TCU Rifle Welcomes Two New Shooters
11/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rifle
Nov. 21, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas-The TCU woman's rifle team had two high school recruits sign National Letters of Intent for the 2009-2010 season. The two shooters share a wealth of experience on the national level and hold multiple shooting records, state championships, as well as national championships.
Olivia Pennell will be joining the Frogs next fall and will look to make an immediate impact on the team. Hailing from Antelope, Calif., Pennell excels in both the classroom and on the firing range. She currently attends Loretto High School and excels in the classroom. Pennell is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the California Scholarship Federation. She has also been a member of the varsity golf team for the past four years. In her spare time she volunteers at a local Sacramento hospital and an elementary school in the Sacramento area.
Pennell has had a highly decorated shooting career. She currently holds or co-holds 22 different NRA shooting records. The 22 records are broken down as follows; seven records for NRA smallbore, 12 records for NRA position air rifle, and three records for CMP air rifle standing. Along with her numerous records, Pennell has qualified for the National Junior Olympic Championships every year for the past three years. In 2008, she finished fifth for her age group at the National Junior Olympics in air rifle. Pennell's shooting resume continues with a seventh-place finish overall in the 2007 American Legion National Match and a third-place finish overall at the 2007 NRA National Air Rifle Match. Most recently, Pennell was named the 2008 Outdoor three position air rifle State Champion.
Along with Pennell, Caitlin Morrissey, hailing from Topeka, Kan., will join the Horned Frogs next season. Morrissey, a senior at Topeka West High School, ranks at the top of her class and is a member of both the National and Kansas Honor Society. She has also been a member of the varsity bowling team since her sophomore year.
Since 2005, Morrissey has won Kansas State Championships in both indoor and outdoor three-position smallbore. For the past four years, she has been a National Junior Olympic member. Morrissey has participated in the NRA National Championships at Camp Perry three times and most recently set the national record in smallbore at the 2008 Camp Perry National Championships. At the age of 12, Morrissey earned the Junior Distinguished Expert Award and was featured in NRA's InSight Magazine.
"I am very pleased that Olivia and Caitlin will be joining the team next fall. Both excel in the classroom and are talented competitors that will add depth to the roster their freshman year," said head coach Karen Monez. "I look for them to provide the leadership to help the team achieve our goals in the years to come."
TCU will close out its fall campaign against the Kentucky Wildcats tomorrow at the TCU Rifle Range. In their last match, the Wildcats edged West Virginia, who gave the Frogs their only loss this fall on Oct. 25.
