TCU Wins NCAA Air Rifle Team Championship

The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs women’s rifle team captured the air rifle team title at the 2024 NCAA rifle championships on Saturday, March 9.

This year’s NCAA rifle championships, a two-day competition, were hosted by West Virginia University at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia, March 8-9.

The top three air rifle teams on the podium at the 2024 NCAA rifle championships awards ceremony (l.-r.): runner-up University of Alaska-Fairbanks (2382-193X), winner Texas Christian University (2385-200X) and third place University of Kentucky (2380-191X).

TCU won the 2024 NCAA air rifle team title with a score of 2385-200X, which was three points ahead of the runner-up team, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.

This victory marks the fifth time that the TCU Horned Frogs have picked up the NCAA air rifle team championship after previously winning the title in 2010, 2012, 2021 and 2022.

Finishing in second place was the University of Alaska-Fairbanks with a score of 2382-193X.

Taking third place on the NCAA air rifle team championship leaderboard was Kentucky with 2380-191X.

Collegiate air rifle shooters on the firing line for the second of two relays during the 2024 NCAA rifle championships at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W.Va., on Saturday, March 9.

Karen Monez has been the head coach of the TCU women’s rifle team since 2003, and under her leadership the team has accumulated four NCAA rifle aggregate championship titles, including this year’s overall win. In addition, TCU has won the five aforementioned NCAA air rifle team titles and two NCAA smallbore team titles.

TCU sophomore Katie Zaun and graduate student Stephanie Grundsøe were the top air rifle shooters for TCU at the NCAA rifle championships this year. Zaun fired a score of 598-54X, while Grundsøe scored 596-49X. Also scoring 596-49X for TCU in air rifle was sophomore Mikole Hogan. One point behind Grundsøe and Hogan was graduate student Stephanie Allan with 595-48X.

At the NCAA championship, air rifle is fired at 10 meters. The shooters are split into two relays, with each one lasting one hour and 15 minutes. Each shooter fires 60 shots for a total possible score of 600. Only the standing position is used in air rifle at the NCAA championship. Similar to smallbore, the top eight air rifle shooters advance to the final to determine the individual champion.

You can view the full scorecard from the 2024 NCAA rifle championships at the NCAA website. Be on the lookout for a full match report in a future issue of the digital magazine. Subscribe for free here.