Rifle: WVU Defeats VMI

By Ashleigh Pollart for WVUsports.com
February 18, 2012 08:44 PM

Amy Bock

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The No.3-ranked West Virginia University rifle team defeated VMI's men's and women's teams in today's NCAA qualifying match at the WVU Rifle Range.

The Mountaineers (4678) outshot their opponents’ women's (4326) and men's (4413) teams overall and in both guns. The air rifle competition saw the Mountaineers shoot 2360, the Keydet women's team finish with a score of 2185 and the men's team finish with 2220. WVU finished smallbore at 2318, while the Keydet women shot 2141 and the men shot 2193.

"It was a solid result for our last home match. It definitely was not our best performance but right around our average," explains coach Jon Hammond. "Taylor (Ciotola) had a really good day, and the rest did well too."

Mountaineer seniors Michael Kulbacki and Justin Pentz, junior Petra Zublasing and freshmen Amy Bock and Ciotola contributed their talent to today's score.

Zublasing (1181) finished first overall and in both guns, winning air rifle, 596 (100, 98, 99, 100, 99, 100), and smallbore, 585 (prone 195, standing 195, kneeling 195).

Hammond's squad dominated the air rifle competition by claiming the top eight spots. Freshmen Meelis Kiisk (592) finished second and tied his personal-best score. He was followed by Kulbacki in third (590) and Ciotola in fourth (589). Pentz's score (585) was good enough for fifth place, while teammate Kyanko (583) finished sixth. Bock (582) and junior Chance Cover (566) finished seventh and eighth, respectively. VMI was paced by Joshua Gilliland (563) in ninth place.

WVU also earned the top eight spots in the smallbore competition. Ciotola (581) finished second while classmate Bock tied for third place with Pentz with scores of 576. Kyanko's score of 569 was good enough for fifth place. Cover and Kiisk tied for sixth place with scores of 567. Kulbacki (559) finished eighth. VMI was paced by Kevin Jones' score of 558.

Also of note, Ciotola's overall score, 1170, tied a personal best.

The Mountaineers will travel to Oxford, Miss., for the Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) Championships on Saturday, Feb. 25, with the victor crowned on Feb. 26.

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