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Rifle team anticipates competition Jennifer Koesling The TCU rifle team will be facing tough competition this weekend at the UTEP Invitational in El Paso without one of their top shooters. Coach Roger Ivy said, as of last week, senior Amber Waska won’t be competing because she was ruled academically ineligible and subsequently suspended.
Junior Stacy Phillips said that while Waska is one of the team’s better shooters, her absence at the tournament won’t affect the team’s overall shooting. “We’ve practiced three days this week working on our air rifle and .22 rifle shooting,” Phillips said. “We’ll do just fine, and we hope to use this tournament to help us move onto nationals.” Among the six to 10 teams that will be competing at the invitational are Texas-El Paso and Air Force, who have been ranked in the top 10 for consecutive seasons. Both TCU and UTEP have teams consisting of all women while Air Force’s team is coed. Ivy said teams like UTEP have always had the advantage because they have full-time coaches, and a majority of the shooters are playing on full-scholarships. Coaching the team on a part-time basis since its conception in August 1991, Ivy said he thinks he’s the only part-time coach still at TCU. As a team who normally places in the top 5 to 10 percent in the ROTC ranking, Ivy said TCU must stay focused to perform well. “Seventy to 80 percent of the competition is mental,” Ivy said. “It involves great concentration to stay focused for the five- to six-hour matches.” While 10 people will be making the trip to El Paso, two teams of four individuals each will compete. Ivy said he will continue to carefully watch this week’s practices to ensure he will make the right decision on who he will move up to take Waska’s place. “I probably won’t make the decision until 9 a.m. Friday when we’re loading up the van,” Ivy said. Phillips said she sees senior captains Michelle Parker and Dena Putnam as scoring well this weekend. “Michelle shot rifle throughout high school and is the only one on the team who had rifle experience before she came to TCU,” Phillips said. “As our captains, both (Putnam) and (Parker) will help lead and motivate us this weekend.” Parker, Putnam and senior Jennifer Millner will be shooting for top scores this weekend to qualify for the NCAA Sectionals Feb. 9 in Fort Worth. They also have a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships March 8-10 in Columbus, Ohio. The Frogs’ next tournament will be at 8 a.m. Feb. 3 against Centenary College in Shreveport, La. Jennifer Koesling |
