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WVU Plays Host to No. 10 N.C. State
January 29, 2016 02:12 PM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team hosts No. 10 N.C. State in a Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) showdown on Saturday, Jan. 30, at the WVU Rifle Range and the WVU Indoor Track inside the Shell Building.
The Mountaineers (9-0, 5-0 GARC) and the Wolfpack (23-3, 5-2 GARC) will shoot smallbore at the WVU Rifle Range at 8 a.m., before moving to the Indoor Track for the air rifle match, which will feature 20 firing points. The air rifle portion is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., and it will mimic an NCAA National Championship setting.
“It’s a really cool experience, and I think it is a really valuable experience for the team to shoot in a different environment,” coach Jon Hammond said. “It is going to be really beneficial, and the ability to have a lot more spectators watch the match will be really cool as well.
“Rifle is a unique sport, and it is not always the biggest spectator sport. We don’t have the facility here to accommodate a lot of people, so to be able to shoot inside the Shell Building is really cool. We are hoping for a good turn out.”
Fans are welcomed to sit in the bleachers that will be set up behind the firing points. The event is free, and fans are asked to enter the track at the Shell Building’s lower entrance adjacent to the outdoor track. In addition, parking will be free in the WVU Band Parking Lot.
“This type of environment is different for the shooters,” Hammond explained. “The lighting is going to be different. It is going to have a feel of an NCAA Championship event because it is in such a big arena. It is almost like an away match.
“This is something that none of them have experienced before. We are not going to have any time in the Shelling Building beforehand. We are going to go straight down there and shoot the match. Ultimately, it is going to be a really good experience and it is going to provide us with a lot of benefits for the rest of the season.”
The 2015 National Championship trophy will be on display for photos, and a free youth clinic will be held at the track immediately following the competition. Additionally, the Mountaineers will meet with fans to sign autographs.
“Like all the sports at WVU, it is a great chance for the fans and the community to meet the team and interact with the athletes,” Hammond explained. “More importantly, it is all about sport education. Rifle is not your normal sport that kids are in to, but we also are in West Virginia. This state is into hunting and shooting, so we really hope that the kids take advantage of this opportunity and see the type of shooting that the team shoots. It is also a great opportunity for them to try it themselves.”
Last season, the Mountaineers outshot the Wolfpack 4714-4586, on Nov. 23, 2014, at the WVU Rifle Range. They earned victories in both guns, defeating then-ranked No. 13 N.C. State 2340-2263 in smallbore, and 2374-2323 in air rifle.
Most recently, WVU displayed two record-setting performances against No. 5 Alaska-Fairbanks (Jan. 12) and No. 15 Akron (Jan. 17) at the WVU Rifle Range. The Mountaineers set an NCAA record with an aggregate score of 4724 to beat the Nanooks, 4724-4697. West Virginia then shot 16 points better in a 4740-4621 victory over GARC foe No. 15 Akron, breaking the NCAA record for the second time in five days.
Senior Garrett Spurgeon continues to be the most consistent smallbore shooter for the team, averaging 585.1 this season, while freshman Ginny Thrasher leads the team in air rifle with a 594 average. Thrasher shot career-high air rifle marks against Alaska-Fairbanks (598) and Akron (599) on Jan. 12 and Jan. 17, respectively.
“All the team members are doing really well, but Ginny and Garrett have had really solid seasons so far,” Hammond said. “They are focused on maintaining that consistency. It’s Garrett’s senior year. He has been through the process. This is still very new for Ginny, but she has been proving so much this year. She is working hard just like everyone else. Everyone has to keep working hard to build that consistency as best as they can.”
In its last GARC conference matchup, N.C. State defeated then-ranked No. 10 Army, 4653-4641, on Jan. 18. They earned victories in both disciplines, besting the Black Knights 2306-2297 in smallbore, and 2347-2344 in air rifle.
“We are at the point of our season where every match is just another match,” Hammond noted.
“It doesn’t matter who our opponent is or what the significance of the match is. We have to focus on ourselves and our performance. It is great that a GARC team is coming here for this experience, but it’s just another match.”
“It doesn’t matter who our opponent is or what the significance of the match is. We have to focus on ourselves and our performance. It is great that a GARC team is coming here for this experience, but it’s just another match.”
WVU owns a 16-0 all-time series record over N.C. State.
A like for live scores is available at WVUsports.com.
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