MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — College sports all across the country were halted on March 12 due to the coronavirus. Men’s and women’s basketball conference tournaments were called off and all spring sports eventually followed.
The NCAA Rifle Championships were scheduled to begin in Lexington, Ky. on March 13. The WVU rifle team was just hours away from competing for the program’s twentieth national championship.
“They completed the full practice day,” said head coach Jon Hammond. “They actually left the range that day being told everything was good to go for the next day and everything was fine. Championships had been reduced to no spectators or just a pass list.
“Finally we got the word that they canceled the championships. Obviously it was super disappointing for all the athletes. Crazy timing for us to be canceled. I am sure a lot of us felt that the championships could have survived. We probably could have completed it in a day (scheduled for two days). But obviously the situation is a global situation.”
Hammond was diagnosed with the flu a few days prior to the competition and was set to join the team in Kentucky when the official decision to cancel the tournament was made.
“I haven’t seen the majority of the team members since before they left for NCAA’s. They got back and headed home for spring break and that has been it since then.”
Unlike in many previous years, West Virginia was neither the favorite nor the defending champion heading into the NCAA’s. The Mountaineers were seeded third behind host Kentucky and defending champion TCU.
“This was an interesting year. We had a good team this year. Obviously our numbers were pretty consistent with the last four or five years.
“There are so many variables at NCAA’s. This was one of first championships in a handful of years that we felt we weren’t going there as favorites. But we also had a lot of experience. We had some ups and downs throughout the year. But we went there in a good frame of mind.”
Hammond will have to wait for another chance at a seventh national title as WVU’s head coach. Senior All-American shooters Milica Babic and Morgan Phillips will graduate next month.
For his returning shooters, Hammond is making sure the Mountaineers finish the spring semester strong academically. Team members are scattered all over the United States and internationally.
“We have been in touch with them to give them instructions on how to keep in shape, what kind of workouts to do. Whether it is good reading material, just keep them motivated, not just sit back and watch Netflix all day, to be productive and come out at the other end of this feeling like you are ready to go and that people haven’t jumped ahead of you.”
Looking ahead to next season, the rifle schedule stretches across the fall and spring semesters with a traditional break from competition in December. Hammond says alternate scheduling models may be considered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They start practicing in September and competitions start in October. So we will definitely be talking of contingency plans. I think it would be smart for us as a sport and our coaches association to be talking about what changes we can make. What is the possibility of a spring-only season look like? Do we have to change any scheduling? There are lots of things we can be prudent and think ahead about. But if basketball is good, we are obviously not going to have a problem.”
Olympic updates
Olympic qualification competitions are on hold since the games scheduled for this summer in Japan have been postponed. Hammond says four of his former Mountaineers are in position to qualify for the 32nd Summer Games in 2021.
2016 Air Rifle gold medalist Ginny Thrasher is in position to qualify for the smallbore competition. Fellow American Patrick Sunderman is currently second in smallbore qualifying.
Ziva Dvorsak (Slovenia) and Petra Zublasing (Italy) are also in the qualifying process.