Hammond Inks Three
November 30, 2018 03:17 PM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University rifle coach Jon Hammond announced today that three student-athletes are set to join the No. 3-ranked Mountaineers.
Verena Zaisberger, a native of Hohenems, Austria, is eligible immediately and will join the team in January 2019.
"Verena is very much a part of this year's team, and we're excited for her to come to South Africa and compete with us starting in January," Hammond said. "Verena has a lot of international shooting experience and is familiar with the program. Having a student-athlete join us mid-year is exciting and will give our team a boost."
Malori Brown (China Spring, Texas) and Calista Smoyer (Slatington, Pa.) will join the Mountaineers for the 2019-20 season.
"Malori and Calista share a lot of the same attributes – they are both very determined and motivated to shoot their best," Hammond noted. "They're going to arrive in Morgantown and fit right into our team culture. They each want to work hard and be their best. Malori and Calista have a lot of potential, and we're excited to work with them on a daily basis."
A member of the Austrian National Team, Zaisberger represented her country's junior team at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Granada World Championships (2014), Suhl World Championships (2017) and Changwon World Championships (2018). She also competed at the 2017 ISSF Suhl Junior World Cup. Zaisberger finished as high as ninth in the women's 50m rifle prone in Changwon in 2018.
Zaisberger finished first in the junior women's 50m rifle prone team event at the 2018 ISSF Changwon World Championships. She also helped her three-person team win bronze in the junior women's 50m rifle 3-positions event at the 2017 European Championships and in the junior women's 50m rifle prone team event at the 2015 European Championships.
Zaisberger finished 19th in the junior women's 10m air rifle at the 2018 Munich H&N Cup and also finished 12th in the junior women's 50m rifle 3-positions event at the 2018 Pilsen Shooting Hopes Championships.
In back-to-back appearances at the European Championships, Zaisberger finished ninth in the junior women's 50m rifle prone in 2016 and 19th in the junior women's 50m rifle 3-positions in 2017. She also won respective consecutive gold medals in the junior women's 50m rifle 3-positions and the junior women's 10m air rifle at the 2015 and 2016 Austrian Championships.
Prior to joining the Mountaineers, Zaisberger attended Musikgymnasium Feldkirch.
A four-time USA Junior Olympic Championships participant, Brown was an automatic air rifle and smallbore qualifier in 2017 and 2018. She also was a three-time member of the Randle International Women's Team (2015, 2017-18) and a two-time member of the NRA Drew International Junior Team (2017-18).
Brown, the 2018 National Rifle Association (NRA) National Championships junior prone and 3-positions runner-up, claimed the Texas State Rifle Association 3-positions title in 2017 and 2018. She was the High A Class prone winner at the 2018 USA Shooting National Championships and finished as the High C Class prone champion and runner-up in the junior 2 division at the 2017 USA Shooting National Championships. In 2016, she placed seventh in the junior division on the third day of the USA Shooting Winter Air Gun Championships.
A National Honor Society member at China Spring High, Brown is a three-time team captain of the Texas State Rifle Association National Team and the Buckhorn Shooting Team. She is the 2018 team captain of the Texas Hill Country Shooting Team and the three-time reigning president of 4-H McLennan County Sharpshooters. Brown also was a finalist for the 2018 U.S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame Award of Excellence.
A three-time USA Junior Olympic Championships qualifier and a member of the Ontelaunee Junior Rifle Club, Smoyer is the reigning Keystone Games champion in 3-positions air and air rifle. She also finished second in smallbore at the 2018 Pennsylvania Junior Olympic Championships.
A first-place qualifier in 3-positions at the 2017 CMP 3-positions Air Rifle Championships, Smoyer earned the CMP Distinguished Badge for 3-positions air. She also is the reigning American Smallbore Shooting Association (ASSA) smallbore civilian and intermediate junior champion.
Currently attending Northern Lehigh High, Smoyer is a three-time NRA President's 100 for smallbore and air rifle. She also claimed the Pennsylvania state prone junior title in 2016 and 2017.
