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WVU Resumes Competition vs. No. 5 Alaska-Fairbanks
January 11, 2016 04:13 PM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Following six weeks away from competition, the No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team resumes action with a match against nonconference opponent No. 5 Alaska-Fairbanks on Tuesday, Jan. 12, inside the WVU Rifle Range. The match is set to begin at 8 a.m.
WVU (7-0, 4-0 GARC) looks to tally its eighth straight victory and continue its win streak at home. Fans are encouraged to sit inside the range to watch the competition. The WVU Rifle Range is located directly behind the WVU Coliseum near the WVU Natatorium.
“We are excited to start the spring semester,” coach Jon Hammond said. “We came back last week to practice and prepare for tomorrow’s match. Ultimately, we don’t expect to be at our peak tomorrow. We have more than two months to get ready for the end of the season. However, this is going to be a tough match for us to get back into the swing of things.
“Alaska is always a tough team. We had a great battle last year against them at Alaska and at the 2015 NCAA Championship. It is going to be a good test for us to start the spring semester, and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Alaska-Fairbanks and West Virginia are two of the most decorated programs in Division I rifle history. WVU boasts a nation-best 17 titles, while UAF owns a second-best nine titles. West Virginia holds a 10-7 all-time record over Alaska-Fairbanks.
Last season, the Mountaineers split two close matches with the Nanooks (3-1) in Fairbanks, Alaska. WVU defeated UAF on Jan. 31, 2015, with an overall score of 4691-4688, but fell short on Feb. 1, 2015, with a score of 4706-4705.
At the 2015 NCAA Championship, also in Fairbanks, Alaska, West Virginia clinched its third straight title, as the Mountaineers spoiled the Nanooks’ hopes of their first title since 2008. West Virginia scored a come-from-behind victory, 4702-4700, to claim its fourth title in nine years.
“It is just another match,” Hammond explained. “Ultimately, we have to focus on ourselves and not worry about who we are competing against. We have to have a good performance, but in order to do that, we have to focus on ourselves.”
The Mountaineers have not competed as a team since Nov. 21, 2015. West Virginia ended the fall semester undefeated, as it bested then-ranked No. 8 Ohio State, 4711-4684, at the WVU Rifle Range. The Mountaineers won both disciplines, outshooting the Buckeyes in smallbore, 2333-2325, and air rifle, 2378-2359.
“After the Olympic Trials and finals week, most of them took a pretty good break over the holidays,” Hammond noted. “Our goal isn’t to be ready for tomorrow. It is to be at our peak and be ready in 10 weeks. We did enough practice to get back into the swing of things, and this will be a good test for us early in the semester. I’m sure this match will give us a lot of things to work on.”
Senior Garrett Spurgeon leads the team with a 584.6 smallbore average, followed by senior Michael Bamsey with a 584 average. Senior Patrick Sunderman boasts a team-high 593.1 air rifle average, followed by freshman Ginny Thrasher with a 592.7 average.
Winning every air rifle and smallbore competition this season, WVU averages 2365.6 and 2340.4 in the disciplines, respectively.
The Mountaineers also average a 4706 aggregate score this season, while the Nanooks averages 4686.6.
Most recently, Alaska-Fairbanks posted a team score of 4,682 at the 2016 Palmyra Invitational on Sunday, Jan. 10, in Palmyra, Pennsylvania.
A link for live scores is available at WVUsports.com.
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