MORGANTOWN -
The No.3-ranked West Virginia
rifle team defeated No. 12 Nebraska, 4667-4610, today at the NU Rifle Range, in
Lincoln, Neb.
The
Mountaineers topped the Huskers in both guns, winning air rifle, 2354-2325, and
smallbore, 2313-2285.
Seniors
Justin Pentz and Michael Kulbacki, junior Petra Zublasing, redshirt-freshman
Thomas Kyanko and freshman Taylor Ciotola combined for the team's scores.
"Petra was
the highlight, but there were a lot of good performances in there," says coach
Jon Hammond. "Overall it was a good, steady start to the season. Hopefully we
will shoot higher scores in the future, but it's nice to get the season under
way."
Zublasing
finished first overall with a combined score of 1183. The Appiano, Italy,
native also finished first in both guns, shooting 587 smallbore (198 prone, 196
standing, 193 kneeling) and 596 air rifle (100,100, 99, 99,100, 98).
Kyanko
finished second overall with a score of 1171, followed by freshman Meelis Kiisk
with an overall score of 1159. Pentz finished fourth with a score of 1156, and Ciotola
and Kulbacki tied with the Huskers' Janine Dutton for fifth with scores of
1151.
Kyanko also
finished second in air rifle with a score of 590. Kulbacki took third place
(587) and Kiisk placed sixth (583), as Nebraska's Dutton and Sheena Mahloch
(584) finished in fourth place. Pentz and Ciotola tied with the Huskers' Kelsey
Hansen for seventh with 581.
"We had a
personal best from Thomas in air rifle, and Meelis had a personal best in
smallbore," says Hammond.
Kyanko's
581 smallbore score earned him second place, while Nebraska's Katelyn
Woltersdorf paced the Huskers with a score of 580. Kiisk's score (576) was good
enough for fourth place, and Pentz finished fifth (575).
Today's match
improves the Mountaineers to a 7-3 all-time record against the Huskers.
Hammond's
squad will open its home season against No. 7 Army at the WVU Rifle Range on
Oct. 22. The match will start at 8 a.m.
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