Collegiate Rifle: WVU, TCU Still On Top; Navy Jumps to No. 5

by
posted on October 22, 2019
wvu-tcu1.jpg

The West Virginia University (WVU) rifle team remains at No. 1 in this week’s College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) rankings, along with reigning NCAA Rifle National Champion Texas Christian University (TCU) at No. 2 for the second consecutive week.

WVU opened the season with a 4719-4642 road win over Nebraska on Saturday, October 12. The WVU rifle team didn’t compete last weekend, but its high score guaranteed it the top spot in the poll.

TCU’s last match was a win on the road 4703-4663 against Alaska-Fairbanks on Sunday, October 13—the victory adding to the team’s undefeated record. Previous wins this season came against Navy and Ohio State.

No. 1 WVU will open its home season against No. 2 TCU on Saturday, October 26, at the WVU Rifle Range in Morgantown, WV. Since 2004, the two schools have faced off five times, with WVU one win over TCU (3-2) for the series.

Mary Tucker | UK Rifle
Kentucky is the only state with three NCAA Division 1 collegiate rifle teams. Pictured here is Kentucky rifle team freshman Mary Tucker. (Photo courtesy of UK Athletics/Eddie Justice.)


Kentucky moved up one spot to No. 3 after defeating in-state opponents Murray State and Morehead State at the Kentucky Long Rifle Match on Saturday, October 19. This match used aggregate scores from seven shooters, instead of the five used for typical NCAA competitions. Kentucky’s score of 8200 was well ahead of Murray State (8078) and Morehead State (8082). For NCAA qualification purposes, the scores from the five designated team members were recorded from the match. Kentucky’s next match will be at Air Force on Saturday, October 26, where they are facing not just the home team, but also Nebraska and UTEP.

Mark Amdahl | Navy Rifle
Navy rifle team sophomore Mark Amdahl shot a field-best 594 against Ohio State, helping his team jump from No. 7 to No. 5 in the CRCA rankings. (Photo courtesy of Navy Sports.)


The Air Force rifle team dropped to No. 4 from No. 3, but the biggest news of all this week may be from Navy, who jumped two spots to No. 5. The Navy rifle team knocked Ohio State out of the top 10 after defeating them 4671-4647 on the road. Navy’s score against Ohio State set a new season-high. Sophomore Mark Amdahl boasted three career-highs in smallbore (581), air rifle (594) and aggregate scoring (1175).

Below are the schools in this week’s CRCA top 10. Weekly rankings are based on a team’s last score shot.

  1. WVU
  2. TCU
  3. Kentucky
  4. Air Force
  5. Navy
  6. Akron
  7. Ole Miss
  8. Army
  9. Alaska-Fairbanks
  10. Memphis


Lead photos courtesy of TCU AthleticsWVU Athletic Communications.


More collegiate rifle coverage:

Latest

2014 Nra World Shooting Champ 1
2014 Nra World Shooting Champ 1

Classic SSUSA: The Inaugural NRA World Shooting Championship

Begin with 159 world champions, run them through 11 shooting stages, all with standard guns provided by the match sponsors, and you end up with a new trophy and $50,000 awarded to the inaugural NRA World Shooting Champion.

Legends: Sue Ann Sandusky 1952-2024

The shooting sports community mourns the loss of Sue Ann Sandusky, a three-time NRA All-American, Army veteran and Distinguished service rifle shooter, who sadly passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024.

Gunwerks Spike Feet Set Designed To Improve Grip And Add Stability In Uneven Terrain

This new set of spike feet for the Gunwerks Elevate 2.0 bipod promises to maintain a solid grip in tough terrain.

XS Sights Expands DXT2 Pro Series, R3D 2.0 Lineup For SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory And FN Pistols

XS Sights adds models to the DXT2 Pro Series and R3D 2.0 lineups that will fit SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory and FN pistols.

Modern Technology Implemented To Surmount Logistical Hurdles: 1958 National Matches

The more than 4,000 shooters at the 1958 NRA National Matches were greeted by advanced technology used to speed up administrative tasks during the most populous period in National Match history.

Looking Back At The 2009 NRA National High Power Championship

With a single X-shot determining the winner of a 300-yard shoot-off and a surprise at the awards ceremony, the 2009 NRA High Power Rifle matches held everyone’s attention right to the end.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.