Morgantown, W.Va. - From starting at West Virginia University to becoming the captain of the rifle team, Will Anti walks along in his father, Mike Anti's, footsteps. After choosing between five different schools, Will chose to go to his father's alma mater where he has flourished over the last four years in and out of the rifle range.
 
Mike was a Mountaineer from 1984-87. He became a WVU rifle captain and an eight-time rifle All-American. He later won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, and is now the head coach of the Navy rifle team.
 
Having his father as the captain of the WVU rifle team back in the day has inspired the 5-foot-10 senior to be the best captain and teammate he can be, though his father was not his inspiration to join the Mountaineers.
 
"Now that I am here, I love having the reminder of family," Will said of his father's influence. "It is cool to walk by my dad's photo in the range every day. I enjoy walking by it and seeing family there. He also was the captain of the team 30 years ago. It is nice to see another Anti as the captain now. He is in the WVU Sports Hall of Fame. We love to talk about shooting a lot. It is one of our bonds."
 
The Fort Benning, Georgia, native and his father are not the only Anti's to be a part of WVU athletics. Will's brother, Matt, was a wrestler for the Mountaineers from 2012-16. Having a family of athletes may increase the pressure on a student-athlete. At first, Will struggled trying to meet certain expectations in his early shooting career. He came to realize that he had his family's support and did not need to worry about living up to a certain standard.
 
"I am at peace with it now," Will said. "I know my value isn't just really what I do out there. It's cliché, but I know my family is going to love me no matter how I shoot."
 
With WVU and Navy actively competing in the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC), the Anti's see a lot of each other. Will and Mike meet at least twice a year in the rifle range. The Mountaineers took home a win in both matches last year, and WVU competes against Navy this season on Jan. 26.
 
As Will's time with the Mountaineers comes to a close, he looks back at some of his achievements. He feels that being captain is one of his biggest rifle accomplishments, as it was one of his goals as a freshman.
 
"It is something that basically takes at least three years to accomplish. It's about building relationships, but it is also about evolving into the roles. So I would say that has been a big accomplishment for me and a big goal for me. It is a huge honor. A lot of responsibility comes with it. I feel that anything we do on the range and anything we do off the range, there is a level of responsibility. I am thrilled for the opportunity, and I hope that I can positively impact a lot of team members.

"I think that a big part of being captain isn't necessarily leading people, but it is more about teaching people how to lead themselves and to get the best things out of themselves. It has been a huge honor and a role that I am growing into."
 
Becoming the team's captain has been one of Will's many accomplishments at WVU. A finance major, Will has kept up with his studies, too, and has been named to the President's and Dean's Lists, as well as the CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 At-Large Men's Team in 2017 and 2018. He also helped the Mountaineers win three GARC Championships and two NCAA National Championships.
 
Although his father's influence has been valuable, Will has worked hard to carve his own path as a Mountaineer.