North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Rifle Turns In Strong Performance at Winter Airgun Championships
12/6/2016 4:36:00 PM | Rifle
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four members of the NC State rifle team took part in the 2016 Winter Airgun (WAG) Championships and the Wolfpack student-athletes represented the program well.
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"Overall we're very pleased," said head coach Keith Miller. "It's the first time we've taken a group of four out to WAG and they all learned something from the experience. When at a big match and you struggle a little bit, but figure out what to do to improve and apply it, it's a fabulous lesson. It makes you a stronger shooter for the next match and those that follow. All of our shooters are just a bit better now than they were last week."
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Last year, Olympian Lucas Kozeniesky finished second at the championships during the process of earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.
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Day One Notes | Results
- Kozeniesky headlined the 10m men's air rifle event with a score of 625.7 during qualification, the best mark among competitors. In the finals session, he was third with a clip of 226.6.
- In the 10m men's air rifle junior competition freshman Zach Eisenberg charted a score of 605.7 to finish 22nd.
- On the women's side, graduate student Lauren Phillips fired a score of 413.3 to occupy 10th place.
- Junior Derya Pekari also competed in air rifle and tallied a mark of 397.2.
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Day Two Notes | Results
- Kozeniesky also turned in a very strong day two performance with a 624.5 during preliminaries to record the best score in the competition and took second in the finals at 248.3.
- Eisenberg was stellar on the second day of air rifle, firing a score of 608.7 to finish among the top 20.
- In the women's air rifle event, Phillips logged the fourth-best mark in qualification with a total of 416.3 and claimed sixth in the finals session.
- Pekari improved her score in air rifle significantly from the first day to the second, as she tallied a score of 412.9.
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"Day two was great for all four Wolfpack athletes, with Lucas, Lauren, and Derya each making a final," Miller added. "Finals at a big match like this are priceless opportunities, and really are the main goal for this trip - come out, make a final, shoot well in it, and gain the valuable experience. This model was what catapulted Lucas onto the national scene last year, so you can see what great results can come from these opportunities."
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Day Three Notes | Results
- Kozeniesky completed a strong three-day showing with a solid qualification score in air rifle at 621.4, earning a spot in the finals for the third consecutive day. He took second in the finals with a clip of 249.9 behind Ivan Roe's 250.7.
- Eisenberg charted a score of 604.0 to finish 30th in the junior air rifle competition.
- Phillips ended the championships with a day three score of 413.2 to finish 11th and Pekari fired a 402.4.
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NC State has concluded competition for the fall season and the Pack will return to action Jan. 14 when it travels to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army.
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#STATEment
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"Overall we're very pleased," said head coach Keith Miller. "It's the first time we've taken a group of four out to WAG and they all learned something from the experience. When at a big match and you struggle a little bit, but figure out what to do to improve and apply it, it's a fabulous lesson. It makes you a stronger shooter for the next match and those that follow. All of our shooters are just a bit better now than they were last week."
Â
Last year, Olympian Lucas Kozeniesky finished second at the championships during the process of earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.
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Day One Notes | Results
- Kozeniesky headlined the 10m men's air rifle event with a score of 625.7 during qualification, the best mark among competitors. In the finals session, he was third with a clip of 226.6.
- In the 10m men's air rifle junior competition freshman Zach Eisenberg charted a score of 605.7 to finish 22nd.
- On the women's side, graduate student Lauren Phillips fired a score of 413.3 to occupy 10th place.
- Junior Derya Pekari also competed in air rifle and tallied a mark of 397.2.
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Day Two Notes | Results
- Kozeniesky also turned in a very strong day two performance with a 624.5 during preliminaries to record the best score in the competition and took second in the finals at 248.3.
- Eisenberg was stellar on the second day of air rifle, firing a score of 608.7 to finish among the top 20.
- In the women's air rifle event, Phillips logged the fourth-best mark in qualification with a total of 416.3 and claimed sixth in the finals session.
- Pekari improved her score in air rifle significantly from the first day to the second, as she tallied a score of 412.9.
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"Day two was great for all four Wolfpack athletes, with Lucas, Lauren, and Derya each making a final," Miller added. "Finals at a big match like this are priceless opportunities, and really are the main goal for this trip - come out, make a final, shoot well in it, and gain the valuable experience. This model was what catapulted Lucas onto the national scene last year, so you can see what great results can come from these opportunities."
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Day Three Notes | Results
- Kozeniesky completed a strong three-day showing with a solid qualification score in air rifle at 621.4, earning a spot in the finals for the third consecutive day. He took second in the finals with a clip of 249.9 behind Ivan Roe's 250.7.
- Eisenberg charted a score of 604.0 to finish 30th in the junior air rifle competition.
- Phillips ended the championships with a day three score of 413.2 to finish 11th and Pekari fired a 402.4.
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NC State has concluded competition for the fall season and the Pack will return to action Jan. 14 when it travels to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army.
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#STATEment
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Players Mentioned
Sit Down with Former Rifle Wolfpack Lucas Kozeniesky
Friday, September 17
Highlights: Rifle vs Nebraska
Sunday, February 02
Rifle vs Nebraska
Sunday, February 02
Rifle vs North Georgia
Sunday, October 20