Press Release form WVU Sports Information
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (June 5, 2013) – Rising West Virginia University sophomore Garrett Spurgeon won the junior men’s 50m rifle 3 positions Gold medal yesterday at the 2013 USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle and Pistol, at the Shooting Range of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit in Fort Benning, Ga.
The Canton, Mo., native successfully defended his junior title and finished sixth overall with a two-day aggregate score of 2324, shooting 1161 on Monday and 1159 on Tuesday. Spurgeon’s final total received a four-point boost from his fifth-place finish (420.8) on the first day of competition.
Rising junior Thomas Kyanko finished third yesterday with a finals score of 438. He advanced to the final after shooting 1160 in the qualification relay. The Wellsburg, W.Va., native finished 11th overall with a two-day aggregate score of 2318, as he shot 1152 on Monday and received six extra points for his third-place finish on Tuesday.
Rising senior Chance Cover won the class A men’s 3 positions title with a two-day aggregate score of 2284, shooting 1143 yesterday and 1141 on Monday. The Ardmore, Okla., native finished 24th overall. Classmate Daniel Sojka placed 25th with a two-day score of 2282 (1138, 1144).
Of note, Mountaineer coach Jon Hammond won the visitor title and finished 10th overall with a two-day score of 2320 (1161, 1159). As a visitor, Hammond is not eligible to shoot in the finals. Additionally, 2010 graduate Bryant Wallizer finished fifth overall with an aggregate score of 2325 (1158, 1166, 1). Wallizer shot 393 in yesterday’s final and finished eighth, good enough for one extra point.
USA Shooting is utilizing new National Championship and U.S. Team selection procedures for the championships, and finals will be held for the Olympic events. New relays will be held each day, as well as a separate finals, and the national champion will be crowned on the basis of an aggregate of the two-day scores plus additional points for placing in each day’s final (eight points for first, seven points for second, six points for third and so on for all final positions).
Featured competition over the next two days will include the men’s 50m rifle prone. A national champion will be crowned Thursday evening.