Rifle: WPIAL Preview
The WPIAL rifle picture appears to be wide open this season with no true favorite everyone will be gunning for.
Four of the top six finishers at the WPIAL individual championships have graduated and WPIAL team champion Woodland Hills lost many of its shooters due to graduation.
Hempfield went 14-2 last season and shared the Section 1 title with Woodland Hills. Hempfield finished runner-up to the Wolverines at the WPIAL team championships. While WPIAL individual champion Nicole Metz has graduated, the Spartans do return junior Keegan Miller and senior Kayla Dowling. Both qualified for the PIAA championships last year.
Avella won Section 2 last season with an 11-4 record to edge out Trinity who finished 10-4. Trinity boasts two returning PIAA qualifiers in junior Lexie McFarland and senior Casey Doyle. Bethel Park should also be in the running this season. A year after finishing 13-3 in the regular season the Black Hawks return senior Jim Loftstead, the 13th place finisher at the WPIAL individual championships as well as junior Nick Knaus who finished 26th.
Contenders in Section 1 along with Hempfield, Woodland Hills and Bethel Park include Butler and Mt. Lebanon, a pair of programs with large numbers who both finished 8-8 last season. McGuffey, a 7-8 team a year ago, could make noise this season with three returning WPIAL qualifiers.
Four of the top six finishers at the WPIAL individual championships have graduated and WPIAL team champion Woodland Hills lost many of its shooters due to graduation.
Hempfield went 14-2 last season and shared the Section 1 title with Woodland Hills. Hempfield finished runner-up to the Wolverines at the WPIAL team championships. While WPIAL individual champion Nicole Metz has graduated, the Spartans do return junior Keegan Miller and senior Kayla Dowling. Both qualified for the PIAA championships last year.
Avella won Section 2 last season with an 11-4 record to edge out Trinity who finished 10-4. Trinity boasts two returning PIAA qualifiers in junior Lexie McFarland and senior Casey Doyle. Bethel Park should also be in the running this season. A year after finishing 13-3 in the regular season the Black Hawks return senior Jim Loftstead, the 13th place finisher at the WPIAL individual championships as well as junior Nick Knaus who finished 26th.
Contenders in Section 1 along with Hempfield, Woodland Hills and Bethel Park include Butler and Mt. Lebanon, a pair of programs with large numbers who both finished 8-8 last season. McGuffey, a 7-8 team a year ago, could make noise this season with three returning WPIAL qualifiers.
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