MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Rising West Virginia University sophomore Ginny Thrasher qualified for both women’s finals at the 2016 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Munich World Cup, which saw competition conclude today at the Munich Olympic Shooting Range, in Munich, Germany.
Thrasher, a 2016 Rio Summer Olympics qualifier for the United States and the 2016 NCAA air rifle and smallbore champion, was one of only three women to qualify for both finals, her first career World Cup final appearances.
The Springfield, Virginia, native’s week began on May 21 with a seventh-place finish in the women’s 10m air rifle with a score of 103.1. Thrasher advanced to the final after finishing fourth in the qualification relay with a 419.3 mark.
Thrasher followed the performance with a fourth-place finish in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions on May 24, shooting 435.2. She shot 577 and finished 12th in the first elimination relay on May 23 and 583 in the qualification relay the next day, good enough for an eighth-place standing.
“Ginny’s performance in Munich was excellent,” WVU coach Jon Hammond said. “To make her first World Cup final in only her second year competing internationally is great, but to qualify for both finals is special. Not many people qualify for multiple finals, and it was an excellent achievement. I know she will keep working on the things that made her performance in Munich so good, and that work will enable her to continue her improvement.”
Former Mountaineer Petra Zublasing narrowly edged Thrasher in the 3 positions final, shooting 446.8 and finishing in third place, earning Italy’s lone medal of the week. Zublasing entered the final in first place, shooting 588 in the qualification relay. She also placed ninth in the first elimination relay with a 579 score. Additionally, Zublasing placed 14th in the women’s 10m air rifle competition, shooting 417.3.
Ziva Dvorsak, a 2015 WVU graduate, and incoming Mountaineer Milica Babic, also competed at the World Cup, shooting for Slovenia and Serbia, respectively. Dvorsak finished 29th (415.7) in the women’s 10m air rifle and shot 571 in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions qualification relay. Babic placed 48th (413.7) in the air rifle competition and shot 567 in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions’ second elimination relay.
WVU was represented by two graduates on the men’s side. Nicco Campriani (Italy), the defending Olympic men’s 50m rifle 3 positions champion, qualified for two finals, finishing seventh in 3 positions on May 25 with a score of 404.2, and eighth in the men’s 10m air rifle on May 21 with a score of 79.2. He advanced to the 3 positions final after a second place, 1183 showing in the qualification relay. Campriani was the top shooter entering the air rifle final, having shot 631.0 in the qualification relay. He also placed 22nd in the men’s 50m rifle prone competition on May 22, shooting 622.2.
Additionally, 2016 graduate Michael Bamsey (Great Britain) also competed at the World Cup and shot 621.0 air rifle and 1159 3 positions.
The fourth and last ISSF World Cup before the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics will be held June 20-29, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
