WVU Opens 2009-10 Season on Road 

The defending NCAA champion West Virginia University rifle team opens its 2009-10 season in Lincoln, Neb., this weekend against Air Force on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) foe Nebraska on Sunday. Both matches will begin at 9 a.m. ET.

The contests mark the Mountaineers’ return to the range following their nation-best 14th national championship run last March. In addition to the national title, WVU also secured the NCAA air rifle championship with a team score of 2353.

Eight student-athletes return to make the push for their second-straight title, with fourth-year coach Jon Hammond, the 2009 College Rifle Coaches Association Coach of the Year, again guiding the squad.

“I’m looking for good scores this weekend. Though it's early in the season, this weekend will factor into our qualification for the 2010 NCAA Championship,” Hammond says. “On the other hand, we do not need to shoot personal-bests or school records this weekend. These matches will serve as a good measuring stick to see where the team stands and where we need to focus our training.”

WVU’s match with Air Force will be its first since 1974; the Mountaineers have never lost to the Falcons and own a 15-match win streak.

“I’m excited to be shooting against Air Force again after such a long break in our series,” Hammond says. “They are an up-and-coming team, and their coach (Launi Meili) has really progressed them over the last two seasons.”