West Virginia Repeats as NCAA Rifle Champions, Griffin Lake Named Outstanding Performer

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The West Virginia University rifle team secured its 21st NCAA rifle championship on Saturday, March 15, 2026, at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Mountaineers finished with an aggregate score of 4,748, seven points ahead of second-place TCU.

Mountaineers Overcome Fourth-Place Start

West Virginia began the championship in fourth place after the smallbore competition on Friday, March 13, 2026. However, a record-tying performance in the air rifle event propelled them to victory. The team tied the NCAA record for air rifle score with 2,395 points.

Griffin Lake Shines

Junior Griffin Lake was named the championship’s Most Outstanding Performer. He achieved a score of 1,194 with 101 centers. Lake also took second place in both smallbore and air rifle competitions. Audrey Gogniat of Ole Miss finished second in air rifle with a score of 1,192 and 95 centers, while Katie Zaun of TCU and Océanne Muller of West Virginia tied for third with 1,191 points.

Team Standings

The final team standings were as follows:

• West Virginia: 4,748
• TCU: 4,741
• Ole Miss: 4,738
• Kentucky: 4,736
• Nebraska: 4,736

Smallbore Results

Kentucky’s Braden Peiser won the smallbore crown with a score of 596 and 37 centers. Lake finished second in smallbore with 595 and 44 centers, while Katie Zaun and Gracie Dinh of Ole Miss tied for third with 593.

Ole Miss Claims Smallbore Title

First-year head coach Will Shaner led Ole Miss to its first smallbore team title with a score of 2,356.

Air Rifle Dominance

TCU was second in air rifle with 2,387 and Kentucky finished third with 2,383.

Source: AP News