NCAA Rifle Championship

NCAA Rifle Championship
Most recent season or competition:; 2024 NCAA Rifle Championships
Sport	College rifle
Founded	1980
No. of teams	8 teams, 48 individual shooters
Country	United States
Most recent; champion(s)	Team: TCU (4); Small-bore: Cecilia Ossi, Nebraska; Air rifle: Rylan Kissell, Alaska
Official website	NCAA.com

The NCAA Rifle Championship is an annual co-educational rifle national collegiate championship sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The tournament includes an individual and team championships consisting of the two-day aggregate scoring of the smallbore competition and air rifle competition. The national championship rounds are contested annually in mid-March. West Virginia (19) and Alaska (11) have combined to win 30 of the 43 team championships. Unlike many NCAA sports, only one National Collegiate championship is held each season with teams from Division I, Division II, and Division III competing together.

Under NCAA rules, sports teams that include both men and women are designated as men's teams for purposes of sports sponsorship and scholarship limitations.^[1]^[a] Nonetheless, rifle has been a coed sport since 1980, a year before the NCAA began holding championships in women's sports. Schools sponsoring rifle may field anywhere from one to three teams. If a school chooses to sponsor more than one team, it may have any combination of men's, women's, and coed teams. Two schools field men's and women's teams, and three field women's and coed teams.

The current team national champions are the TCU Horned Frogs, who won their fourth national championship at the WVU Coliseum, located at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, on March 8 and 9, 2024. West Virginia's Mary Tucker won the 2024 individual title in small-bore. WVU junior Gavin Barnick won the air rifle national championship, besting Kentucky's Braden Peiser. In the air rifle qualification round, Alaska's Elijah Spencer fired a score of 600 (a perfect score), with 57x - one X behind the NCAA record set by Nanook Rylan Kissell at the 2023 NCAA Rifle Championship.

Programs

Conferences

Great America Rifle Conference
Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference
Ohio Valley Conference, the only Division I all-sports conference that sponsored rifle before the SoCon added it in 2016–17.
Patriot Rifle Conference
Southern Conference; resumed the sport in 2016–17 after a 30-year hiatus.

Champions

Prior to NCAA sponsorship in 1980, a collegiate rifle championship was held yearly by the National Rifle Association.
From 1980 to 2004, the championship consisted of 120 shots by each competitor in smallbore, and 40 shots per competitor in air rifle. Since 2005, the championship has consisted of 60 shots for both smallbore and air rifle, equaling a total of 120 shots per team member.^[5]

