LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sophomore Jen Pason and junior Andrew Roland have been named the Kentucky rifle team shooters of the week, UK head coach Harry Mullins announced.
Last weekend, UK rolled to wins of two national rifle powers, Nebraska and Alaska-Fairbanks. Both Nebraska and Alaska-Fairbanks are widely regarded as two of the top programs in the nation, with Alaska-Fairbanks having claimed the NCAA Championship the past two years.
?I was really proud of the whole team last weekend,? Mullins said. ?They really battled all weekend and their hard work and dedication is starting to pay dividends. [Graduate Assistant Coach] Stacy Underwood and I really had a tough decision to make in regards to who to pick for shooter of the week because the team worked so hard as a whole.?
Pason, the 2006-07 Great American Rifle Conference Rookie of the Year, notched a 590 air rifle score and a 586 smallbore score in UK?s win over Nebraska. Pason posted a 199 kneeling smallbore score, helping propel UK to a big conference road win. Pason, a Milford, N.J, native, notched a total 1176 combined score.
?Jen did a great job on both days, but her 1176 total score on Friday really stood out,? Mullins said. ?She worked every shot to its fullest potential. She is a joy to have on the team.?
In Saturday?s match with the defending NCAA Champion, Roland earned the starting nod in smallbore, posting a personal best 585 total score and tallying a team-high combined score in both guns.
?Andrew shots a personal best on Saturday in smallbore and had the highest combined score between smallbore and air rifle. Ray was very close behind him after shooting a personal best, but I thought Andrew really gave it all he had in the Alaska match.?
Several other shooters performed brilliantly in UK?s weekend wins, including senior co-captain Ray Geyer. Geyer, who posted a 1171 combined score in UK?s Friday win over Nebraska, finished just one point behind Roland in the combined categories in Saturday?s win over Alaksa-Fairbanks.
?I was just so proud of the entire team last weekend,? Mullins said. ?They stayed focused and it was the first time in a long time that the team did not have to ride on any one person?s shoulders. Everybody carried a good share of the weight and workload. I think Ray has really put himself in position to have a great season if he stays at his current pace. I think we all saw our true potential last weekend and now it is time to harness it and learn to bring out that potential for every match.?
