WVU Rifle: 15-Time National Champions!

December 1, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers mascot reacts after a WVU score against the Kansas Jayhawks during the fourth quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. The West Virginia Mountaineers won 59-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Some schools are football schools like Alabama, USC, and Nebraska. Other schools are basketball schools like Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky.

West Virginia is a rifle school, as once again demonstrated today in the NCAA Championships in Columbus, OH. The Mountaineers have captured their 15th National Championship in the sport. The title is the program’s first since 2009.

West Virginia came from behind to beat out Kentucky by a 4679-4670.

WVU was led in this competition by the phenom senior Petra Zublasing who shot 598 out of a possible 600 in the second relay and a 103.7 in the final to give her 701.7, good enough for the air rifle title. She also claimed the title in smallbore with a final score of 688.3. Zublasing’s pair of individual National Championships, giving her 3 NCs for her career.

"“Winning an individual title in both guns is just great, but I’m most happy that the team won,” says Zublasing. “This team worked so hard over the last two seasons, and we finally earned our award. I’m really excited to leave WVU with these wins.”"

The rifle team’s 15th National Championship brings West Virginia University’s National Championship total to 15. No other program in school history has ever won a NC for WVU.

Perhaps it is time that we, as Mountaineer fans, come to grips with reality: we are a rifle school. Not just any rifle school, but the elite rifle program in the country. That is something that every Mountaineer can be proud of.

As Tony Caridi always says: “It’s a great night to be a Mountaineer where ever you may be!”

For a complete wrap-up of the rifle team’s National Championship, visit wvusports.com.