North Carolina State University Athletics
Emily Holsopple Named NC State Rifle Head Coach
5/22/2018 3:00:00 PM | Rifle
U.S. National Team Member and Nine-time All-American to lead Wolfpack
RALEIGH, N.C. – Nine-time All-American and U.S. National Team member Emily Holsopple has been named head coach of the NC State rifle program, Director of Athletics Debbie Yow announced on Tuesday.
"We would like to welcome Emily to the Wolfpack Family," said Yow. "Her energy and vision for our rifle program stood out immediately during our process. We are excited she has decided to join NC State and are excited for the future. I'd like to thank our search committee, led by sport supervisor and Associate Athletics Director John Portland, for a thorough process."
Holsopple is the co-founder of Team Winning Solutions, where she has coached junior shooters to help them achieve their goals of competing in the National Junior Olympic Championships or for a collegiate rifle program at the Division I level.
She has guided six juniors to the National Championships and has also been responsible for a state champion.
The Wilcox, Pa., native was a nine-time All-American at Kentucky, earning the honor in air rifle and smallbore in each of her four years with the program along with the aggregate in her senior season.
"I'm extremely honored to have the opportunity to lead the Wolfpack rifle program," said Holsopple. "It's a great program with great resources and I think we have everything we need for us to be competitive on the national stage. I'm grateful for those who have come before me and laid the groundwork.
"NC State Athletics has developed a culture of greatness across all sports and I'm excited to be a part of that. I have tremendous respect for Dr. Debbie Yow and the change that she has instituted here. I hope that we can get the rifle program more in line with her vision and I'm ready to help lead this program to the next level."
Holsopple helped lead Kentucky to the 2011 National Championship and the Wildcats finished among the top three at the NCAA Championships in each of her other three seasons with the program.
She was named the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Shooter and Senior of the Year in her final season in Lexington. Holsopple was selected as the team captain as a sophomore and held the honor each year throughout her tenure at UK.
The Wildcats won the GARC regular-season championship in three of her four seasons and she was tabbed a First Team All-Conference selection all four years.
After concluding her career at Kentucky, Holsopple moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and become a USA Shooting Athlete. She was a member of the 2017-18 U.S. National Team and was a 2016 Olympic Trials finalist in air rifle and smallbore.
Holsopple was a member of the 2014 World Championship Team, competing in the women's three-position smallbore. As a USA Shooting Athlete, she has been a mentor for junior training center athletes and the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
Additionally, Holsopple has worked as an operations specialist at the Olympic Training Center, preparing reservations for more than 15,000 athletes that stay at the OTC annually. She has been responsible for the oversight of reviewing incoming camp/program needs and scheduling the necessary resources accordingly.
She was awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and is pursuing a Master's of Business Administration from University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Holsopple earned her undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in neuroscience at Kentucky.
Holsopple was also a standout academic performer. She was named 2014 Great America Rifle Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was honored as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Academic Honor Roll in all four years of her career at Kentucky.
Hailing from the state of Pennsylvania, Holsopple was a standout prep shooter and attended Johnsonburg Area High School. She also starred on the volleyball team in each of her four seasons and was a member of the track team.
"We would like to welcome Emily to the Wolfpack Family," said Yow. "Her energy and vision for our rifle program stood out immediately during our process. We are excited she has decided to join NC State and are excited for the future. I'd like to thank our search committee, led by sport supervisor and Associate Athletics Director John Portland, for a thorough process."
Holsopple is the co-founder of Team Winning Solutions, where she has coached junior shooters to help them achieve their goals of competing in the National Junior Olympic Championships or for a collegiate rifle program at the Division I level.
She has guided six juniors to the National Championships and has also been responsible for a state champion.
The Wilcox, Pa., native was a nine-time All-American at Kentucky, earning the honor in air rifle and smallbore in each of her four years with the program along with the aggregate in her senior season.
"I'm extremely honored to have the opportunity to lead the Wolfpack rifle program," said Holsopple. "It's a great program with great resources and I think we have everything we need for us to be competitive on the national stage. I'm grateful for those who have come before me and laid the groundwork.
"NC State Athletics has developed a culture of greatness across all sports and I'm excited to be a part of that. I have tremendous respect for Dr. Debbie Yow and the change that she has instituted here. I hope that we can get the rifle program more in line with her vision and I'm ready to help lead this program to the next level."
Holsopple helped lead Kentucky to the 2011 National Championship and the Wildcats finished among the top three at the NCAA Championships in each of her other three seasons with the program.
She was named the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Shooter and Senior of the Year in her final season in Lexington. Holsopple was selected as the team captain as a sophomore and held the honor each year throughout her tenure at UK.
The Wildcats won the GARC regular-season championship in three of her four seasons and she was tabbed a First Team All-Conference selection all four years.
After concluding her career at Kentucky, Holsopple moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and become a USA Shooting Athlete. She was a member of the 2017-18 U.S. National Team and was a 2016 Olympic Trials finalist in air rifle and smallbore.
Holsopple was a member of the 2014 World Championship Team, competing in the women's three-position smallbore. As a USA Shooting Athlete, she has been a mentor for junior training center athletes and the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
Additionally, Holsopple has worked as an operations specialist at the Olympic Training Center, preparing reservations for more than 15,000 athletes that stay at the OTC annually. She has been responsible for the oversight of reviewing incoming camp/program needs and scheduling the necessary resources accordingly.
She was awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and is pursuing a Master's of Business Administration from University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Holsopple earned her undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in neuroscience at Kentucky.
Holsopple was also a standout academic performer. She was named 2014 Great America Rifle Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was honored as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Academic Honor Roll in all four years of her career at Kentucky.
Hailing from the state of Pennsylvania, Holsopple was a standout prep shooter and attended Johnsonburg Area High School. She also starred on the volleyball team in each of her four seasons and was a member of the track team.
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