Rifle Takes Top Spots at Championships
July 02, 2015 11:22 AM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Several student-athletes from the West Virginia University rifle team earned top finishes at two recent championships.
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Thrasher reached the podium several times at the 2015 USA Shooting National Championships.
Photo from USA Shooting
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Six Mountaineers shot at the 2015 USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle/Pistol, held June 24 – July 1, at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit in Fort Benning, Georgia.
Incoming freshman Virginia Thrasher was the story of the championships, as she earned five medals, two in open categories and three in junior competitions, securing U.S. National Team status. The Springfield, Virginia, native won Gold in the junior’s 50m 3 positions rifle competition, finishing with a 1171 total. She also placed fourth overall, shooting 580 on the first day, 583 on the second day and 437.7 in the final.
Thrasher also placed second in the open women’s 10m air rifle, tallying an 836.8 total (413.6, 412.2). Her junior championship score of 829.8 was good enough for fourth place. Additionally, she finished third in the open women’s 50m rifle prone with a total of 1238.7 (619.3, 619.4), also earning her the junior championship title.
Junior Jean-Pierre Lucas was the high collegiate finisher in the men’s 10m air rifle, finishing with a score of 1244.6 (621.8, 622.8); he finished sixth overall. Senior Garrett Spurgeon took the high collegiate title in the men’s 50m 3 positions, shooting 2331 (1161, 1164); he finished fifth overall.
Spurgeon was the top Mountaineer finisher in the open men’s 10m air rifle, placing fourth overall (621.4, 621.8). Graduate assistant Dan Hermsmeier finished behind Lucas in 10th place with a 1241.5 score (618.1, 621.4), while recent graduate Thomas Kyanko placed 13th with a 1237.1 mark (620.8, 616.3). Senior Patrick Sunderman shot 1221.0 (614.7, 606.3) and finished 32nd.
Three from WVU finished in consecutive spots in the men’s 50m 3 positions. Following Spurgeon’s fifth-place finish, Kyanko was next, sitting in 12th place with a total of 2311 (1153, 1158). Hermsmeier (1150, 1160) and Sunderman (1166, 1140) each shot 2310 and tied for 13th. Lucas finished in 18th place with a 2305 total (1156, 1149).
Two Mountaineers also competed internationally, as sophomore Elizabeth Gratz and incoming freshman William Anti shot at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior Cup, June 25 – July 1, in Suhl, Germany.
Gratz, a native of Sigel, Illinois, earned two eighth-place finishes. She finished seventh in the women’s 10m air rifle relay a 413.6 total and earned her eighth-place finish with a 78.8 final mark. Additionally, she shot 619.0 in the women’s 50m rifle prone. Gratz also finished 21st in the women’s rifle 3 positions with a 572 score.
Special to this competition, Gratz also took first in the 10m air rifle mixed international teams event, pairing with Peter Vas of Hungary to defeat Vanessa Hofstetter (Switzerland) and Kim Hyeongmin (Korea), 10-8.
Anti’s top finish came in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions, as he shot 1147 and placed 19th. He also finished 27th in the men’s 10m air rifle (612.8) and 43rd in the men’s 50m rifle prone (611.7).
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