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WVU Breaks Own NCAA Record in Win, Again
January 17, 2016 07:40 PM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team broke its own NCAA record, set just five days ago, with an aggregate score of 4740 to beat Great American Rifle Conference foe No. 15 Akron, 4740-4621, today, inside the WVU Rifle Range.
After an NCAA-record score of 4724 against No. 5 Alaska-Fairbanks on Tuesday, WVU shot 16 points higher in today’s record-setting victory. The Mountaineers (9-0, 5-0 GARC) defeated the Zips in both guns, also with NCAA record scores, winning smallbore, 2352-2291, and air rifle, 2388-2330. WVU improved six shots in air rifle and 10 shots in smallbore from Tuesday’s victory against the Nanooks.
“Today was another incredible performance from the team,” coach Jon Hammond noted. “I don’t know if any of us thought that a 4740 score was possible. I am really proud of the team with how hard they have worked and how hard they have focused since they came back from break.
“Ultimately, it was another true team performance. We did have some more personal bests, but everyone shot incredibly well. It was a great team effort, and for the team to set a new national record in both air rifle and smallbore is another incredible result.”
A trio of Mountaineers set career-high scores in smallbore, with senior Meelis Kiisk (198 kneeling, 200 prone, 192 standing), senior Michael Bamsey (196 kneeling, 199 prone, 193 standing) and freshman Will Anti (192 kneeling, 198 prone, 194 kneeling) each shooting a 590, 588 and 584 mark, respectively.
“Will (Anti) had an incredible performance in smallbore for a career-high, and Meelis (Kiisk) shot an incredible 590 in smallbore,” Hammond stated. “590 is an incredibly hard score to shoot, but he was inching closer and closer to that mark just like all the others are.”
Junior Jean-Pierre Lucas (195 kneeling, 200 prone, 192 standing) and Kiisk matched a program record, shooting 200 prone. The 200 prone mark was last shot by sophomore Elizabeth Gratz and Kiisk against Alaska-Fairbanks, at the WVU Rifle Range, on Jan. 12.
Caleb Lloyd paced the Zips in smallbore with a score of 581 and placed eighth.
A pair of Mountaineers set career-high scores in air rifle, with senior Patrick Sunderman (99, 100, 100, 100, 99, 100) and freshman Ginny Thrasher (100, 99, 100, 100, 100, 100) each shooting a 598 and 599 mark, respectively. Thrasher broke her career-high mark of 598 by one, set on Jan. 12, against No. 5 Alaska-Fairbanks.
“Ginny (Thrasher) and Pat (Sunderman) broke their personal bests, shooting 599 and 598 air rifle scores, as Elizbaeth (Gratz) tied her personal best,” Hammond said. “Those are incredible scores.”
Gratz and Kiisk also matched their career-high scores. Gratz (98, 100, 98, 99, 100, 100) and Kiisk (100, 97, 99, 100, 100, 99) tied for fifth in air rifle with a 595 mark.
Senior Garrett Spurgeon placed third with a 596 air rifle score, one mark short of his career-high set on Tuesday, against Alaska-Fairbanks.
Lloyd also paced the Zips in air rifle with a score of 586 and tied for seventh.
Bamsey, Spurgeon and Sunderman counted toward the team scores in both guns. Lucas and Kiisk contributed to the Mountaineers’ smallbore score, while Thrasher and Gratz shot toward the air rifle total.
“Overall, the team had great performances across the board,” Hammond said. “They took this week in stride, and they kept working hard. I am really proud to see that from them.”
With the win, West Virginia won its ninth consecutive match and 22nd in a row at home. The Mountaineers improved to 14-0 all-time against Akron.
“From this point on, it is all about consistency,” Hammond explained. “We have to stay very level headed. We have to keep working, and we have to keep doing the things that we have been doing. We don’t want to get caught up on the outcome. While it’s a great team score, we want to get back in the range and keep working hard.
“I told the team that we want to take confidence from the positives, but at the same time, we still have areas to work on. We have to keep working hard every day to build that consistency. We want to stay humble and grounded. Hard work is the name of the game, and we want to keep working hard.”
The Mountaineers will hit the road after five straight home matches, as they travel to Annapolis, Maryland, to face No. 14-ranked Navy, on Saturday, Jan. 23, inside the Bancroft Hall Rifle Range. The match is set to begin at 8 a.m.
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