CSU Shooter Jon Hall Qualifies for NCAA Championship in Air Rifle

Columbus, Ga. -- Columbus State University shooter Jon Hall learned earlier this week that he had been selected as an individual qualifier in Air Rifle for the 2010 NCAA Rifle Championships. Hall and CSU head coach Mike Greene will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to participate in the championships on March 12-13.

"I am excited to get the opportunity to represent CSU at the championships," said Hall. "It would be even better if our whole team could be there, but now we have a goal as a team for next year. I feel like the preparation I received this year and being able to shoot at the Army Marksmanship Unit has gotten me ready and now I want to go out there and try to bring back a championship for CSU."

Hall was selected to compete after being the top shooter in the NCAA Sectional at The Citadel on February 13-14. The top five individual shooters from the various sectionals are selected and invited to compete in the national finals. Hall shot a score of 592 (of a possible 600) in the sectional to take top honors.

"This is a tremendous honor for Jon to be selected to compete for a national championship," said Greene. "We were blessed to have a shooter of his caliber to join our team in its first year of competition, and I fully expect him to go out to Fort Worth and represent us very well. He has what it takes to win the whole thing." 

The CSU team, despite winning the sectional, did not qualify for nationals in the selection process, but did finish as one of the top 15 teams in the nation on the basis of aggregate scores. The program definitely made a name for itself in its first year of competition and has high expectations for next year. 

"After starting from scratch with this team, it has been amazing to watch as they have gotten better and better. For them to finish in the top 15 is a credit to their work ethic and desire to achieve. We fully expect to finish in the top eight teams next year and compete for the team title in 2011," Greene said. 

Texas Christian University is serving as host of the 2010 championships. The Smallbore competition will take place on Friday, March 12, at the TCU Rifle Range. The Air Rifle competition will take place on Saturday, March 13, in the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on the TCU campus.