Andy Lamson

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rifle team is ranked No. 1 in the initial College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Poll for the 2009-10 season, it was announced Nov. 3.

The reigning national champions (4-0, 1-0 GARC) concluded the 2008-09 season ranked No. 1 after winning their nation-best 14th national title.

“It’s really nice to receive this type of recognition,” fourth-year coach Jon Hammond says. “I believe it shows the strength of the team that came back this season. There will be a lot of teams trying to shoot well against us, and this ranking may add additional pressure. We’re going to have to work hard to hang on to the No. 1 spot.”

The ranking is the third for the Mountaineers in nine months, as the team earned the top spot in the Feb. 9, 2009 poll, its first No. 1 ranking in over a decade.

Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) foes Kentucky, the 2009 conference champion, and Army are ranked No. 2 and No. 5, respectively. Alaska-Fairbanks and TCU are sandwiched between the Wildcats and Black Knights in descending order.

WVU and UK battled for the No. 1 ranking throughout last season. The Wildcats were the only team to defeat the Mountaineers, winning both the shoulder-to-shoulder match (4649-4639) and the GARC title (4650-4645). The squads will meet for the first time this season on Nov. 21 at 8 a.m., at the WVU Rifle Range.

The Mountaineers are off to a quick start this year, having won their first four matches, all on the road, with an average score of 4661.5. Three of WVU’s wins have come against teams currently ranked on the CRCA Poll: No. 6 Nebraska (4660-4634), No. 10 Air Force (4655-4587) and No. 15 Ohio State (4666-4538). Additionally, WVU has yet to lose a discipline match.

Junior Andy Lamson and senior Bryant Wallizer, both National Rifle Association first team air rifle All-Americans, pace the Mountaineer score averages through the first third of the season. Lamson, a Colchester, Vt., native, is tops on the team in combined score (1169.75) and smallbore (580.25), while Wallizer, a Little Orleans, Md., native, is first in air rile (590).

The Mountaineers return to the range after a month-long break and open their home season on Saturday, Nov. 14, as they play host to Army at the WVU Rifle Range. The match is set to begin at 8 a.m., and will continue into the afternoon.

2009-10 Preseason CRCA Poll
1. West Virginia University
2. University of Kentucky
3. University of Alaska-Fairbanks
4. Texas Christian University
5. United States Military Academy (Army)
6. University of Nebraska
7. Jacksonville State University
8. United States Naval Academy (Navy)
9. University of Texas - El Paso
10. United States Air Force Academy (Air Force)
11. University of Nevada Reno
12. University of Mississippi
13. Murray State University
14. Columbus State University
15. Ohio State University

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