Adapting to college can be a difficult transition for anyone. Combine that transition with a difficult major and a sports team that takes a large time commitment and you have a recipe for potential disaster.

But for rifle team freshman Will Teller, although the combination has taken away his free time, the atmosphere has provided the evironment he needs to succeed.

Teller has proved to consistently be one of the top two shooters on the team. He led State with a total score of 1,144 over the weekend at the Collegiate Sectional in Charleston, S.C.

“[Teller] is one of the few that actually came in shooting as well or better than what he had done in high school,” coach Keith Miller said. “He and [senior] Kat Seigert are one and two, neck and neck at all of our matches just about.”

Of the eight matches in which Teller has competed this year, he has placed in the top two for the Pack seven times.

But his success is not a mere matter of doing what he has always done. Teller has been able to improve by having a positive, coachable attitude, according to Miller.

“You have to be positive with a lot of hype and expectations as a rifle shooter,” Miller said. “But if you throw out something that’s new to him, he’ll give it a try. If it’s something that doesn’t work he’ll respectfully explain why he doesn’t think it will work, but he’s always willing to listen to the other person’s ideas.”

Teller also has an ability to bounce back from mistakes, which lets him be an even better shooter.

“[Shooting rifle] is akin to taking 100 putts from the same spot and you have to hit 95 of those putts,” Miller said. “And when one or two don’t go well, you have to know the rest will go well. He won’t let a few small things get him down. He’ll stay very positive and work very hard to perform at the level he knows he is capable of.”

And although he is working to improve his own scores, Teller maintains a team-based mentality. He set a school record in air-rifle with a score of 587, which senior Kat Seiger broke over the weekend with a score of 588.

“This past weekend [Seigert] broke his record by a point and he was congratulatory to her and supportive of her because that helps the team,” Miller said. “He’s working hard for himself, but he’s also definitely a team player.”

Teller helps his teammates both in the range and at competitions with advice and positive feedback, senior Samantha Bullard said.

“When you have a problem, you can talk to him,” Bullard said. “He gives fantastic feedback.”

And not only is his advice good, so are his jokes.

“Everyone has a bad day and Will can help make you feel better,” Bullard said. “He can tell you some kind of joke and make you forget all about it. He’s super nice all the time.”

Teller admits that he tries to keep the atmosphere light.

“My friends tell me I’m funny,” Teller said. “I guess I’m the funny guy. I make jokes.”

But off the range, Teller has a different focus: nuclear engineering.

“He’s got an attribute that we like with a lot of shooters — he’s a really good student,” Miller said. “He was accepted out of high school directly into the nuclear engineering program. Because of that program and its time restraints, he’s been very good about working hard, being efficient with time, compartmentalizing his time and keeping on a good time management schedule.”

Just like any freshman coming into a large university, Teller has had to adjust to the volume of work he has to tackle. But Teller said his time at Maggie Walker Governor’s School helped him adapt more easily.

“I came from a very rigorous high school and I think it’s helped me with my study habits coming in,” Teller said. “So I can sectionalize parts of my life and make sure others don’t seep into the ones that are more important.”

However, the sport that takes up his time also gives Teller certain advantages in the classroom.

“My first semester I was one of the last freshmen to register and I was lucky to get into the classes I wanted to get into at any time, much less be able to move them around the rifle schedule,” Teller said. “But now, registering as an athlete, it’s easier to move everything and set up your schedule for yourself.”

But Miller said one of the most important parts of Teller’s success at N.C. State has come from his ability to not fret about things.

“He’s not flappable. He knows he can do better when he doesn’t do well,” Miller said. “And he knows why. He identifies that and does not stress about it, he just tries to work on how to improve it.”