Two Sign with Mountaineer Rifle Team[/B]
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (April 16, 2015) - [/B]West Virginia University rifle coach Jon Hammond has announced that Will Anti and Virginia (Ginny) Thrasher have signed National Letters of Intent and will join the National Champion rifle team for the 2015-16 season.
"I'm really excited to welcome Will and Ginny to the WVU rifle team," said Hammond. "Both have a really bright future and possess the drive and motivation that will help make them a great fit with our team."
Anti, the son of Mike and Anne Anti, is a native of Fort Benning, Georgia. His father was a four-time rifle All-American and is a member of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame.
Co-captain of the National Training Center Junior Shooting Club, located at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the younger Anti finished sixth in the junior men's 10m air rifle at the 2014 USA Shooting National Championships. He also placed sixth in the junior men's 50m 3P and was the high J2 finisher. Anti's two-day total included an 1154 score. He also placed sixth in the junior men's 10m air rifle at the 2014 Junior Olympics National Championships. By virtue of his finishes, Anti finished fourth in qualifying for the 2015 USA Junior World Championships Team in smallbore, and fifth in air rifle, just short of a roster spot.
Recently, Anti earned two junior finals finishes at the 2014 USA Winter Airgun Championships in December. He finished 11th overall in the open division and also earned a Gold-medal finish in the junior division on the final day of competition.
"Will has a strong connection with WVU through his father, but I know he will want to start his own legacy," explained Hammond. "He has really improved in the last year. Along with his excellent rifle skills, he brings with him a lot of passion for the sport, and I know he will be a very positive team member."
Thrasher, a native of Springfield, Virginia, is the daughter of Roger and Valerie Thrasher, and shoots for West Springfield High and the Acorns Optimist Rifle Club. She finished sixth in the women's 50m smallbore at the 2015 Spring World Cup Selection and qualified for the MQS match at May's ISSF Munich World Cup. Thrasher also placed third at the 2014 Junior Olympics Championships in the women's 50m smallbore and owns more than 20 National Rifle Association and USA Shooting records.
The 2015 Virginia air rifle state champion, Thrasher also is a three-time Virginia smallbore state medalist. She was a three-year team captain and a four-time MVP at WSHS and a member of the National Honor Society.
"Ginny has been shooting some excellent smallbore recently and has a very strong work ethic," said Hammond. "We have known Ginny for a few years through our camps, and she will be eager to work hard and improve quickly. I'm sure she will thrive in the team's environment.
"Will and Ginny will be great additions to our roster and will be ready to compete right away next year. I'm looking forward to working with them in the fall and seeing how they progress as Mountaineers."
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVURifle on Twitter.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (April 16, 2015) - [/B]West Virginia University rifle coach Jon Hammond has announced that Will Anti and Virginia (Ginny) Thrasher have signed National Letters of Intent and will join the National Champion rifle team for the 2015-16 season.
"I'm really excited to welcome Will and Ginny to the WVU rifle team," said Hammond. "Both have a really bright future and possess the drive and motivation that will help make them a great fit with our team."
Anti, the son of Mike and Anne Anti, is a native of Fort Benning, Georgia. His father was a four-time rifle All-American and is a member of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame.
Co-captain of the National Training Center Junior Shooting Club, located at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the younger Anti finished sixth in the junior men's 10m air rifle at the 2014 USA Shooting National Championships. He also placed sixth in the junior men's 50m 3P and was the high J2 finisher. Anti's two-day total included an 1154 score. He also placed sixth in the junior men's 10m air rifle at the 2014 Junior Olympics National Championships. By virtue of his finishes, Anti finished fourth in qualifying for the 2015 USA Junior World Championships Team in smallbore, and fifth in air rifle, just short of a roster spot.
Recently, Anti earned two junior finals finishes at the 2014 USA Winter Airgun Championships in December. He finished 11th overall in the open division and also earned a Gold-medal finish in the junior division on the final day of competition.
"Will has a strong connection with WVU through his father, but I know he will want to start his own legacy," explained Hammond. "He has really improved in the last year. Along with his excellent rifle skills, he brings with him a lot of passion for the sport, and I know he will be a very positive team member."
Thrasher, a native of Springfield, Virginia, is the daughter of Roger and Valerie Thrasher, and shoots for West Springfield High and the Acorns Optimist Rifle Club. She finished sixth in the women's 50m smallbore at the 2015 Spring World Cup Selection and qualified for the MQS match at May's ISSF Munich World Cup. Thrasher also placed third at the 2014 Junior Olympics Championships in the women's 50m smallbore and owns more than 20 National Rifle Association and USA Shooting records.
The 2015 Virginia air rifle state champion, Thrasher also is a three-time Virginia smallbore state medalist. She was a three-year team captain and a four-time MVP at WSHS and a member of the National Honor Society.
"Ginny has been shooting some excellent smallbore recently and has a very strong work ethic," said Hammond. "We have known Ginny for a few years through our camps, and she will be eager to work hard and improve quickly. I'm sure she will thrive in the team's environment.
"Will and Ginny will be great additions to our roster and will be ready to compete right away next year. I'm looking forward to working with them in the fall and seeing how they progress as Mountaineers."
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVURifle on Twitter.
