TCU's Elizabeth Marsh Wins NCAA Smallbore Championship

by
posted on March 9, 2019
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
emarsh2.jpg
Elizabeth Marsh capped off a great day for Texas Christian University (TCU) at the 2019 NCAA Rifle Championships in Morgantown, WV, on the campus of West Virginia University (WVU) on Friday, March 8. The sophomore dominated the competition the first day, helping TCU secure the smallbore team championship. Subsequently, Marsh kept her cool during the finallanding the individual NCAA smallbore title after a thrilling finish.

Her best position during the smallbore individual championship was prone, shooting a perfect 200 score. Marsh went into the final with a field-leading individual aggregate score of 588-35X.

Elizabeth Marsh, TCU rifle
Texas Christian University's Elizabeth Marsh, 2019 NCAA smallbore rifle champion.

For Marsh, it came down to the last two shots of the finals. The University of Akron's Andre Gross held a slim half-point lead, but Marsh fired 10.2 and 10.6 back-to-back to win the championship, triumphing over Gross 456.9-454.8.

She joins Sarah Scherer as the only TCU shooters to win a NCAA individual rifle title.

The smallbore runner-up is the aforementioned Andre Gross of the Akron Zips, who entered the final with a score of 586-33X. The freshman and Marsh were shooting neck and neck, but Gross came up just short in the final, leaving with a score of 454.8.

The only other time Akron has sent a shooter to the NCAA Rifle Championships was in 2015 when Matt Chezem shot air rifle.

In third place was host school WVU's David Koenders. Koenders, a redshirt freshman, entered the top spot during the final multiple times but could not keep up with Marsh and Gross. He finished the aggregate with a score of 586-30X, scoring 444.8 in the final.

Last year's smallbore rifle winner, WVU shooter Morgan Phillips finished seventh with a final score of 402.3.

In NCAA smallbore 3-position rifle, shooters fire in prone, standing and kneeling positions at targets 50 feet downrange. The bullseye is tiny, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Student-athletes shoot free rifles with metallic sights (no magnification) that can weigh no more than 17.6 pounds. The course-of-fire is 20 shots for each of the three positions for a possible perfect score of 600. After a 15-minute prep period, shooters have 120 minutes to complete each relay.

The 2019 NCAA Rifle Championships concludes Saturday, March 9 with the air rifle competition. The NCAA is livestreaming the event, you can view it (as well as the complete results) at this link: www.ncaa.com/news/rifle/2019-03-06/2019-ncaa-rifle-championship-schedule-live-stream-results-and-highlights.

Continue checking SSUSA often for more 2019 NCAA Rifle Championship news. Additionally, a full match report will be published in a future issue of the digital magazine.

Latest

3 Coleguns Beretta Feb2026
3 Coleguns Beretta Feb2026

Gunsmith Who Apprenticed With Beretta in 1979 Now Runs Its Top Premium Dealer Worldwide

Cole Fine Guns and Gunsmithing is again named the world’s top Beretta Premium Dealer, a distinction rooted in four decades of factory-trained expertise.

SK Customs Turns Legend of Joaquin Murrieta Into Gold-Engraved Colt 1911

SK Customs releases its Joaquin Murrieta Colt 1911 in .38 Super, limited to 200, with selective 24k gold engraving honoring the legendary California Gold Rush outlaw.

Smith & Wesson’s M&P9 M2.0 Metal Gets a Direct-Mount Aimpoint ACRO Slide Cut

Smith & Wesson’s newest M&P9 M2.0 Metal aluminum-frame 9 mm handgun sports a direct-mount Aimpoint ACRO slide cut and ClearSight gas-diversion system.

Range USA to Expand Footprint with Three New Locations in 2026

Range USA will open three new stores in Smyrna, Monroeville and Lenexa in 2026, expanding its presence in Nashville, Pittsburgh and Kansas City markets.

Previewing the 2026 NCAA Rifle Championship

A season of perfect air rifle scores and razor-thin margins sets the stage for the 2026 NCAA Rifle Championship, where any of the top seeds could take the title in March.

Best Of SHOT Show 2026: Top Gear and Accessories

Ten standout gear and accessory picks from SHOT Show 2026, featuring products from Garmin, Streamlight, Mantis, Caldwell, Magna Lens and more.



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.