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Creating His Own Path
February 15, 2017 10:25 AM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Dedication, leadership and a willing mindset to succeed are all qualities senior Jean-Pierre Lucas has brought to the West Virginia University rifle team. Nearing the end of his collegiate career as a Mountaineer, Lucas, a native of Speers, Pennsylvania, has developed into a key member of the program.
Lucas credits his father, Pierre Lucas, for starting his interest in the shooting sports at a young age. “My dad taught me to love the outdoors,” Lucas said. “He started taking me hunting when I was very young, and that just made me even more interested in shooting.
“We would practice different disciplines of shooting when I was growing up and when I decided I wanted to try shooting precision rifle, he was ready to help me along the way.”
When choosing a college, Lucas was determined to be a Mountaineer long before deciding he wanted to shoot collegiate rifle. He intended on becoming an engineering student at WVU and decided during his senior year at Charleroi High that he wanted to try out for the WVU rifle team.
“When I decided I wanted to try out for the team, I contacted coach Jon Hammond,” Lucas added. “At first, he politely said no because I needed more experience, so I joined my local shooting club the next week to start getting the experience I needed to try out for the team.”
Lucas joined Frazier-Simplex Rifle Club in order to reach his goal of gaining experience and knowledge. As the final months passed before he left for college, he practiced during the week and on the weekends to help improve his scores.
“When the time came for college to start, the opportunity to shoot with the WVU rifle club team became available,” Lucas said. “I was practicing one day a week at the WVU Rifle Range with the club team and that wasn’t enough. I asked the graduate assistant at the time, Justin Pentz, if I could start coming to the range more often.”
Entering his spring semester as a freshman, Lucas didn’t change his goals; he still wanted to be on the WVU rifle team. After a semester of practicing with the WVU club rifle team and spending extra hours on the range, Lucas earned the opportunity to try out for the Mountaineer program.
After trying out for the team, Lucas was offered a spot on the roster as a walk-on. “Coach Hammond has been there since day one, and I’m thankful for the opportunity he gave me,” Lucas mentioned. “He’s not only helped me become a better shooter but also a better person overall.”
Over the last four-and-a-half years as a member of the WVU rifle program, Lucas has been a part of four NCAA Championship teams. “Each year is different because some people graduate and new people come onto the team, but we always learned how to work well together,” Lucas said.
His dedication and hard work earned him the position of team captain his junior year alongside then-senior Meelis Kiisk. Lucas was named team captain again for his senior year.
Reflecting on his journey with the WVU rifle team, Lucas defines success in different ways. “People ask if I won a lot, or if I reached my goals or usually something outcome based, but I would say success is more than just the outcome,” Lucas continued. “I feel like there are many people I would credit my happiness to that led to my outcomes. My mom (Karen), my dad (Pierre), my sister (Madeleine), coach Hammond and all my teammates taught me many positive things over the years.
“My older sister does everything to her fullest, and she always has. Growing up with her made me want to do everything to my fullest as well, so she is someone I’ve always looked up to.”
Being a student-athlete can be demanding at times, but Lucas has learned how to balance all aspects of his life during his time in Morgantown. “It’s certainly a balancing act, and I feel blessed to have this opportunity. The entire athletics staff has provided me with the tools to reach my goals,” Lucas described.
A petroleum and natural gas engineering student, Lucas has been named to the Big 12 At-Large Academic Team, the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and is a three-time Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) All-Academic Team member. On the range, Lucas is a six-time All-American.
In addition to the support of the athletic staff, Dr. Raymond Prior serves as the team’s sport psychologist to assist the squad with the mental aspect of the sport. “Our sport psychologist, Dr. Raymond Prior, is great. He helps us as a team and also individually to help us reach our goals,” Lucas mentioned.
During his journey as a Mountaineer, Lucas developed into the athlete and person he is today, but he doesn’t have intentions of leaving the sport of rifle behind after graduation. “I intend to keep shooting and improving to reach my goal of competing in the Olympics and winning,” Lucas stated.
From starting out as an eager high school senior who wanted to join the NCAA Championship WVU rifle program, to a two-time team captain, Lucas has shown that he has created his own path through continuously setting and achieving his goals.
Lucas, the only Mountaineer senior, will be honored by his teammates after the NCAA Qualifying Match on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the WVU Rifle Range.
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