Ella Sprague Inks National Letter of Intent to Ohio State Rifle

Gabriella “Ella” Sprague of Falls Creek, Pennsylvania will soon leave her hometown of just over 1,000 for one of the fastest growing cities in the world in Columbus, Ohio. She’s officially signed her national letter of intent to continue her rifle career with the Ohio State University Buckeyes.

The DuBois Area High School senior is the second member of her family to become a Division I athlete as her older sister Rachel became a standout at the University of Tennessee at Martin. “Seeing my sister at the Division I level pushed me to work harder and was motivation to help me reach my goal of being on an NCAA rifle team. I’m fortunate to feel so supported and to have my sister who has already gone through many of these same processes that I have as a college recruit.”

Ohio State is a fixture as one of the top rifle programs in the entire country and remains close enough for her family to attend various matches. “The atmosphere of the team was a big factor in my decision,” noted Sprague. I also liked the campus and that they have a top-ranked psychology program.”

In her already distinguished career, she’s become the Beavers Rookie of the Year, a two-time Team MVP, the program record holder for both air and smallbore, a two-time junior Olympic qualifier, and a 3P Air Distinguished Badge Recipient.

Photo courtesy of Julianne Butler Photography.

Aside from this moment signing to be a college athlete, some of her top memories include qualifying for the American Legion Three-Position Junior Air Rifle Championships as one of the top 15 scorers in the entire country, shooting two new personal records at her second junior Olympic Games, and being a three-year captain of her high school rifle team at DuBois.

Sprague remains focused on making her senior year at DuBois Area High School the best that it can be, but her days in high school are ticking down. Throughout her career, she’s thankful to have had the support of her family, friends, coaches, and teammates to help her through each stage of her career. As she continues, she will only continue to make herself and the support system around her proud. Good luck at Ohio State, Ella!