Saturday, February 22
Morgantown, W.Va.
8:00 a.m.
West Virginia University
vs
NCAA Qualifying Match
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
NCAA Qualifier Next for No. 3 WVU
February 21, 2020 11:16 AM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 3-ranked West Virginia University rifle team shoots an NCAA Qualifying Match on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 8 a.m., at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building, in Morgantown.
VMI and North Georgia also will shoot its qualifying match on Saturday. Although the three teams will compete simultaneously, the scores will not count as a win or loss for the season. The scores will factor into the teams' overall standings and qualifying averages for the 2020 NCAA Rifle Championships.
The match is free and open to the public. The counting teams will shoot in the morning, and competition should conclude before 5 p.m.
"Our goal is to shoot the best that we can," Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond. "It's obviously an NCAA Qualifying Match, so first and foremost, we want to make sure we shoot a score that will qualify us for the NCAA Championships. It's also our last home match of the season, which is always fun, and it's Senior Day."
Following Saturday's competition, West Virginia will celebrate the careers of its 2020 senior class: Milica Babic, Noah Barker, David Koenders and Morgan Phillips.
"This is our last home weekend, so we hope a lot of people will come out and support the team," Hammond said. "It's great to be able to shoot on our Bill McKenzie Rifle Range, and we had a great turn out last week. We had a lot of support from other student-athletes and different spectators, so that was great to see. I know the team members appreciate it, and it also gives them great preparation for competing at GARCs and NCAAs in the coming weeks."
The top-eight teams and individual competitors selected to compete at the NCAA Championships will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m., at NCAA.com.
This year's NCAA Championships will be held March 13-14 at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington. The Mountaineers (9-1, 7-1 GARC) look to reclaim the NCAA Championship and earn their sixth title in eight seasons.
West Virginia most recently suffered its first Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) loss of the season, as the Mountaineers fell, 4723-4712, to No. 1 Kentucky on Feb. 15, at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building.
WVU continues to rank No. 3 in the College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Rankings. The rankings are based on NCAA Team Selection Rankings, which are comprised of a squad's top-three scores earned at three different venues. The Mountaineers claim an average of 4717.67.
Phillips paces the team and ranks No. 3 nationally with a 586.2 smallbore average. Babic ranks No. 4 nationally with a 595.3 air rifle average.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVURifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
VMI and North Georgia also will shoot its qualifying match on Saturday. Although the three teams will compete simultaneously, the scores will not count as a win or loss for the season. The scores will factor into the teams' overall standings and qualifying averages for the 2020 NCAA Rifle Championships.
The match is free and open to the public. The counting teams will shoot in the morning, and competition should conclude before 5 p.m.
"Our goal is to shoot the best that we can," Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond. "It's obviously an NCAA Qualifying Match, so first and foremost, we want to make sure we shoot a score that will qualify us for the NCAA Championships. It's also our last home match of the season, which is always fun, and it's Senior Day."
Following Saturday's competition, West Virginia will celebrate the careers of its 2020 senior class: Milica Babic, Noah Barker, David Koenders and Morgan Phillips.
"This is our last home weekend, so we hope a lot of people will come out and support the team," Hammond said. "It's great to be able to shoot on our Bill McKenzie Rifle Range, and we had a great turn out last week. We had a lot of support from other student-athletes and different spectators, so that was great to see. I know the team members appreciate it, and it also gives them great preparation for competing at GARCs and NCAAs in the coming weeks."
The top-eight teams and individual competitors selected to compete at the NCAA Championships will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m., at NCAA.com.
This year's NCAA Championships will be held March 13-14 at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington. The Mountaineers (9-1, 7-1 GARC) look to reclaim the NCAA Championship and earn their sixth title in eight seasons.
West Virginia most recently suffered its first Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) loss of the season, as the Mountaineers fell, 4723-4712, to No. 1 Kentucky on Feb. 15, at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building.
WVU continues to rank No. 3 in the College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Rankings. The rankings are based on NCAA Team Selection Rankings, which are comprised of a squad's top-three scores earned at three different venues. The Mountaineers claim an average of 4717.67.
Phillips paces the team and ranks No. 3 nationally with a 586.2 smallbore average. Babic ranks No. 4 nationally with a 595.3 air rifle average.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVURifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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
