Rifle Posts Strong 4740 Qualifying Score, Awaits Selection Show Monday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky rifle team used strong performances up and down the lineup in both disciplines to post a 4740 NCAA Qualifying on Saturday inside the UK Rifle Rane and set itself up perfectly for selection to the 2025 NCAA Rifle National Championships.
Kentucky, who also competed in the qualifier with Morehead State, posted a 2355 in smallbore and 2385 in air rifle for the impressive 4740 team score. Morehead State posted a 2312 in smallbore and 2375 in air rifle for a 4687 qualifying score.
Kentucky honored two seniors in the middle of the match Saturday. Seniors Ally Buesseler and Tori Kopelen were presented mementos to honor their hard work and dedication to the UK program. Buesseler and Kopelen have been a mainstay for the UK program the last four years, helping UK earn the 2022 National Championship and two Great America Rifle Conference Regular-Season Championships.
“Fun day in the range as it was great to honor Ally and Tori for all they have meant to our program and post a strong qualifying score in the process,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “We saw some really good things today, starting with Braden in smallbore with a 200 standing and then Martin tying a career best. In air rifle, Sofia and Braden were just amazing today and everyone around them stepped up and did good as well. So overall a good day and we look forward to starting postseason competition next weekend at the GARCs.”
Saturday’s NCAA qualifying score will be the last factor determining the field for the 2025 NCAA Rifle Championships, which will be held inside Historic Memorial Coliseum in March. Each team’s three score aggregate average – the score based on each team’s highest three regular season scores fired at three different locations – has already been recorded. This weekend’s qualifier score will be added to that average. The teams with the eight highest combined scores will qualify for the NCAA Championship and make their way to Lexington for the championships March 14-15.
UK’s three scores it will count as part of its NCAA Qualifying score are its 4748 in Colorado, an impressive 4742 fired to start the 2025 schedule in Lexington and its 4740 at Ole Miss in the fall of 2024. The impressive scores placed UK third in the NCAA qualifying standings at 4743.33 heading into the weekend, with Alaska first at 4756 and West Virginia second at 4754. With UK’s 4740 Saturday, the Wildcats NCAA Qualifying total score will be 9483.33.
The two teams competed across two relays on Saturday with both teams countable participants in the first relay. In the first relay for Kentucky was freshmen Sam Adkins and Liz Probst, sophomore Braden Peiser, juniors Sofia Ceccarello and Martin Voss and senior Ally Buesseler.
Peiser took home the top individual honor from the match with a 1194 aggregate and 99 total centers, while Ceccarello scored a 1188 and Adkins a 1182. Voss posted a strong 1180, while Buesseler scored a 1173 and Probst a 1171. In the second relay, it was freshman Brandon Evans that had a great day, scoring a 1183 aggregate, which was third best in the match.
In first relay smallbore, it was Peiser that led the way for Kentucky, posting a 595, finishing his final three sets – one in prone and both in standing – with perfect scores. Peiser posted a 196 in kneeling, 199 in prone and 200 in standing with 41 total centers. Ceccarello and Voss each scored 589s with that tying a career high score for Voss, who earned a 196 in kneeling, 199 in prone and 194 in standing. Ceccarello scored a 195 in kneeling and 199 in prone before a 195 in standing. Adkins performed well with a 587 and 33 total centers, earning a 196 in kneeling and prone and ending with a 195 in standing. Buesseler scored a 582 with a 195 in kneeling, 197 in prone and 190 in standing, while Probst completed the relay with a 579, scoring a 193 in kneeling, 196 in prone and 190 in standing.
In the air rifle first relay, it was Peiser and Ceccarello that shined with each scoring 599s. Peiser had 58 centers in that performance, while Ceccarello had 53 and was on target for a perfect 600 before scoring a 9.9 on her 59th shot. Adkins posted an impressive 595 with 50 centers, while Buesseler and Voss each scored a 591 with Buesseler earning 37 centers and Voss 38. Probst posted a 592 to conclude the first relay, earning 44 centers.
In the second smallbore relay, it was Evans that led Kentucky with an impressive 589 score, just off his career best. Evans scored a 195 in kneeling and 198 in prone before a 195 in standing earned him the strong score. He also added 34 centers in the discipline. Junior AJ Hotko posted a perfect 200 prone en route to a 576 score, adding 189 in kneeling and 187 in standing. Freshman Hannah Todd posted a 182 kneeling, 194 prone and a 186 standing for a 562, while sophomore Emily Marne earned a 533.
In air rifle, Evans posted a 594 with 44 centers, while Hotko scored a 592 with 47 centers. Todd scored a 585 with 36 centers while Marne scored a 559 with 16 centers.
Postseason competition begins March 1-2 with the GARC Championships in Morgantown, West Virginia. Smallbore team and individual competition will be March 1 with air rifle competition on March 2. Live targets will be available online at UKathletics.com.
Historic Memorial Coliseum is set to host the 2025 NCAA Rifle National Championships on March 14-15 and both all-session tickets and single-session tickets are now on sale. The two-day event will see the best air rifle and smallbore competitors in the nation compete on the Historic Memorial Coliseum floor. The smallbore competition will be March 14 followed by air rifle competition on March 15. All-session and single-session tickets are on sale now through the UK Athletics Account Manager. All-session tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for youth (ages 3-18) and seniors (age 65+). Single-session tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for youth (ages 3-18) and seniors (age 65+). Children ages 2 and under will be admitted free of charge.
For more information on the Kentucky rifle team, visit UKathletics.com or follow UKRifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
