are the defending champion and return most of its roster,” says Hammond. “This year’s team will be one of its toughest yet. It will be a good competition, and it’s nice to shoot that match at home, but like any other year we know we will see them again after that.”
Including UK, WVU will face five of the seven programs that have won a national title since 1980: Alaska-Fairbanks, Murray State, Army and TCU.
“I think we definitely have enough tough matches scheduled for this season to get us prepared for another championship run,” Hammond says. “I feel like we’re doing everything we possibly can to get the best preparation that we can. Time will tell, and it’s a testy schedule, but we’re looking forward to a new season with new challenges.”
After opening the season on the road Oct. 15-16 against Air Force and GARC foe Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., the Mountaineers will welcome Army to the WVU Rifle Range on Oct. 22. WVU will not travel again in the fall, as the team also will play host to Memphis, Murray State and Ole Miss.
The Mountaineers return from winter break and play host to Akron on Jan. 14 before welcoming UAF on Jan. 20. WVU has won its last three straight shoulder-to-shoulder matches against the Nanooks and is one win short from tying the all-time series record.
WVU closes out its road schedule with matches at Ohio State on Jan. 22 and at TCU, the 2010 national champion, on Jan. 28.
Following its Feb. 3 match against UK, WVU will close out its regular season against NC State on Feb. 5. The Mountaineers also will face an unannounced opponent in an NCAA qualifying match on Feb. 18.
The Mountaineers seek to defend their second straight GARC title at the conference championships on Feb. 25-26, in Oxford, Miss. The 2012 NCAA Championships is scheduled for March 9-10, in Columbus, Ohio.
The Mountaineers return three National Rifle Association All-Americans – seniors Michael Kulbacki and Justin Pentz, and junior Petra Zublasing - from a team that went 11-2 and finished second at the national championships.
The complete 2011-12 rifleschedule can be found HERE.
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