No. 1 Rifle to Shoot Qualifying Match
February 20, 2015 01:22 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team will shoot an NCAA Qualifying match at the WVU Rifle Range on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Tomorrow's match is not against an opponent. The Mountaineers (11-1, 8-0 GARC) are shooting for a high score that will factor into their NCAA Championships qualification average.
“We’ve put ourselves in a comfortable position this season to where there’s not a whole lot of pressure for us on Saturday,” said coach Jon Hammond. “That doesn’t mean that we won’t want to have a solid performance, but it will be nice to not worry about it.”
WVU returns for its last home competition of the season after a two-week break. The team defeated Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) foe No. 5 Kentucky, 4677-4663, on February 7, in Lexington, Kentucky. The win secured the Mountaineers' second straight regular-season GARC title.
“We’re always going to try to shoot the highest score that we can,” said Hammond. “There are some matches here and there where you’re trying to beat the other team, but we work hard as a team to push the athletes to shoot their best no matter what. While we don’t have an opponent like our past matches, they’re competing against each other to see who will be going to the NCAA Championships.”
Senior Thomas Kyanko continues to pace the Mountaineers in smallbore with a 583 average. Classmate Ziva Dvorsak tops the air rifle discipline with a 596 average, and has not shot below the 590 mark this season.
“No matter how much we practice, there’s no replacement for an actual match,” Hammond explained. “It’s a great way to see how they’re doing individually and as a team. It will be the last home match for the seniors on the team, so that’s special, too.”
Of note, the eight teams selected to compete at the 2015 NCAA Championships will be announced on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m., at NCAA.com. The championships will be held at the E.F. Horton Rifle Range in Fairbanks, Alaska, March 13-14.
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