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No. 1 Rifle Shoots NCAA Qualifying Match
February 19, 2016 01:37 PM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team will shoot for an NCAA qualifying score on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the WVU Rifle Range. Competition will begin at 8 a.m.
Tomorrow’s match is not against an opponent. The Mountaineers (12-0, 8-0 GARC) are shooting for a high score that will factor into their NCAA Championships qualification average.
“I think the team feels ready,” coach Jon Hammond said. “It’s another match on our schedule, so there is not any added pressure. I think we are in a great position with our average, so we are not looking at the scores too much. It’s the last home match of the season. It’s the last home match for our four seniors, so that is always a special occasion.”
Saturday’s match is “Senior Day,” and WVU’s four seniors – Michael Bamsey, Meelisk Kiisk, Garrett Spurgeon and Patrick Sunderman – will be shooting their last match at home this season. 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.
Most recently, West Virginia earned its third straight Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) regular-season title with a 4714-4636 victory over No. 14 Navy on Feb. 11, at the Bancroft Hall Rifle Range. The Mountaineers swept their GARC opponent in both guns, winning air rifle, 2381-2339, and smallbore, 2333-2297. With the victory over the Midshipmen, the Mountaineers captured their third regular-season conference title in a row to hold a conference-best nine titles.
The Mountaineers shot their three highest scores of the season at Air Force vs. Nebraska (4714) on Oct. 11, at the WVU Rifle Range vs. Akron (4740) on Jan. 17 and at Navy (4714) on Feb. 11. Currently, West Virginia boasts a 4722.66 average while shooting at different locations.
The Mountaineers also hold an overall season average of 4712.6. Their opponents own an average of 4659.8.
Spurgeon continues to be the most consistent smallbore shooter for the team, averaging 585.2 this season, while freshman Ginny Thrasher leads the team in air rifle with a 594.8 average.
Of note, the eight teams selected to compete at the 2016 NCAA Championships will be announced on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m., at NCAA.com. The Championships will be held at the Robert A. Pinn Shooting Range, in Akron, Ohio, from March 11-12.
“Essentially we are competing against everyone in the country, but tomorrow is no different,” Hammond explained. “We are going to focus on ourselves, and we are going to focus on what we need to do in order to have the best performance that we can.”
Of note, VMI also will be shooting alongside WVU for an NCAA qualifying score.
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