No. 3 WVU faces No. 2 UK for regular season championship

Two of the nation's top rifle programs will line up today in what will decide the Great American Rifle Conference regular season championship.

The reigning national champion, No. 2 Kentucky, will look to dethrone the defending GARC champion No. 3 West Virginia.

The border war between Kentucky and West Virginia dates as far back as the 1800s to the infamous feud between the Hatfield family of West Virginia and the McCoy family of Kentucky.

However, the growing rivalry between the WVU and UK rifle programs is much younger.

"They've been probably our toughest competitor over the last few years," said West Virginia head coach Jon Hammond. "I think we probably have a bigger rivalry with them now than we do with anyone else."

The latest episode between the Mountaineers and the Wildcats at last year's NCAA championships closely resembled an old Hatfield vs. McCoy shootout.

Led by the top-two air rifle finishers, Nicco Campriani and Petra Zublasing, West Virginia won the air rifle title, edging UK 2,368-2,364.

But, Kentucky held the 2,336-2,329 advantage in smallbore to take home the overall national title and exact revenge for its 4,643-4,638 defeat at the hands of the Mountaineers in the 2009 NCAA championships.

The three-point 4,700-4,697 was a difficult pill to swallow for WVU.

"It was a tough loss to take," Hammond said. "We shot a great score and had a lot of confidence going into the match, but they just had a really great day.

"I think there was quite a good rivalry built up before that anyway, but that certainly didn't do anything to quiet it down."

During its 2011 title run, Kentucky also topped its rival 4,696-4,680 in the regular season.

The last time these two teams met on West Virginia soil, the Mountaineers dominated 4,691-4,642, sending the Wildcats back to Lexington with a loss.

This season, these two programs have followed very similar path, as both are coming off their first loss of the season to No. 1 TCU after breezing through all previous competition.

The Wildcats have been paced by all-Americans Henri Junghanel and Emily Holsopple, both with an average aggregate score slightly more than 1,175.

On the other hand, the Mountaineers will have to take on their rival without the aid of their best shooter, Zublasing.

The Italian national team member will be shooting with her national squad in Colorado Springs.

"It's obviously going to be harder task without Petra than with her," Hammond said. "It's going to be another great opportunity for the rest of the team to step up and see how they can perform against a very good Kentucky team."

Without its standout junior, WVU will lean on its two seniors, Justin Pentz and Mike Kulbacki, as well as a group of four talented freshmen.

The Mountaineers will also be without Zublasing in their season finale against No. 18 North Carolina State Sunday.

The Wolfpack, led by freshman Dani Foster's combined average of 1,143.3, carries an aggregate season average of 4,577.3 and will also take on Kentucky Saturday at the WVU rifle range.