Rifle reaches new heights

<p>Senior shooter Lucas Kozeniesky takes aim at the target while in the prone position during the Wolfpack's meet against North Georgia on Jan 29. Kozeniesky marked perfect 100s in both series of the prone position to earn a 577 overall in the smallbore event of the 4657-4547 win at Reynolds Coliseum.</p>

Bryan Murphy

Senior shooter Lucas Kozeniesky takes aim at the target while in the prone position during the Wolfpack's meet against North Georgia on Jan 29. Kozeniesky marked perfect 100s in both series of the prone position to earn a 577 overall in the smallbore event of the 4657-4547 win at Reynolds Coliseum.

Parth Upadhyaya, Staff Writer

Grade: A

The 2016-17 season was one of the best in program history for the NC State rifle team. Both senior Lucas Kozeniesky and graduate Lauren Phillips picked up All-America honors, marking the first time the team had two All-Americans since 1974. Kozeniesky was a first-team All-America selection in the air rifle event and a second-team selection in smallbore by the National Rifle Association. The 2016 Olympian also was a third-team selection for both events by the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association. Phillips earned a spot as a second-team All-America honors from the National Rifle Association and received an honorable mention from the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association in air rifle.

Kozeniesky took home All-America honors for the second-straight campaign and became the first NC State shooter to be named an All-American multiple times since Frank Sweeney accomplished the feat in the 1972 and 1974 seasons. The sharpshooter finished his senior season with the fifth-best air rifle season average in the country with a 594.86 clip and his smallbore season average of 580.21 was good for 23rd in the nation.

Kozeniesky also broke the Wolfpack program record in air rifle with his score of 599 in NC State’s win against Memphis. Phillips took home the second All-America honor of her career; her first coming at Nebraska before transferring to NC State. The standout shooter’s air rifle clip of 592.23 was the 12th best in the nation and her smallbore season average of 578.29 was among the top 35 in the country. The NC State rifle team had two of the best shooters in the nation among its talented roster and was able to finish the season ranked ninth in the country, just one spot shy of a bid to the NCAA Championships.