Rifle to Close Fall Semester Competition
November 21, 2014 12:58 PM | General
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| Thomas Kyanko |
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - The No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team takes on two conference foes in its fall semester finale this weekend, as the team plays host to No. 11 Navy on Saturday, Nov. 22, and No. 23 NC State on Sunday, Nov. 23, at the WVU Rifle Range.
The five-time reigning Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) champions and last year’s regular-season title holder, WVU (6-0, 4-0 GARC) holds a perfect record in conference play this year.
“We’re looking for two more quality performances from the team,” said coach Jon Hammond. “We want to finish the semester on a good note. We have good momentum, and the shooters have been training hard.”
The Mountaineers hold a 23-8 all-time record against Navy and most recently defeated the Midshipmen, 4678-4627, on Nov. 16, 2013.
“It’s nice to compete at home,” Hammond explained. “We aren’t traveling on Friday, we can get another practice in and it’s a little more comfortable. There could be more distractions with parents, friends and looking ahead to break, but we have to stay focused and in match mode.”
WVU is 15-0 when shooting against NC State and defeated the Wolfpack, 4707-4604, on Jan. 19.
Senior Thomas Kyanko continues to lead the Mountaineers in the smallbore discipline with a 584 average after six matches. Classmate Ziva Dvorsak leads the team in air rifle, averaging 596. The team averages a 4706 aggregate score this season, while its opponents average 4629.
“The shooters need to get a good performance in,” said Hammond. “They need to have some momentum going into the break. They may not have the perfect match, but finishing the semester on a good note would be great.”
The Mountaineers most recently defeated two GARC foes at the Tronsrue Marksmanship Center, in West Point, New York. On Nov. 15, WVU defeated No. 18 Ole Miss, 4699-4568. The team continued its weekend success with a 4717-4644 win against Army on Nov. 16. WVU matched a school and NCAA record 2382 air rifle score against Army.
Both weekend matches are set to start at 8 a.m. and will go into the afternoon.
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