MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team earned its fifth straight win of the season, defeating No. 4-ranked Murray State, 4697-4692, this morning, in a shoulder-to-shoulder match at the University of Akron’s Championship Rehearsal Rifle Match, inside the Louis and Freda Stile Athletics Field House.

 

Today’s match served as a test run for the 2016 NCAA National Championships, set for March 11-12, also inside the Field House.

 

Twelve teams will shoot at the preview this weekend. In addition to the Racers, the Mountaineers (5-0, 3-0) also shot alongside No. 2 Alaska-Fairbanks and No. 5 Kentucky. The Wildcats shot the best score of the morning, finishing with a 4703 mark (2334 smallbore, 2369 air rifle). The Nanooks shot 4680 (2326 smallbore, 2354 air rifle).

 

“This was definitely a beneficial and productive day for this team,” said WVU coach Jon Hammond. “We were able to get a feel of the conditions of the range, and that will help us in March. There were struggles across the board today, but we shot this match so we can learn from those challenges.”

 

The Mountaineers defeated the Racers in both guns, narrowly winning smallbore, 2330-2328, and air rifle, 2367-2364.

 

“Murray State is having a good season, and we had a good, close match with them today,” Hammond explained. “This was a good environment for us to learn in.”

 

A pair of Mountaineers paced the team in smallbore, as senior Meelis Kiisk (198 kneeling, 199 prone, 190 standing) and freshman Ginny Thrasher (197 kneeling, 197 prone, 193 standing) each shot 587, the second-best score of the morning and good enough for third place. The mark is a season high for Kiisk and a career best for Thrasher.

 

“Meelis and Ginny both had strong smallbore showings in a new range,” said Hammond. “Overall, the team shot well in smallbore.”

 

Senior Michael Bamsey and junior Jean-Pierre Louis each shot 584 and tied for sixth place. Senior Patrick Sunderman shot the team’s third-best score with a 580.

 

Senior Garrett Spurgeon finished second overall in air rifle with a 595 (100-99-97-100-100-99) mark. Sunderman followed at second on the team, sixth overall, with a 592, while sophomore Elizabeth Gratz finished eighth with a 591. Freshman Will Anti shot a career-high 590 and placed 11th overall.

 

“There were a few bounce-back performances in air rifle today, and that was good to see,” said Hammond.

 

Kentucky’s Connor Davis and Murray State’s Ivan Roe finished first in smallbore with 588s. Alaska-Fairbank’s Sagen Maddalena paced the field in air rifle with a 598.

 

Four Mountaineers shot toward the team’s scores in both guns: Spurgeon, Sunderman, Gratz and Kiisk. Bamsey added to WVU’s smallbore total, and Thrasher shot toward the air rifle score.

 

With the win, WVU improves to 22-3 all-time against the Racers.

 

The Mountaineers open their 2015-16 home season at the WVU Rifle Range against Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) foe Army on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 8 a.m.