FORT WORTH - The TCU rifle team earned its 17th consecutive trip to the NCAA Rifle Championships after a record-setting 2022-23 regular season campaign.
The Horned Frogs will look to defend their back-to-back air rifle titles against the field of eight March 10-11 at the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio. TCU has taken home the national title on three occasions, winning in 2010, 2012 and 2019.
TCU has been one of the most dominant teams in the NCAA this season. The Frogs boast the top team score among the eight tournament qualifiers. TCU has fired four of the top nine aggregate scores in the country this season, including an NCAA record performance in the season-opener at Navy in which they shot a 4,758.
On the season, TCU leads the nation in aggregate average (4,741.77) and air rifle average (2,385.54). TCU's smallbore average (2,356.23) ranks second nationally.
Individually,
Julie Johannessen (1,190.08) and
Stephanie Grundsoee (1,188.78) are second and third, respectively, in season aggregate average.
Katie Zaun (1,184.0) sits seventh nationally, while
Abigail Gordon (1,182.73) is just outside the top 10 in 11
th.
In air rifle, the TCU lineup boasts three of the top six shooters and five of the top 11. Johannessen is the only shooter in the NCAA this season to fire two perfect scores.
Kristen Hemphill has also accomplished the feat this season.
Johannessen is the nation's top smallbore shooter, boasting a season average of 592.83. Earlier this season, she set the NCAA record, shooting a 598 at the PRC Championships. Grundsoee is one of four shooters in the NCAA to average over 590 in smallbore (591.33). Zaun sits eighth nationally with a season average (558.40).
Alaska, Kentucky, Air Force, Ole Miss, Murray State, Nebraska and West Virginia round out the field of eight.