NCAA Rifle Championships
Year	Site	Venue / Range	Team Championship				Smallbore		Air Rifle
Year	Site	Venue / Range	Winner	Points	Runner-up	Points	Winner	Score	Winner	Score
1980 Details	Johnson City, TN	ETSU Athletic Center	Tennessee Tech	6,201	West Virginia	6,150	Rod Fitz-Randolph (Tennessee Tech)	1,176	Rod Fitz-Randolph (Tennessee Tech)	389
1981 Details	West Point, NY	U.S. Military Academy	Tennessee Tech	6,139	West Virginia	6,136	Kurt Fitz-Randolph (Tennessee Tech)	1,173	John Rost (West Virginia)	391
1982 Details	Lexington, VA	Kilbourne Hall	Tennessee Tech	6,138	West Virginia	6,136	Kurt Fitz-Randolph (Tennessee Tech)	1,167	John Rost (West Virginia)	390
1983 Details	Cincinnati, OH	Xavier University Rifle Range	West Virginia	6,166	Tennessee Tech	6,148	David Johnson (West Virginia)	1,175	Ray Slonena (Tennessee Tech)	389
1984 Details	Murray, KY	Pat Spurgin Rifle Range	West Virginia	6,206	ETSU	6,142	Bob Broughton (West Virginia)	1,172	Pat Spurgin (Murray State)	388
1985 Details	West Point, NY	U.S. Military Academy	Murray State	6,150	West Virginia	6,149	Pat Spurgin (Murray State)	1,168	Christian Heller (West Virginia)	387
1986 Details	Annapolis, MD	Bancroft Hall Rifle Range	West Virginia	6,229	Murray State	6,163	Mike Anti (West Virginia)	1,167	Marianne Wallace (Murray State)	392
1987 Details	Cincinnati, OH	Xavier University Rifle Range	Murray State	6,205	West Virginia	6,203	Web Wright (West Virginia)	1,174	Rob Harbison (Tennessee–Martin)	392
1988 Details	Lexington, VA	Kilbourne Hall	West Virginia	6,192	Murray State	6,183	Web Wright (West Virginia)	1,168	Deena Wigger (Murray State)	390
1989 Details	Murray, KY	Pat Spurgin Rifle Range	West Virginia	6,234	South Florida	6,180	Deb Sinclair (Alaska)	1,171	Michelle Scarborough (South Florida)	399
1990 Details	Annapolis, MD	Bancroft Hall Rifle Rang	West Virginia	6,205	Navy	6,101	Michelle Scarborough (South Florida)	1,165	Gary Hardy (West Virginia)	393
1991 Details	West Point, NY	U.S. Military Academy	West Virginia	6,171	Alaska	6,110	Soma Dutta (UTEP)	1,171	Ann-Marie Pfiffner (West Virginia)	391
1992 Details	Murray, KY	Pat Spurgin Rifle Range	West Virginia	6,214	Alaska	6,166	Tim Manges (West Virginia)	1,172	Ann-Marie Pfiffner (West Virginia)	390
1993 Details	Lexington, VA	Kilbourne Hall	West Virginia	6,179	Alaska	6,169	Eric Uptagrafft (West Virginia)	1,174	Trevor Gathman (West Virginia)	390
1994 Details	Murray, KY	Pat Spurgin Rifle Range	Alaska	6,196	West Virginia	6,187	Cory Brunetti (Alaska)	1,173	Nancy Napolski (Kentucky)	391
1995 Details	Annapolis, MD	Bancroft Hall Rifle Range	West Virginia	6,241	Air Force	6,187	Oleg Seleznev (Alaska)	1,177	Benjamin Belden (Murray State)	390
1996 Details	US Air Force Academy, CO	Cadet Rifle Range	West Virginia	6,179	Air Force	6,168	Joe Johnson (Navy)	1,170	Trevor Gathman (West Virginia)	394
1997 Details	Murray, KY	Pat Spurgin Rifle Range	West Virginia	6,223	Kentucky	6,175	Marcos Scrivner (West Virginia)	1,176	Marra Hastings (Murray State)	393
1998 Details	Murray, KY	Pat Spurgin Rifle Range	West Virginia	6,214	Alaska	6,211	Karyn Juziuk (Xavier)	1,169	Emily Caruso (Norwich)	393
1999 Details	Northfield, VT	Norwich University Rifle Range	Alaska	6,276	Navy	6,168	Kelly Mansfield (Alaska)	1,185	Kelly Mansfield (Alaska)	396
2000 Details	Lexington, VA	Kilbourne Hall	Alaska	6,285	Xavier	6,156	Nicole Allaire (Nebraska)	1,183	Kelly Mansfield (Alaska)	398
