Saturday, February 17
10:00 AM
West Virginia University
vs
NCAA Qualifying Match
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
No. 1 WVU Ready for NCAA Qualifier
February 16, 2018 03:16 PM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team shoots an NCAA Qualifying Match on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m., at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building.
NC State also will shoot its qualifying match Saturday at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range, but it is not a head-to-head competition with the Mountaineers. The scores will factor into the teams' overall standings and qualifying averages for the 2018 NCAA National Championships.
The match is free and open to the public. The teams will shoot one smallbore relay and one air rifle relay, and competition should conclude before 3 p.m.
"We want to continue to improve this weekend and have a good performance," Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond said. "We aren't focused on the outcome or the championship qualification process. We want to do our jobs individually. This is a great opportunity for us to again shoot on the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range and prepare for the GARC Championships and the NCAA Championships. If we do the little things as a team and as individuals, we'll have a great performance."
The top eight teams and individual competitors selected to compete at the NCAA Championships will be announced on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. This year's NCAA Championships will be held at The Citadel March 9-10.
Elizabeth Gratz, the Mountaineers' lone senior, will be honored following Saturday's competition.
The Mountaineers (13-0, 0-0 GARC) most recently secured their fifth straight and 11th overall Great America Rifle Conference regular-season title with a 4720-4693 win over No. 3 Kentucky on Feb. 11, at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range. WVU defeated UK in both disciplines, shooting 2337 smallbore and 2383 air rifle.
Gratz and sophomore Milica Babic tied for the air rifle win against UK, finishing first with 598 marks; the score was a season-high matching total for Gratz. Redshirt-freshman David Koenders paced WVU in smallbore and finished second overall with a 586 score.
Junior Ginny Thrasher paces the Mountaineers with season averages of 587.1 smallbore and 596.9 air rifle.
NC State also will shoot its qualifying match Saturday at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range, but it is not a head-to-head competition with the Mountaineers. The scores will factor into the teams' overall standings and qualifying averages for the 2018 NCAA National Championships.
The match is free and open to the public. The teams will shoot one smallbore relay and one air rifle relay, and competition should conclude before 3 p.m.
"We want to continue to improve this weekend and have a good performance," Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond said. "We aren't focused on the outcome or the championship qualification process. We want to do our jobs individually. This is a great opportunity for us to again shoot on the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range and prepare for the GARC Championships and the NCAA Championships. If we do the little things as a team and as individuals, we'll have a great performance."
The top eight teams and individual competitors selected to compete at the NCAA Championships will be announced on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. This year's NCAA Championships will be held at The Citadel March 9-10.
Elizabeth Gratz, the Mountaineers' lone senior, will be honored following Saturday's competition.
The Mountaineers (13-0, 0-0 GARC) most recently secured their fifth straight and 11th overall Great America Rifle Conference regular-season title with a 4720-4693 win over No. 3 Kentucky on Feb. 11, at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range. WVU defeated UK in both disciplines, shooting 2337 smallbore and 2383 air rifle.
Gratz and sophomore Milica Babic tied for the air rifle win against UK, finishing first with 598 marks; the score was a season-high matching total for Gratz. Redshirt-freshman David Koenders paced WVU in smallbore and finished second overall with a 586 score.
Junior Ginny Thrasher paces the Mountaineers with season averages of 587.1 smallbore and 596.9 air rifle.
Players Mentioned
A Conversation with Wren Baker
Monday, December 05
Jon Hammond | Thursday
Thursday, September 30
Life as a Mountaineer - Jared Eddy
Wednesday, March 24
Jon Hammond | Thursday
Thursday, January 14
