Gordon Tabbed New Assistant Coach of Eagle Rifle
4/18/2024 11:45:00 AM | Women's Rifle
Former All-American joins staff for 2024-25 season as GA
STATESBORO - Former All-American and multiple-time Scholastic All-American Abigail Gordon has been named the graduate assistant coach for the Georgia Southern rifle squad. Gordon, who graduated from TCU in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and a Master's in 2023 in general studies and humanities, will pursue a second Master's degree in sport and exercise psychology at Georgia Southern.
Gordon spent the 2023-24 season training for the U.S. Olympic Trials Colorado Springs as a member of the USA Rifle Team. She was a member of the 2022 Championships of the Americas Team.
"The commitment to excellence both Coach Soren Butler and Coach Abby Buesseler provide has resulted in a tough, disciplined, hungry, championship-level team," Gordon said. "Each athlete has demonstrated their impressive ability to continually raise the bar in the competition arena. I could not be more excited to start working in this new role alongside the student-athletes, Coach Butler, the support staff, and a University who are committed to excellence in all areas."
Gordon took advantage of the NCAA's COVID-19 exemption and returned to TCU for a fifth year in 2022-23. She capped her career in style, averaging 587.000 in smallbore, which ranked 11 nationally and included a career-high 594 at Navy. She averaged 594.250 in air rifle, which ranked 10th nationally as she recorded a career-high 599 early on in the season. She posted a 1,182.900 aggregate average, which ranked 11th nationally, as she twice posted a score of 1,192. TCU qualified for the NCAA Championships, finishing as the national runners-up.
As a senior, in the 2021-22 season, Gordon fired a 592 or better in air rifle in 13 matches and shot a 580 or better in smallbore nine times as she finished in the top 30 nationally in air rifle average (592.4), smallbore average (582.4) and aggregate average (1,174.8) to earn honorable mention All-America honors in air rifle. She qualified for the individual smallbore finals at the National Championships, finishing fifth as the Horned Frogs took second place overall.
Gordon also earned honorable mention All-America honors in air rifle in both 2020 and 2019, along with Academic All-Big 12 accolades for her work in the classroom.
"I'm super excited that Abby decided to join us in Statesboro," Butler said. "She will bring a wealth of technical knowledge and experience to our team as well as being a great human. She had a very decorated collegiate career and has spent the last year as a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center. I think she will fit in well with our system and I look forward to working with her and welcoming her into our team!"
A native of Granbury, Texas, Gordon won the 2015 Bordelon's Texas State Championship and was also a four-time Junior Olympic Rifle Championship qualifier. She was crowned national champion in the first round at the 2017 American Legion National Championships at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Gordon replaces Abby Buesseler, who has helped lead the Eagles to record-setting levels the past two years and was named the CRCA Assistant Coach of the Year this past season.