2001 Details	Columbus, OH	Lt. Hugh W. Wylie Range	Alaska	6,283	Kentucky	6,175	Matthew Emmons (Alaska)	1,178	Matthew Emmons (Alaska)	392
2002 Details	Murray, KY	Pat Spurgin Rifle Range	Alaska	6,241	Kentucky	6,209	Matthew Emmons (Alaska)	1,190	Ryan Tanoue (Nevada)	392
2003 Details	West Point, NY	Tronsrue Marksmanship Center	Alaska	6,287	Xavier	6,197	Matthew Emmons (Alaska)	1,191	Jamie Beyerle (Alaska)	395
2004 Details	Murray, KY	Pat Spurgin Rifle Range	Alaska	6,273	Nevada	6,185	Matthew Rawlings (Alaska)	1,179	Morgan Hicks (Murray State)	398
2005 Details	Reno, NV	Nevada Wolf Pack Rifle Range	Army	4,659	Jacksonville State	4,658	Matthew Rawlings (Alaska)	686.5	Beth Tidmore (Memphis)	694.2
2006 Details	US Air Force Academy, CO	Cadet Rifle Range	Alaska	4,682	Nebraska	4,666	Jamie Beyerle (Alaska)	690.5	Kristina Fehlings (Nebraska)	694.0
2007 Details	Fairbanks, AK	E.F. Horton Rifle Range	Alaska	4,662	Army	4,644	Josh Albright (Navy)	679.5	Michael Dickinson (Jacksonville State)	692.2
2008 Details	West Point, NY	Tronsrue Marksmanship Center	Alaska	4,662	Army	4,652	Chris Abalo (Army)	687.6	Patrik Sartz (Alaska)	696.4
2009 Details	Fort Worth, TX	TCU Rifle Range	West Virginia	4,643	Kentucky	4,638	Brian Carstensen (Jacksonville State)	682.2	Jenna Compton (Akron)	691.6
2010 Details	Fort Worth, TX	TCU Rifle Range	TCU	4,675	Alaska	4,653	Sarah Scherer (TCU)	685	Jonathan Hall (Columbus State)	699.9
2011 Details	Fort Benning, GA	US Army Marksmanship Unit	Kentucky	4,700	West Virginia	4,697	Ethan Settlemires (Kentucky)	691.0	Nicco Campriani (West Virginia)	701.0
2012 Details	Columbus, OH	Lt. Hugh W. Wylie Range	TCU	4,676	Kentucky	4,661	Sarah Scherer (TCU)	688.6	Petra Zublasing (West Virginia)	696.2
2013^[6] Details	Columbus, OH	Lt. Hugh W. Wylie Range	West Virginia	4,679	Kentucky	4,670	Petra Zublasing (West Virginia)	598	Petra Zublasing (West Virginia)	701.7
2014 Details	Murray, KY	Pat Spurgin Rifle Range & CFSB Center	West Virginia	4,705	Alaska	4,677	Tim Sherry (Alaska)	452.1	Connor Davis (Kentucky)	205.4
2015 Details	Fairbanks, AK	E.F. Horton Rifle Range	West Virginia	4,702	Alaska	4,700	Rachel Martin (Nebraska)	453.3	Maren Prediger (West Virginia)	205.8
2016 Details	Akron, OH	Stile Athletics Field House	West Virginia	4,703	TCU	4,694	Ginny Thrasher (West Virginia)	461.5	Ginny Thrasher (West Virginia)	208.8
2017 Details	Columbus, OH	French Field House	West Virginia	4,723	TCU	4,706	Morgan Phillips (West Virginia)	464.3	Milica Babic (West Virginia)	208.1
2018 Details	Charleston, SC	McAlister Field House & Inouye Hall	Kentucky	4,717	West Virginia	4,708	Morgan Phillips (West Virginia)	459.4	Henrik Larsen (Kentucky)	249.4
2019 Details	Morgantown, WV	WVU Coliseum	TCU	4,699	West Virginia	4,692	Elizabeth Marsh (TCU)	456.9	Kristen Hemphill (TCU)	248.2
2020	Canceled due to COVID-19
2021 Details	Columbus, OH	Converse Hall	Kentucky	4,731	TCU	4,722	Mary Tucker (Kentucky)	463.3	Mary Tucker (Kentucky)	249.4
2022 Details	Colorado Springs, CO	Clune Arena	Kentucky	4,739	TCU	4,736	William Shaner (Kentucky)	459.7	Scott Rockett (Air Force)	250.2
2023 Details	Akron, OH	James A. Rhodes Arena	Alaska	4,729	TCU	4,717	Cecilia Ossi (Nebraska)	16-8	Rylan Kissell (Alaska)	17-9
2024 Details	Morgantown, WV	WVU Coliseum	TCU	4,732	West Virginia	4,729	Mary Tucker (West Virginia)		Gavin Barnick (West Virginia)	251.7
2025 Details	Lexington, KY	Memorial Coliseum
2026 Details	Columbus, OH	St. John Arena

