The University of Akron Athletics
Wyatt Openshaw: Team Chemistry is Key
March 10 | Rifle
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NCAA Tickets
NOTE: This week the University of Akron rifle team will make the first appearance in the NCAA Championships in program history. Every day leading up to Friday's competition, we will feature one of the five students competing for the Zips.
Read the Series:
Lauryn Cinadr: Born to be a Zip
Andre Gross: All-American Zip
Kera Kaufman: Hard Work Pays Off
Wyatt Openshaw: Team Chemistry is Key
Patrick Schnupp: All in the Family
Newt Engle: Akron's Longest-Tenured Head Coach
When the University of Akron takes the range this weekend for the 2020 NCAA Championships in Lexington, Ky., one thing is for sure– the five Zip competitors will have each other's backs.
During the regular season, the team has made great strides, setting new records and reaching new highs. Akron was ranked among the nation's Top 10 all season, reaching a program-high No. 4. Last month, Akron finished third at the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Championship, its highest team finish since joining the league in 2015. And this week, UA participates in its first NCAA Championships as a team.
"Everyone gets along so well," shared junior Wyatt Openshaw, who hails from Parkton, Md.
Team chemistry has been at the heart of this year's success.
"We work together and coach each other," Openshaw continued. "If we have something we need someone to look at, we can help each other out. That's one of the big things."
The mechanical engineering major began shooting in eighth grade. A member of the Seitzland Rifle Club in York County, Pa., Openshaw was the 2017 Intercounty Rifle League champion. A participant in the USA Shooting Junior Olympics, he also competed in the American Legion National Championships in 2016.
Chemistry played a role in Openshaw's decision to come to the University of Akron.
"I had a couple of friends on the team. I knew I would get along with everybody already. It was an easy decision."
Openshaw's coach has been impressed with the progress he's made during his three years on campus.
"He came in good; got a little bit better his second year; but this year, the young man knows no limits," said Akron head coach Newt Engle, now in his 42nd season as the Zips' mentor.
Against North Georgia last November, Openshaw shot a school record 591 in the smallbore, much to his own surprise.
"When he came walking out of the range, he looked at me and said, 'I don't know where that came from.' And I said, 'I do'," Engle recalled. "Wyatt is just beginning to realize what he's capable of. I'm pretty excited about that, because he's one of our team leaders score-wise this year."
Maintaining his calm demeanor won't be an issue this weekend. Openshaw isn't rattled thinking about the NCAA Championships.
"I'd really like for us to go there and perform our best and possibly claim a spot in the top three," he said.
Maybe a little chemistry will do the trick.
* * *
The 2020 NCAA Rifle Championship, hosted by the University of Kentucky, will take place on March 13-14 at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky. Smallbore competition– individual, team, and finals– is slated for Friday, March 13, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Air rifle competition– individual, team, and finals– begins on Saturday, March 14, at 9:45 a.m.
NCAA tickets ($10) are available through Ticketmaster. All seating is general admission. Children aged 2 and under are admitted free. Doors open one hour prior to the start of each match. Live stats and a live stream will be available on GoZips.com.
NCAA Tickets
NOTE: This week the University of Akron rifle team will make the first appearance in the NCAA Championships in program history. Every day leading up to Friday's competition, we will feature one of the five students competing for the Zips.
Read the Series:
Lauryn Cinadr: Born to be a Zip
Andre Gross: All-American Zip
Kera Kaufman: Hard Work Pays Off
Wyatt Openshaw: Team Chemistry is Key
Patrick Schnupp: All in the Family
Newt Engle: Akron's Longest-Tenured Head Coach
When the University of Akron takes the range this weekend for the 2020 NCAA Championships in Lexington, Ky., one thing is for sure– the five Zip competitors will have each other's backs.
During the regular season, the team has made great strides, setting new records and reaching new highs. Akron was ranked among the nation's Top 10 all season, reaching a program-high No. 4. Last month, Akron finished third at the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Championship, its highest team finish since joining the league in 2015. And this week, UA participates in its first NCAA Championships as a team.
"Everyone gets along so well," shared junior Wyatt Openshaw, who hails from Parkton, Md.
Team chemistry has been at the heart of this year's success.
"We work together and coach each other," Openshaw continued. "If we have something we need someone to look at, we can help each other out. That's one of the big things."
The mechanical engineering major began shooting in eighth grade. A member of the Seitzland Rifle Club in York County, Pa., Openshaw was the 2017 Intercounty Rifle League champion. A participant in the USA Shooting Junior Olympics, he also competed in the American Legion National Championships in 2016.
Chemistry played a role in Openshaw's decision to come to the University of Akron.
"I had a couple of friends on the team. I knew I would get along with everybody already. It was an easy decision."
Openshaw's coach has been impressed with the progress he's made during his three years on campus.
"He came in good; got a little bit better his second year; but this year, the young man knows no limits," said Akron head coach Newt Engle, now in his 42nd season as the Zips' mentor.
Against North Georgia last November, Openshaw shot a school record 591 in the smallbore, much to his own surprise.
"When he came walking out of the range, he looked at me and said, 'I don't know where that came from.' And I said, 'I do'," Engle recalled. "Wyatt is just beginning to realize what he's capable of. I'm pretty excited about that, because he's one of our team leaders score-wise this year."
Maintaining his calm demeanor won't be an issue this weekend. Openshaw isn't rattled thinking about the NCAA Championships.
"I'd really like for us to go there and perform our best and possibly claim a spot in the top three," he said.
Maybe a little chemistry will do the trick.
* * *
The 2020 NCAA Rifle Championship, hosted by the University of Kentucky, will take place on March 13-14 at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky. Smallbore competition– individual, team, and finals– is slated for Friday, March 13, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Air rifle competition– individual, team, and finals– begins on Saturday, March 14, at 9:45 a.m.
NCAA tickets ($10) are available through Ticketmaster. All seating is general admission. Children aged 2 and under are admitted free. Doors open one hour prior to the start of each match. Live stats and a live stream will be available on GoZips.com.
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