CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ? Austin Peay State University's athletics department will discontinue sponsorship of women's
rifle, effective immediately, in a move designed to redirect funds to help strengthen other women's sports, athletics
director Dave Loos announced, Tuesday.
“The decision to discontinue women's air rifle was not easy to make,” said Loos. “However, we felt our studentathletes
were at a competitive disadvantage, for which we could not compensate?we were not providing the studentathlete
the experience we should have. Upon further evaluation, we felt that the cost of elevating rifle to a competitive
status was prohibitive given our limited resources and facilities.”
Rifle at the collegiate level is divided into smallbore and air rifle competitions, with the scores combined into an
aggregate score to determine the overall champion. Austin Peay women's rifle competed in only air rifle at collegiate
events, thereby eliminating the team from contention in all but air rifle-only competitions. APSU previously practiced and
held competitions at the old ROTC building, which was demolished for the construction of the Foy Fitness and Recreation
Center. In the last two years, the Memorial Health Building, which now houses the ROTC, has served as rifle's practice
and competition facility.
“The reality is we believe a reallocation of resources to other women's programs will strengthen those programs and,
hopefully, improve the potential for success,” said APSU Assistant Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator
Cheryl Holt. “Some of our programs are not fully-funded and this will give us a chance to get closer to that goal.”
Scholarships for the effected rifle student-athletes will be honored for the 2007-08 academic year. Releases will be
offered to those who wish to transfer to other schools, where they will be eligible to participate immediately.
The move eventually will free up approximately three scholarships, as well as travel, equipment and coaching dollars
for other women's sports. All money released by the move will be reallocated to the department's nine remaining women's
sports: basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field and volleyball.
Howard Wooster has served as the rifle program's coach during the past six years.
- AP -