Team titles

West Virginia

Alaska

TCU

Tennessee Tech

Kentucky

Murray
State

Army

class=notpageimage|

19, 11, 4, 3, 2, 1

Team	#	Years
West Virginia	19	1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Alaska	11	1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2023
Kentucky	4	2011, 2018, 2021, 2022
TCU	4	2010, 2012, 2019, 2024
Tennessee Tech	3	1980, 1981, 1982
Murray State	2	1985, 1987
Army	1	2005

Appearances by Team

Key

CH National Champion
RU National Runner-up
Numbers indicate the placement of the team in that tournament beyond second

School	Conference	#	CH	80	81	82	83	84	85	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	21	22	23	24
School	Conference
West Virginia	GARC	40	19	RU	RU	RU	CH	CH	RU	CH	RU	CH	CH	CH	CH	CH	CH	RU	CH	CH	CH	CH	3	6	3	7	7					6	CH	3	RU	6	CH	CH	CH	CH	CH	RU	RU	4	6	5	RU
Alaska	PRC	37	11	9								5	6	6	RU	RU	RU	CH	5	5	3	RU	CH	CH	CH	CH	CH	CH	4	CH	CH	CH	4	RU	6	3	4	RU	RU	6	5	6	8	5	3	CH	3
Kentucky	GARC	29	4															3	3	3	RU	3	6		RU	RU	6	8	6	7	4	5	RU	4	CH	RU	RU	3	6	5	4	CH	5	CH	CH	3	4
TCU	PRC	17	4																												5ᴛ	3	5	CH	3	CH	3	6	3	RU	RU	3	CH	RU	RU	RU	CH
Tennessee Tech	defunct	15	3	CH	CH	CH	RU	3	4	4	4	4	3	3											7	5	8	7
Murray State	OVC	35	2	4	5	5	4	5	CH	RU	CH	RU	5	4	5	3	7	5	4		4	4	4	8	5	4	3	9		5	8			7	5				8	3	3	4	4		7	8
Army	GARC	21	1	7ᴛ	6	6	5	6	5	3	6															9		4	CH	3	RU	RU	6	5	8	4	6	8					6
Air Force	PRC	22	-	10	10								4				3	4	RU	RU	5	7	9	7			10										5		7	4	8	5	3	8	5	7	5
Navy	GARC	29	-	6	7	7					5	8		RU		4	6	6	6	4	6	6	RU	5	8	6	9	3	5	4	7	7	7	8	7								7		8		6
Nebraska	PRC	17	-																					3	6			6	3	RU	5ᴛ	4		6			7	5	4	8	6	8		6		6	8
Jacksonville State		14	-																			5	8	9	9		5		RU	8	3		3		4	7	8	7	5
Xavier	defunct	11	-											5		5	5			6			7	RU	4	3	RU	5	9
Nevada	defunct	8	-																							10	4	RU	8	9		8	8			8
East Tennessee State	defunct	7	-	3	3	4	3	RU	3	5ᴛ
Eastern Kentucky	defunct	6	-	5	4	3	6	4	6
Ole Miss	GARC	5	-																											6														3	4	4	7
St. John's	defunct	4	-		8	8						7			6
South Florida	defunct	4	-							5ᴛ	3	3	RU
Norwich		4	-														4				7		5	4
Ohio State	PRC	4	-												3																									7	7	7
Memphis	GARC	3	-																										7									4						7
UTEP	PRC	3	-										7																10							5
Eastern Washington	defunct	2	-				7	7
UT Martin	OVC	2	-						7			6
Western Kentucky	defunct	1	-	7ᴛ
Penn State	defunct	1	-		9
NC State	defunct	1	-			9
Washington State	defunct	1	-							7
Canisius	defunct	1	-												4
Coast Guard	defunct	1	-																							8

Individual titles

Schools in italics no longer compete in NCAA rifle.

