NCAA Champion Rifle Team Celebrates 2015 Win!
March 17, 2015 06:56 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Following their third straight victory at the NCAA Rifle Championships, and 17th overall, West Virginia University rifle coach Jon Hammond and select student-athletes addressed members of the media on Tuesday, March 17, at the WVU Coliseum.
Jon Hammond
Opening Statement
Welcome everyone. I am just going to say a few words shortly, and then I am going to open it up for questions. I would like to thank everyone who helped us get to where we are – the support staff back here, our athletic trainers, strength and conditioning staff, nutrition and everyone throughout the administration that helped myself on a daily basis with getting things done, especially on the academic side that helped the shooters on a daily basis to make their lives as easy as possible and make sure we are prepared for championships like this one. It was obviously an incredible weekend for us. The whole trip was different for a championship. To go that far, and we were there a little bit longer than we normally are, so a lot of different things went into the preparation. It was a fabulous championship overall, and we were delighted to get the results that we did. We are happy to be back.
On the mental toughness of this team
I think mental toughness is a huge part of our sport. The first person I have to thank for that is Raymond Prior. He works with the team on our mental training and the sport psych side of things. Raymond has been with us for almost four years now. He has really made a huge difference to our program in making sure that the team members are prepared. Mental toughness is huge. Not only to come back and shoot better on a second day, but just going throughout the season and dealing with the ups and downs and being mentally prepared for a match like that one. We stress and prepare that it is just another match, but there are more people there and it is a different atmosphere. I think the mental toughness and mental strength that our team members had all year really set them apart, and it allowed them to perform at a really high level in that environment.
On the second day of competition
I think they (the WVU shooters) were relaxed. We had a brief chat that evening (Friday), and they all actually performed really well that first day with the results not having been what we wanted it to be. When I say perform well, they did all the things that we would ask them to do. They stayed disciplined, calm and patient. Sometimes, there are days when you struggle.
Absolutely, we tried to treat the next day as a new competition. With our sport, there are some things that are out of our control. We didn’t know how Alaska was going to shoot, and we can’t control how they are going to shoot. We had to stay calm and stay relaxed. We still had to go out there and shoot our best with a clear mind. I think they all did an excellent job of that. I think they were certainly up for it that day and motivated. They were ready to go and were still able to go out there and do an excellent job with their game plan.
On Maren Prediger’s performance
Shooting 598 is an awesome air rifle score, wherever it is, even if it’s in practice, but to do it on a big stage like that during a big competition is huge. I’ll let Maren speak more, but I know she was disappointed after the first day. She came out and shot great that second day, although, she was a little bit nervous before the match. Obviously, there is not much higher you can shoot. It’s the likes of Nicco (Campriani) and Petra (Zublasing) that have shot those types of scores. If you throw in all the types of conditions – it was her last career match and we needed high scores in order to gain some ground on Alaska – it all really made it a great performance.
On if traveling to Alaska in January helped the team
It definitely helped. We were definitely able to prepare better. We had some travel issues getting up there with some delayed flights the first time. We wanted to make sure that things were going to be as smooth as possible. We made sure that our connections were long enough, and that we flew in a little bit earlier so that we had more time to recover. I think once we were there, it was kind of that comfort factor and environment that you feel more familiar with. We stayed in the same hotel, and we knew where the range was as well as restaurants. As a staff, it was a little more relaxing because we felt more prepared. I’m sure the athletes felt a little more comfortable rather than it being a whole new environment.
I don’t think you can ever be prepared for the cold out there. It is still pretty cold, weather wise, but yes you have that comfort factor. Being out there in January definitely was very beneficial, and of course, shooting on the range was too. You go back to a range and there are things that you are familiar with and remember. Their range is a good range. There was nothing too quirky or weird that we had to prepare for. Once you have that comfort factor, then you are ready for it.
On Alaska having a home range advantage
I think going back to that comfort factor, their five shooters shoot there every day. They basically were able to walk out of their locker rooms straight onto the firing points and shoot somewhere they shoot day-in and day-out. I definitely think it doesn’t hurt them in any way. Now, the second day where we shot air rifle we were up in their gym hall where it is not somewhere they shoot every day, so it was maybe more of a level playing field. At the same time, there are distractions for them to deal with as a host team. I’m sure their staff has a little bit more work to do in order to prepare for it. There are pros and cons both ways.
