MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team opened its 2017-18 home season at the WVU Rifle Range with a runaway victory, defeating No. 5 Ohio State, 4731-4683, this afternoon.
 
The Mountaineers' (2-0, 1-0 GARC) aggregate total tops its best 2016-17 mark of 4726 and is nine shots short of matching the team's NCAA record of 4740, shot on Jan. 17, 2016.
 
"To put up a team score better than anything we shot last year should give this team a lot of confidence – it is a great sign of what we're capable of throughout this season," Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond said. "There is still room for improvement in all areas, but this is a great confidence builder, especially in the first home match."
 
WVU swept the discipline victories, shooting an NCAA record 2390 air rifle and 2341 smallbore. The Mountaineers' air rifle total bests the team's previous national record of 2388, also shot on Jan. 17, 2016.
 
"I think I expected and hoped for improvement from last weekend," Hammond noted. "We know what each of the team members is capable of shooting at any given time, and they all have the ability to shoot these types of scores. It's very impressive when it all comes together on one day. I probably didn't expect us to shoot this well this early in the year, but it's great to see."
 
The Buckeyes (0-1) tallied marks of 2361 air rifle and 2322 smallbore.
 
Mountaineer sophomore Milica Babic earned the individual victories today, matching her career-high smallbore score of 589 (192 kneeling, 199 prone, 198 standing) and shooting a season-best 598 (100-100-100-99-100-99) air rifle.
 
"Milica had a really good performance today and a big improvement from last weekend," Hammond said. "She's been shooting really well, and she had a great summer of competition. I think she improved on a few little things from our first match, mainly on the mental side, and she did a great job executing today. Milica was a great example of showing what you are capable of when your focus is in the right place. She did a great job working through both matches."
 
Junior Ginny Thrasher matched Babic's winning air rifle total of 598 (99-100-99-100-100-100). Redshirt-freshman David Koenders and sophomore Morgan Phillips tied for third place with 597 scores. The mark is a career best for Koenders and matched Phillips' career high. Senior Elizabeth Gratz shot a season-best 595 and finished in fifth place, and junior Will Anti shot a career-best 594 and finished sixth.
 
Additional Mountaineer air rifle marks included career highs of 591 and 582 for freshman Sarah Osborn and redshirt-freshman Noah Barker, respectively, and a season-best 580 for sophomore Jack Anderson.
 
Rhiann Travis paced the Buckeyes and finished seventh overall with a 592 score.
 
Gratz finished third in smallbore with a season-high 586, and Thrasher shot a season-best 585 and placed fourth. Included in Thrasher's day was a WVU record-matching 200 prone mark. Koenders followed in sixth with a 581, a career high, and Osborn shot 579, also a career best, and placed ninth.  
 
Phillips added a 576 mark, and Anti shot 574. Barker and Anderson shot 567 and 542, respectively.
 
OSU's Alli Kissell shot 589 and finished in second place.
 
Five Mountaineers combined for the team's scores: Babic, Gratz, Koenders, Phillips and Thrasher.
 
WVU breaks from competition for two weeks before traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska, for a match against Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) foe Nebraska on Saturday, Oct. 14. Competition is set to begin at 9 a.m. EST.