Team	Titles	Smallbore	Air Rifle
West Virginia	28	13 (1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024)	15 (1981, 1982, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024)
Alaska	17	11 (1989, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2014)	6 (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2023)
Kentucky	8	3 (2011, 2021, 2022)	5 (1994, 2014, 2018, 2021)
Murray State	7	1 (1985)	6 (1984, 1986, 1988, 1995, 1997, 2004)
Tennessee Tech	5	3 (1980, 1981, 1982)	2 (1980, 1983)
TCU	4	3 (2010, 2012, 2019)	1 (2019)
Nebraska	4	3 (2000, 2015, 2023)	1 (2006)
Jacksonville State	2	1 (2009)	1 (2007)
Navy	2	2 (1996, 2007)	0
South Florida	2	1 (1990)	1 (1989)
Air Force	1	0	1 (2022)
Akron	1	0	1 (2009)
Army	1	1 (2008)	0
Columbus State	1	0	1 (2010)
Memphis	1	0	1 (2005)
Nevada	1	0	1 (2002)
Norwich	1	0	1 (1998)
Xavier	1	1 (1998)	0
UT Martin	1	0	1 (1987)
UTEP	1	1 (1991)	0

Footnotes

^ While all members of NCAA Divisions I and II are limited to the equivalent of 3.6 full scholarships in rifle per school in any academic year,^[2]^[3] Division II members are also limited to 60 scholarship equivalents in men's sports apart from football and basketball.^[4]

External links

^ "Bylaw 20.9.6: Sports Sponsorship" (PDF). 2020–21 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. August 7, 2020. pp. 406–07. Retrieved March 14, 2021. This bylaw also applies in Divisions II and III, but is numbered differently in those divisions' manuals.
^ "Bylaw 15.5.3.1.1: Maximum Equivalency Limits, Men's Sports" (PDF). 2020–21 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. August 7, 2020. p. 222. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
^ "Bylaw 15.4.2.1.1: Maximum Equivalency Limits, Men's Sports" (PDF). 2020–21 NCAA Division II Manual. NCAA. August 7, 2020. pp. 166–67. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
^ "Bylaw 15.4.2.1.1.1: Maximum Equivalency Limits, Men's Sports, Overall Limit" (PDF). 2020–21 NCAA Division II Manual. NCAA. August 7, 2020. p. 167. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
^ Rifle Champs Record (PDF), NCAA, 2015
^ "NC Rifle Results | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com.

NCAA Sports: Men's & Women's Rifle

[5] While all members of NCAA Divisions I and II are limited to the equivalent of 3.6 full scholarships in rifle per school in any academic year,^[2]^[3] Division II members are also limited to 60 scholarship equivalents in men's sports apart from football and basketball.^[4]

[1] "Bylaw 20.9.6: Sports Sponsorship" (PDF). 2020–21 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. August 7, 2020. pp. 406–07. Retrieved March 14, 2021. This bylaw also applies in Divisions II and III, but is numbered differently in those divisions' manuals.

[2] "Bylaw 15.5.3.1.1: Maximum Equivalency Limits, Men's Sports" (PDF). 2020–21 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. August 7, 2020. p. 222. Retrieved March 14, 2021.

[3] "Bylaw 15.4.2.1.1: Maximum Equivalency Limits, Men's Sports" (PDF). 2020–21 NCAA Division II Manual. NCAA. August 7, 2020. pp. 166–67. Retrieved March 14, 2021.

[4] "Bylaw 15.4.2.1.1.1: Maximum Equivalency Limits, Men's Sports, Overall Limit" (PDF). 2020–21 NCAA Division II Manual. NCAA. August 7, 2020. p. 167. Retrieved March 14, 2021.

[6] Rifle Champs Record (PDF), NCAA, 2015

[7] "NC Rifle Results | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com.

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