Friday, March 8
Morgantown, W.Va.
8:30 AM
West Virginia University
vs
NCAA Championships
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Mountaineers Aim for NCAA Title in WVU Coliseum
March 06, 2019 02:03 PM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – With its nation's-best 20th title on the line, the No. 4-ranked West Virginia University rifle team is set to compete at the 2019 NCAA Rifle Championships, March 8-9, at the WVU Coliseum.
Gates will open both days at 8:30 a.m.
On Friday, the first smallbore relay will begin at 9:45 a.m., and the second relay will follow at 12:30 p.m. A smallbore final featuring the top-eight athletes will begin at 3:30 p.m.
The air rifle competition will start on Saturday at 10 a.m., with the second relay scheduled for noon. An eight-athlete final will begin at 2:30 p.m., and an award ceremony will immediately follow.
Tickets for the championships are on sale now at NCAA.com/tickets. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for youth 18 and under and $5 for groups of 10 or more. WVU students are admitted free with a valid WVU Student I.D. Youth tickets are only available at the Mountaineer Ticket Office on event days.
All tickets are general admission. Additionally, tickets are valid all-day, allowing fans to leave the facility and re-enter as needed.
To provide a safer environment for all fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces a Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
This weekend's championship is the first-ever NCAA final hosted by West Virginia University. The Mountaineers (13-0, 8-0 GARC), winners of five of the last six NCAA Championships, own 19 national crowns.
"It means a lot to finally host a championship in Morgantown," Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond said. "The history and tradition of the program is really big. The team is really excited. I'm happy to see how the athletics department has embraced this event – everyone is excited and intrigued, and I'm anticipating an excellent weekend."
TCU owns the championships' top-qualifying seed and reigning National Champion Kentucky is No. 2. Air Force precedes WVU at No. 3, and Murray State follows at No. 5. Navy, Alaska-Fairbanks and Army West Point round out the championships field.
The Mountaineers finished the regular season 6-0 against the field.
"This is one of the more competitive fields we've had in a long time," Hammond said. "No team has jumped out and been dominant this season. We know it's going to be very competitive, and that's where the extra planning and preparation will be important. There isn't a favorite this season – each team can approach the weekend with the same expectations and aspirations. I think it's going to be exciting for spectators, and we're going to need to do our best."
Last year, WVU placed second at the NCAA Championships with a two-day total of 4708. The Mountaineers won air rifle (2381) and finished second in smallbore (2327).
Five Mountaineers will compete this weekend: senior Ginny Thrasher, juniors Milica Babic and Morgan Phillips and sophomores David Koenders and Sarah Osborn. Koenders, Osborn and Phillips will shoot in the first relay each day while Babic and Thrasher will compete in the second. All but Osborn have previously competed at a championship.
Combined, the five competing Mountaineers own five individual NCAA titles. Phillips, a native of Salisbury, Maryland, is the two-time reigning smallbore champion. Babic claimed the air rifle title in 2017, and Thrasher swept the titles as a freshman in 2016.
Twenty different Mountaineers have claimed 28 National Championships since 1961.
"We have to focus on the team first," Hammond added. "If they make it into the final, they can treat that as a bonus and then focus on a good final. They can't get too far ahead of themselves this weekend. They have to shoot one shot at a time and do the best they can."
Phillips, the 2019 Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) smallbore champion, ranks No. 2 nationally in the discipline with a 586.0 season average. Thrasher ranks No. 4 (584.545 avg.), Osborn ranks No. 14 (581.5 avg.) and Koenders follows at No. 16 (581.167 avg.)
Barbara Schlapfer of Murray State ranks No. 1 with a 587.417 average.
Thrasher, the 2019 GARC air rifle champion, and Babic rank No. 4 and No. 5 nationally in air rifle with season averages of 594.364 and 594.333, respectively. Koenders ranks No. 19 with a 591.167 average.
Will Shaner of Kentucky ranks No. 1 with a 596.364 average.