Their athletes shot incredibly well. They still shot one of their best matches of the year. It ended up being an incredibly close match, but I think shooting on your home range is always going to be beneficial.
Senior Maren Prediger
2015 NCAA Air Rifle Champion
On her feelings going into the second day
I was really nervous because I knew that we were 12 points behind, and I was sitting next to (performance consultant) Ray (Prior) the day before. We had to shoot more than the last three shooters in that relay, and I wanted it. I wanted us to win so badly that I was just really nervous. I knew that Ryan (Anderson), Tim (Sherry) and Sagen (Maddalena) from the Alaska team could shoot really high air rifle scores. We can shoot that, too, but three points is a lot. Before the match I was nervous and then Jon (Hammond) came over and said that I can shoot well when I’m nervous, which is true. That really helped me. It was really nice that it worked out in the end, and that my brain worked well enough.
On what coach Hammond said going into the second day of competition
It was really just that I didn’t have to worry about anything. He told me several times the last three years that whenever I was nervous, usually the air rifle score was really high after that. I know that I can do it, and he gave me the confidence that I needed. I just did (it). I was focused enough and put every shot down that I didn’t want to shoot. I made sure that every shot I wanted to shoot was really where I wanted it to be.
On being in the zone
In that competition I don’t really remember a lot, so that shows that I was totally in the zone. I had a song stuck in my head, and that is another sign that showed I was in the zone. When it repeats over and over again in my head, I usually shoot well. The song was “Centuries” from Fall Out Boy because Mike (Michael Bamsey) played it in the car before we went to the range that morning.
On is she used last year’s second-place individual air rifle finish as motivation this year
Not at all because it is a completely new year. This year, I was totally focused on shooting for the team because I wanted us to win, and I didn’t really care about the individual score in the end as long as we won. After it was decided that we won, I was just really relieved that we won. It was just so close. Those two points were a lot. After my match were the next two relays where everybody else shot, and I was incredibly nervous – more nervous than my own match. After it was decided, I was just happy that I could shoot a little bit more in the final. The atmosphere was great. There were a lot of people there.
On adding to the WVU rifle team’s legacy
It’s a good feeling. I’m proud that we could fulfill the expectations that people have - that the alumni have. The alums want their program to continue the way that they left it. Obviously, I want next year’s team to do as well as we did. It’s nice to know that we can live up to what we want us to do and what they want us to do.
Junior Garrett Spurgeon
2015 NCAA Rifle Championships Top Performer
On experiencing the final round of air rifle
Actually, it’s kind of funny because I had breakfast with Ziva (Dvorsak) that morning. Ziva and I shot the last relay. For me, it was more of trying to block everybody out. I put my music on when we left the hotel, and once we got to the range I didn’t talk to anybody. In that sense, it was almost easier because I didn’t know where we were at. I knew where we were from the day before, but I didn’t know where we were at after the first two relays. I just had to go in there and do my job.
On if he found out the team’s standing before his relay
It didn’t take me very long. I came off the line (after he shot) and the first words that I asked coach were ‘where are we at?,’ and it didn’t take him very long to tell me. I think the nerves set in then when I was waiting on everybody else to get done.
On finishing third in the individual air rifle final
It was strange and special at the same time. I had a rough first semester in air gun, and with the help from some of these guys (his teammates), they kind of straightened my air gun out. Since Thanksgiving, my air gun has really climbed. That’s one of the things that coach said after the final - ‘Who would have thought you would’ve finished third in air gun after the first semester this year?’. It was definitely strange, but I was very happy with it.
On the legacy of the rifle team at WVU
It’s amazing to think about. I think going into the NCAA Championships, we all wanted to win. That is something that you want to keep going. I was here in 2013 when we started this three in a row streak, so it’s definitely something I wanted to keep going. It’s definitely something I want to have here. We have such a special team, and to see a lot of the followers recognize what we won is pretty awesome.
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