MidwayUSA Foundation hosted a donation drive throughout the month of April and raised an astounding $643,237 for youth shooting teams. Thanks to the Foundation’s matching program, funded by Larry and Brenda Potterfield, every dollar is matched, providing a total impact of $1.28 million. These funds help youth shooting teams cover essential expenses such as ammunition, targets, entry fees, and safety equipment, ensuring the participation of young athletes in shooting sports.

The Foundation also provided an additional $80,000 in endowment awards. West Virginia University’s Rifle Team (WVU) raised over $120,000 to earn the top prize of $15,000. “We are delighted to be the winners of the April Donation Drive, and we have to thank our donors for making that happen,” said Head Coach Jon Hammond. “The Foundation provides an amazing resource to junior and youth shooting programs[.]”

The teams that rounded out the top five include:
2nd Place: Kanabec County Clay Busters [MN] – winning an additional $12,500
3rd Place: Prescott Bird Busters [AZ] – winning an additional $10,000
4th Place: Battle Ground Academy [TN] – winning an additional $7,500
5th Place: Pillager Clay Target Team [MN] – winning an additional $5,000

The MidwayUSA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity working to sustain and grow youth shooting sports by providing long-term funding to youth shooting teams. Every donation is tax-deductible. The Foundation supports all shooting disciplines. To learn more about the MidwayUSA Foundation visit MidwayUSAFoundation.org.

MidwayUSA Foundation S.E. Program Manager Jeff McClure stated: “Helping teams and organizations grow their accounts through participation in our incentive programs is top of the list. Where else can teams open an account, be provided multiple ways to grow that account, and have all donations matched?” WVU’s Head Coach added: “The generosity of the Potterfield family is incredible, as well as the vision … to help all these junior shooting programs across the USA. We highly recommend all programs have a MidwayUSA Foundation account and work hard to build it year over year.”

Story based on report by By Kyle Jillson for NRABlog.com
West Virginia University (WVU) won its 15th NCAA Rifle Title this past weekend. The WVU Montaineers, the winningest team in NCAA Rifle competition history, finished with a final score of 4679 out of 4800 (combined air rifle and smallbore scores). The Mountaineers overcame a one-shot smallbore deficit and outshot the field in air rifle, scoring 2363. The WVU Mountaineers’ 4679 final point total is the second-highest in NCAA Rifle Championship history, bettered only by Kentucky’s 4,700 in 2011. Kentucky, always near the top, finish second this year with a 4670 score, while defending champ TCU took third with an aggregate score of 4,664.

WVU’s Petra Zublasing Wins both Smallbore and Air Rifle Titles
On a rifle team with many skilled shooters, WV’s Petra Zublasing proved to be the “best of the best”. At the 2013 Championships, Zublasing dominated the competition, winning both the Smallbore and Air Rifle individual events. Hailing from Appiano, Italy, Zublasing won the Mountaineers’ first Individual Smallbore Rifle Championship since 1997. After winning the smallbore event in a close match, in the air rifle competition she shot a 598 (99-100-100-100-100-99) — two points shy of a perfect score. That remarkable performance gave Petra the win, completing Zublasing’s sweep of the 2013 individual championships. Zublasing is the first shooter to win both NCAA titles at one championship since Alaska-Fairbanks’ Matthew Emmons took the victories in 2001. “Winning an individual title in both guns is just great, but I’m most happy that the team won,” says Zublasing.

Over the summer Zublasing shot for Italy in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. It was an eye opening experience she explained: “After the Olympics, I realized I actually like shooting. I don’t do this because I have to or because I’m good at it. I actually enjoy it and try to help everyone else realize they should just have fun.”

Watch Interview with Petra Zublasing

National Championship Celebration at WVU Coliseum on Monday, March 11th
West Virginia University fans are invited to attend a celebration for the national-champion rifle team Monday, March 11, from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm in the Jerry West Lounge at the WVU Coliseum. Mountaineers Shooting Team members and team coach Jon Hammond will be available to greet fans and pose for photos. Fans can also take pictures with the team’s 15th NCAA Rifle Championships trophy.

West Virginia Squad Features Shooters from Many Nations
WVU Coach Jon Hammond, a Scot who still competes with Great Britain’s national team, has built the nation’s top shooting program by recruiting top young shooters from around the world. (Hammon himself shot for WVU during the 2002-2003 season.) The Mountaineer’s squad features talented shooters from both sides of the Atlantic. 2013 National Air Rifle and Smallbore champion Petra Zublasing is from Appiano, Italy. Sophomore Meelis Kiisk is from Paide, Estonia. Sophomore Maren Prediger is from Petersaurach, Germany. Freshman Garrett Spurgeon is from Canton, Missouri, Sophomore Taylor Ciotala is from Pasadena, Maryland, and Sophomore Thomas Kyanko, is from Wellsburg, West Virginia.

In leading her team to victory in 2013, Zublasing followed in the footsteps of another great foreign-born shooter, WVU All-American and Italian native Nicco Campriani. This talented young man, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the 3-P 50-meter event, literally re-wrote the record-books during his two collegiate seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11) with West Virginia.

“Nicco changed the level of shooting in U.S. [Collegiate rifle competition],” Hammond said. “He came over here and started shooting world-record scores — 590 and 600 in air rifle, which really hadn’t been done before. That raised the bar for us.”