MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Led by fifth-year senior Mary Tucker's individual title in the smallbore competition, the West Virginia University rifle team sits in first place after the opening day of the 2024 NCAA Rifle Championships, hosted by the Mountaineers inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
 
After shooting an opening-day smallbore aggregate score of 2353, WVU sits six points ahead of second-place TCU, which scored a 2347 during the first day of action. Kentucky is behind the Horned Frogs in third place after shooting a smallbore total of 2338.
 
Tucker's performance highlighted the first day of competition, as she claimed her second career NCAA individual title in smallbore and first since 2021 as a sophomore at Kentucky. The title also marks the first for a Mountaineer shooter since Morgan Phillips claimed the smallbore individual title in 2018.
 
The Sarasota, Florida, native took first place with a 462.0 mark in the smallbore individual final. She earned a spot in the final after shooting a qualifying score of 596 to lead the field. The total marked a season high for Tucker and was just one point shy of her career best.
 
In the first of two smallbore relays, senior Molly McGhin, junior Gavin Barnick and freshman Griffin Lake opened competition for WVU. Barnick and McGhin shot matching 585s, while Lake fired a 587. In the second relay, senior Matt Sanchez shot another 585, while Tucker led all individuals with a 596.
 
In the team standings, defending champion Alaska Fairbanks is fourth after a 2337 smallbore score, while Air Force is fifth at 2333. Navy is sixth with a 2330, followed by Ole Miss (2328) and Nebraska (2317) at seventh and eighth, respectively.
 
West Virginia concludes action at the 2024 NCAA Rifle Championships on Saturday, March 9, inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. Stats and live targets for tomorrow's championship finale will be available on WVUsports.com.