Verena Zaisberger, a native of Hohenems, Austria, is eligible immediately and will join the team in January 2019.
"Verena is very much a part of this year's team, and we're excited for her to come to South Africa and compete with us starting in January," Hammond said. "Verena has a lot of international shooting experience and is familiar with the program. Having a student-athlete join us mid-year is exciting and will give our team a boost."
Malori Brown (China Spring, Texas) and Calista Smoyer (Slatington, Pa.) will join the Mountaineers for the 2019-20 season.
"Malori and Calista share a lot of the same attributes – they are both very determined and motivated to shoot their best," Hammond noted. "They're going to arrive in Morgantown and fit right into our team culture. They each want to work hard and be their best. Malori and Calista have a lot of potential, and we're excited to work with them on a daily basis."
A member of the Austrian National Team, Zaisberger represented her country's junior team at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Granada World Championships (2014), Suhl World Championships (2017) and Changwon World Championships (2018). She also competed at the 2017 ISSF Suhl Junior World Cup. Zaisberger finished as high as ninth in the women's 50m rifle prone in Changwon in 2018.
Zaisberger finished first in the junior women's 50m rifle prone team event at the 2018 ISSF Changwon World Championships. She also helped her three-person team win bronze in the junior women's 50m rifle 3-positions event at the 2017 European Championships and in the junior women's 50m rifle prone team event at the 2015 European Championships.
Zaisberger finished 19th in the junior women's 10m air rifle at the 2018 Munich H&N Cup and also finished 12th in the junior women's 50m rifle 3-positions event at the 2018 Pilsen Shooting Hopes Championships.
In back-to-back appearances at the European Championships, Zaisberger finished ninth in the junior women's 50m rifle prone in 2016 and 19th in the junior women's 50m rifle 3-positions in 2017. She also won respective consecutive gold medals in the junior women's 50m rifle 3-positions and the junior women's 10m air rifle at the 2015 and 2016 Austrian Championships.
Prior to joining the Mountaineers, Zaisberger attended Musikgymnasium Feldkirch.
A four-time USA Junior Olympic Championships participant, Brown was an automatic air rifle and smallbore qualifier in 2017 and 2018. She also was a three-time member of the Randle International Women's Team (2015, 2017-18) and a two-time member of the NRA Drew International Junior Team (2017-18).
Brown, the 2018 National Rifle Association (NRA) National Championships junior prone and 3-positions runner-up, claimed the Texas State Rifle Association 3-positions title in 2017 and 2018. She was the High A Class prone winner at the 2018 USA Shooting National Championships and finished as the High C Class prone champion and runner-up in the junior 2 division at the 2017 USA Shooting National Championships. In 2016, she placed seventh in the junior division on the third day of the USA Shooting Winter Air Gun Championships.
A National Honor Society member at China Spring High, Brown is a three-time team captain of the Texas State Rifle Association National Team and the Buckhorn Shooting Team. She is the 2018 team captain of the Texas Hill Country Shooting Team and the three-time reigning president of 4-H McLennan County Sharpshooters. Brown also was a finalist for the 2018 U.S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame Award of Excellence.
A three-time USA Junior Olympic Championships qualifier and a member of the Ontelaunee Junior Rifle Club, Smoyer is the reigning Keystone Games champion in 3-positions air and air rifle. She also finished second in smallbore at the 2018 Pennsylvania Junior Olympic Championships.
A first-place qualifier in 3-positions at the 2017 CMP 3-positions Air Rifle Championships, Smoyer earned the CMP Distinguished Badge for 3-positions air. She also is the reigning American Smallbore Shooting Association (ASSA) smallbore civilian and intermediate junior champion.
Currently attending Northern Lehigh High, Smoyer is a three-time NRA President's 100 for smallbore and air rifle. She also claimed the Pennsylvania state prone junior title in 2016 and 2017.
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