Most recently, the Mountaineers claimed the GARC Championships crown in Akron, Ohio, on Feb. 23, shooting a two-day total of 4715. WVU shot a winning 2342 smallbore and 2373 air rifle.
Gates will open both days at 8:30 a.m.
On Friday, the first smallbore relay will begin at 9:45 a.m., and the second relay will follow at 12:30 p.m. A smallbore final featuring the top-eight athletes will begin at 3:30 p.m.
The air rifle competition will start on Saturday at 10 a.m., with the second relay scheduled for noon. An eight-athlete final will begin at 2:30 p.m., and an award ceremony will immediately follow.
Tickets for the championships are on sale now at NCAA.com/tickets. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for youth 18 and under and $5 for groups of 10 or more. WVU students are admitted free with a valid WVU Student I.D. Youth tickets are only available at the Mountaineer Ticket Office on event days.
All tickets are general admission. Additionally, tickets are valid all-day, allowing fans to leave the facility and re-enter as needed.
To provide a safer environment for all fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces a Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
This weekend's championship is the first-ever NCAA final hosted by West Virginia University. The Mountaineers (13-0, 8-0 GARC), winners of five of the last six NCAA Championships, own 19 national crowns.
"It means a lot to finally host a championship in Morgantown," Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond said. "The history and tradition of the program is really big. The team is really excited. I'm happy to see how the athletics department has embraced this event – everyone is excited and intrigued, and I'm anticipating an excellent weekend."
TCU owns the championships' top-qualifying seed and reigning National Champion Kentucky is No. 2. Air Force precedes WVU at No. 3, and Murray State follows at No. 5. Navy, Alaska-Fairbanks and Army West Point round out the championships field.
The Mountaineers finished the regular season 6-0 against the field.
"This is one of the more competitive fields we've had in a long time," Hammond said. "No team has jumped out and been dominant this season. We know it's going to be very competitive, and that's where the extra planning and preparation will be important. There isn't a favorite this season – each team can approach the weekend with the same expectations and aspirations. I think it's going to be exciting for spectators, and we're going to need to do our best."
Last year, WVU placed second at the NCAA Championships with a two-day total of 4708. The Mountaineers won air rifle (2381) and finished second in smallbore (2327).
Five Mountaineers will compete this weekend: senior Ginny Thrasher, juniors Milica Babic and Morgan Phillips and sophomores David Koenders and Sarah Osborn. Koenders, Osborn and Phillips will shoot in the first relay each day while Babic and Thrasher will compete in the second. All but Osborn have previously competed at a championship.
Combined, the five competing Mountaineers own five individual NCAA titles. Phillips, a native of Salisbury, Maryland, is the two-time reigning smallbore champion. Babic claimed the air rifle title in 2017, and Thrasher swept the titles as a freshman in 2016.
Twenty different Mountaineers have claimed 28 National Championships since 1961.
"We have to focus on the team first," Hammond added. "If they make it into the final, they can treat that as a bonus and then focus on a good final. They can't get too far ahead of themselves this weekend. They have to shoot one shot at a time and do the best they can."
Phillips, the 2019 Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) smallbore champion, ranks No. 2 nationally in the discipline with a 586.0 season average. Thrasher ranks No. 4 (584.545 avg.), Osborn ranks No. 14 (581.5 avg.) and Koenders follows at No. 16 (581.167 avg.)
Barbara Schlapfer of Murray State ranks No. 1 with a 587.417 average.
Thrasher, the 2019 GARC air rifle champion, and Babic rank No. 4 and No. 5 nationally in air rifle with season averages of 594.364 and 594.333, respectively. Koenders ranks No. 19 with a 591.167 average.
Will Shaner of Kentucky ranks No. 1 with a 596.364 average.
Most recently, the Mountaineers claimed the GARC Championships crown in Akron, Ohio, on Feb. 23, shooting a two-day total of 4715. WVU shot a winning 2342 smallbore and 2373 air rifle.
Players Mentioned
/ Rifle
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