Rifle Posts Another Strong Score in Win at Navy
LEXINGTON, Ky. – It was another strong outing for the No. 2 University of Kentucky rifle team as the Wildcats posted a 4738 team score en route to a dual-match victory vs. Navy on Saturday in Annapolis, Maryland.
Kentucky started the match with a 2355 in smallbore and followed with a 2383 in air rifle for a 4738 total team aggregate score, just two off its impressive 4740 last weekend to open the season. Navy competed very well, scoring a 2350 in smallbore and 2380 in air rifle for a 4730 aggregate.
The win moves Kentucky to 3-0 on the season after winning a tri-match with Memphis and Ohio State last weekend in Columbus, Ohio. UK is in the midst of a four-match road trip to start the 2025-26 season. Next weekend, the Wildcats travel to West Point, New York for two matches with Army and Nebraska.
“A good performance today overall by the squad to go on the road again and secure a victory against a really, really good team in Navy,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “So far, everything we throw at this team, they seem to handle well and respond, which is good to see early in the season. We still have a lot of work to do and next weekend will be a huge test competing back-to-back days against quality opponents.”
It was junior Braden Peiser that again led Kentucky in the match, shooting a career-high tying 597 in smallbore to get things started. He followed with a 598 in air rifle for an impressive aggregate total of 1195, which is a new career high. At the conclusion of UK’s match Saturday, that high aggregate score was the best in the nation this season and he is one of only two athletes in the nation this season with two 1190 aggregates or higher.
Three Midshipmen took the next three top individual spots for the match with Tyler Wee scoring a 1191, Isabella Baldwin a 1185 and Parker Haydin a 1184.
Kentucky had eight competitors in smallbore and seven in air rifle with Peiser posting UK’s top individual in both disciplines. After Peiser in smallbore was Brandon Evans and Martin Voss, who each scored 587s, while Sam Adkins posted a 586. Ceccarello earned a 585, while Probst posted a 584 in her first competition of the year and St. Hilaire scored a 583. Elisa Boozer wrapped up UK’s scoring with a 577.
In air rifle, Ceccarello and Adkins scored a 596, while Evans earned a 594 and Boozer a 593. Voss and St. Hilaire both scored 589s.
Adkins was the fifth top performer at the match with a 1182 aggregate, while Ceccarello and Evans both had 1181s. Voss scored a 1176 while UK’s two rookies – St. Hilaire and Boozer – finished ninth and 10th overall with 1172 and 1170, respectively.
For more information on the Kentucky rifle team, visit UKathletics.com.
