MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (November 24, 2015) – West Virginia University rifle coach Jon Hammond announced today that Jack Anderson, Milica Babic and Morgan Phillips will join the three-time reigning NCAA champion rifle team in 2016-17.
“I think this class has a lot of exciting upside,” Hammond said. “Each of these athletes has extensive experience. We’ve had our eye on them all for a while, and each will add value to our team with their great personalities, work ethic and enthusiasm about the sport.”
Anderson, a native of Franklin, Pennsylvania, is the son of Daniel and Melanie Anderson. A five-time USA Shooting Junior Olympics qualifier, he owns the US Shooting men’s J2 air rifle national record (617.8). He has shot at six National Rifle Association (NRA) matches and also qualified for three USA Shooting Junior Olympics 3-Positions competitions. A four-time Pennsylvania State Outdoor 3-Positions Rifle champion, he is a three-time air rifle champion at the Pennsylvania Junior Olympic Shooting Qualifier, a two-time PIAA Air Rifle champion and a three-time smallbore runner-up at the Pennsylvania Junior Olympic Shooting Qualifier.
Anderson shot alongside current Mountaineers Garrett Spurgeon, Jean-Pierre Lucas and Will Anti at the 2014 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC) and placed second in the J2 competition behind Anti.
“We’ve known Jack for a while, and we’re looking forward to welcoming him on to the team,” Hammond explained. “He’s shot at a lot of Junior Olympic and National competitions, and those opportunities have allowed him to gain experience. We’re excited to see how he will improve once he joins a college team atmosphere. Jack has a great personality, and we’re looking forward to working with him.”
A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Babic is the daughter of Dusan and Brankica Babic. She is a member of the Serbian Youth National Team. Having just picked up the sport in 2010, she holds two national titles, including the 2014 Best National Junior Woman title. Babic has broken more than 15 national records, including 13 in the last competition year. She was one of six European youth female competitors to compete at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics.
Babic has extensive international shooting experience and has shot in competitions in Spain, Germany, Russia, Holland and China. She has finished in the top 10 at four international competitions since 2014, including back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the junior women’s 10m air rifle and the junior women’s 50m 3 positions at the 2014 and 2015 European Championships, respectively.
“Milica is a top-level international shooter, and she’s really improved in the last 12 months,” Hammond said. “She brings a lot of international experience with her, too. I think the improvements she’s made recently will help her have a big impact right away, and she will challenge the NCAA field in both disciplines. As with all international student-athletes, we’re excited to bring a different culture and motivation to our team. I know she’ll have the right work ethic and personality for our program.”
Phillips, a native of Salisbury, Maryland, is the daughter of Mike Phillips. She is a member of the US National Junior Team, having secured her roster spot with a fifth-place overall finish, second in the junior competition, at the 2015 USA Shooting National Championships in smallbore (1157). She also finished 25th overall, 15th in the junior competition, in air rifle (812.1). Most recently, Phillips competed in the MQS slot at the 2015 ISSF Azerbaijan World Cup and shot a personal-best 585 smallbore.
Phillips placed ninth overall in smallbore at the 2015 World Cup Spring Selection with an 1158 mark. Additionally, she finished sixth in smallbore (1157) and 44th in air rifle (805.3) at the 2015 National Junior Olympics.
“Like Jack, we’ve known Morgan for a while,” Hammond said. “Morgan’s smallbore has really come on in the last year, and that has led to international shooting opportunities. The MQS match in Azerbaijan was a big match for her, and she shot a personal best, which speaks volumes to her character and her ability to compete in big matches. Morgan’s air gun is improving, too, and I think she’ll make an impact on the team next year.”
